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Adios, Robert Bly
It’s startling to think of Robert Bly moving on, leaving us here without his energy, his restlessness, his exemplary dedication to opening a path toward a different way of imagining the purpose of poetry. Dana Gioia famously asked, “Can poetry matter?” Bly showed that it could matter … that poetry provided a way into the reaches of spiritual life that had been hidden away from us by America’s utilitarian values.Read More
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A Tribute to Robert Mezey
Thanks to Jodie Hollander and Aaron for this extraordinary assemblage of twenty-five friends and colleagues from all over the world who generously gave their time to honor the remarkable poet Robert Mezey. (See below for a few samples of his work.) The various interviews and when they appear in the podcast are listed below: Rhina Espaillat (2:17); Charles Wright (5:16); Dana Gioia (11:03); Jackie Coulette (16:13); Michael Collier (20:28); Olivia Ellis (25:21); Eugene Pugach (30:35); Charles Martin (33:32); Paul St.Read More
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Contrarian
I have a knee-jerk reaction to contrarians. I automatically like them. It takes me a while to step back and decide how valuable their views are because I enjoy their spirit of opposition. I’ve been following a contrarian named Thomas Brady for some time now. His blog is Scarriet. I like the punning sneer at the Poetry Foundation’s Harriet blog, and I like some of Brady’s critiques of the current situation of poetry. But I’ve come realize that his views aren’t finally very valuable, despite his contrarian credentials. The problem is this: Brady is a fundamentalist.Read More
Joseph Hutchison, Colorado Poet Laureate 2014-2019, has published 20 collections of poems and edited or co-edited three poetry anthologies. He currently directs two master’s-level programs for University College at the University of Denver: Professional Creative Writing and Arts & Culture Management. Joe lives with his wife, Melody Madonna, in the mountains southwest of Denver, Colorado, the city where he was born. 
