February 18, 2010: Rita Dove, 1956 Last week, an "open letter" from Fred Viebahn, Rita Dove's husband and ballroom dance partner, arrived in my email box with this startling subject line: "Poetry Society of America: insensitive, clueless, or just plain racist?" (more...) by Annie Finch

“Firm Light”: cummings’ Erotica February 12, 2010: For Valentine's day, a link to some wonderful erotic poems and drawings by e.e. cummings... iv. What is thy mouth to me? A cup of sorrowful incense, A tree of keen leaves, An eager high ship, A quiver of superb arrows. What is thy breast to me? A flower of new prayer, A poem of firm light, A well of cool [...] by Annie Finch

On Being Started By a Blog January 13, 2010: I wrote most of this post just before Craig posted his lament for the bloggers. But I was too busy starting up my own new blog, American Witch, to post it until now. Though it may feel to Craig and others (primarily men?) that the great age of blogging is over, it sure doesn't feel like that to someone who is so excited about having created [...] by Annie Finch

A Moment with Maxine (and Robert and Henry) July 20, 2009: Alexs Pate, David Mura, Maxine Kumin, Annie Finch Stonecoast 2009, photo by Suzy Colt Bowdoin college campus. Cool perfect Maine summer night. The warm wake of a great reading---a strong and vivid event, Maxine Kumin and David Mura, each introduced with heart and thought by a Stonecoast student, and each reaching a powerful and somehow [...] by Annie Finch

Muse-Goddess June 30, 2009: For my last post as a Harriet blogger, I wanted to give a shout-out to what makes it work for me. I could say the earth, spirit, guidance, love, chi, or justice— (more...) by Annie Finch

A Post of Posts June 30, 2009: I have only one day left on Harriet (though they have asked we who are leaving to keep posting occasionally, and I will look forward to that). I’ve been rationing posts, but I’ve nearly run out. There were a lot gestating. One about food poetry. One about finishing (more...) by Annie Finch

A Toast for the Fathers June 27, 2009: Roy Finch at Sarah Lawrence College, mid 1960's Father's day came and went, and I've been wanting to say something about my dad, and all my poetic fathers, (more...) by Annie Finch

Four Ears: the Curse of the Metrical Code June 27, 2009: Last year I happened to be sitting next to the young poet Jericho Brown at a reading in Los Angeles. Jericho noticed me counting on my fingers and scribbling down some marks on a piece of paper. He nearly leaped out of his seat (more...) by Annie Finch

Marxist Hexameter: Genevieve Taggard in a Heroic Measure–now with audio! June 25, 2009: Labor Day march across the Mackinac Bridge (more...) by Annie Finch

Why I Am a Woman Poet June 24, 2009: My Sister-in-Law, Sister, Niece, and Me in My Mother's Kitchen Anna Leahy reminds us, in her recent essay “Is Women’s Poetry Passé?” in Legacy, that “in the January 2006 issue of Poetry, the three female poets who had been asked to comment on “women’s poetry” (Meghan O’Rourke, J. Allyn Rosser, and Eleanor Wilner) asserted, [...] by Annie Finch