April 29, 2007: Patricia, Thank goodness your story was soooo theoretical because it would have been quite a dilemma had it actually happened. This is, at some level, a tough one, but for me it is not so tough. I am afraid my answer will not please the freedom of speech folks. The teacher’s declaration at the end of the class was wrong but understandable. You [...] by Kwame Dawes

April 29, 2007: I am not sure what it is, but today, on two different occasions my children asked me whether I liked the idea of National Poetry Month. Actually, I know what prompted it. (more...) by Kwame Dawes

Did I get stiffed? April 29, 2007: While working sporadically on a longer post, this question came up. Suddenly it hit me---Hey, I'm a blogger! Figured I might as well toss this quandary into your formidable laps. Let's say that I've been doing a theoretical poetry residency in a rather tony high school in a rather tony theoretical suburb just past, theoretically, Manhattan. The [...] by Patricia Smith

The End of History April 27, 2007: Patricia says "I want to be a major poet!" I do too. What does ambition mean in this field, arguably a field of diminishing returns? (more...) by Kenneth Goldsmith

NBCC Campaign to Save Book Reviews April 27, 2007: No, it isn’t a rumor that the book review sections of newspapers in LA, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco, and more are being axed or shrunk. The National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) are beating their keyboards into swords and have launched a campaign to save book reviews. Their efforts are gaining momentum on the Web this week: The New [...] by Emily Warn

my first poem April 26, 2007: After reading Kwame's entry about his first poem, I decided to dive into that pool. (more...) by Jeffrey McDaniel

I want to be a “major” poet! April 25, 2007: How about you? Yes, yes, I’m reading Auden again. So sue me. Now I’m tossing and turning in my sleep because W.H., in his infinite wisdom, once set down the standards (as he saw them) for recognition as a “major” poet. Since, I certainly aspire to be “major” (the alternative would be—uh, what?), I thought I’d see how I measure up, [...] by Patricia Smith

My First Poem: A Fable April 24, 2007: The second form block was on the other side of the campus. At age eleven, you arrived at the new school in which the playing fields were green and cared for. There was even a stretch of ground called “Holy Ground” that was out of bounds for anyone but athletes and sportsmen waiting to play, and even then, only the older boys dared to step on [...] by Kwame Dawes

Everything I know about teaching I learned from West Side Soccer April 24, 2007: Yesterday my husband attended the certification training for assistant coaches for the U8 (under eight) division of West Side Soccer League (a division of the American Youth Soccer Organization). I was a U6 referee last Fall but I’m too damn big to fit into the yellow and black striped shirt let alone waddle up and down the field, so hubby has [...] by Rachel Zucker

I Have Nothing To Say And I Am Saying It And That Is Poetry As I Need It April 24, 2007: John Cage "The Norton Lectures," Harvard, 1988-89 [MP3] 1. Q & A, Part I 2. Q & A, Part 2 3. Mesostic I-VI Part I 4. Mesostic I-VI Part 2 by Kenneth Goldsmith