Poetry
'There Aren't Clear Heroes': Eve Ewing on the Chicago Race Riots of 1919
In her new book, Ewing uses poetry as a form of historical investigation, revisiting the deadly riots that tore through Chicago a century ago.
A Chicago Jail Might Be the Largest Mental Health Care Provider in the U.S.
After Illinois cut funding for mental-health services, Cook County Jail now handles a large portion of the state's patients. A new book tells their story.
Can Poetry Move Readers to Take Climate Action?
A new anthology urges us to look at the Earth with renewed wonder—and then to take action in its defense.
Emily Jungmin Yoon Explores Trauma Across Borders and Generations
Yoon's debut poetry collection draws together contemporary political critique with tales of the comfort women conscripted into sexual slavery during World War II.
Americans Are Reading Fewer Novels, but More Poetry
New National Endowment for the Arts research finds arts attendance is rising, but remains below 2002 levels.
Poet Rickey Laurentiis Challenges the Classics
We spoke to Rickey Laurentiis about what he recommends reading, watching, and listening to.
How Adrienne Rich Wakes Us Up
Looking back at Adrienne Rich's politics and prose—and toward a radical feminist future.
Why Are More Americans Reading Poetry Right Now?
The NEA reports an increased interest in poetry—but when we focus too much on numbers, we diminish the experience that makes poetry so vital.
Love Poems to a Troubled America
In his latest collection, the poet Terrance Hayes finds common ground with the many threats to our democracy.
Re-Educating a Life, in Sentences
Two landmark Supreme Court rulings made clear that juvenile life sentences are unconstitutional. Yet hundreds remain in prison, many of them without access to educational programs.
Poetry for Those Brutalized by Capitalism
Daniel Borzutzky's new collection confronts the perverse logics of fascism and the free market.
A Guide to the Hidden Political Poetry of the American Midwest
Celebrating three poets whose work is as trenchantly political as anything on an op-ed page: a poetry of labor, of representation, of hope.
The Lede, Issue #7: A New Washington Bureau, Political Poetry of the American Midwest, Netflix's 'Queer Eye' Reboot, and More
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Viewfinder: A UNICEF Arts Exhibition in Beirut
People visit the exhibition "Haneen, a Collective Work of Lebanese and Syrian Artists on the Impact of War on Childhood," in Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon, on February 20th, 2018.
Save American Poetry, Read a Cowboy
At the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, readers and writers celebrate the lyrical beauty of rural existence.
What Makes a Poem Really Pop?
New research suggests vivid imagery is key to poetry's aesthetic appeal.
'Poetry Allows for Us to Lead First With the Heart': A Conversation With Eve L. Ewing
The sociologist and poet talks about how creativity allows her to tackle social problems in almost limitless ways.
Are Acrostics Coming Back as a Political Protest Tool?
Pacific Standard traces a history that includes Alice in Wonderland, Sibylline prophecies, and B-E-N-G-H-A-Z-I.
The 'Nature Poem' Bucking Stereotypes About Native Americans
In his new book-length poem, Tommy Pico sends up Hollywood and literary archetypes with a protagonist who begrudges the great outdoors.
To Create Better Doctors, Cultivate Their Creative Side
Two members of a prominent medical school faculty make the case for incorporating arts-related training into the curriculum.
Dispatches From the Russian River: Farther, Faster
Upon leaving her cabin in the woods, Alexis Coe realizes that not finding the answer to what you're looking for is sometimes just as good as finding it.
Adjunct Professors and the Myth of Prestige
Notes from 20 years of adjunct politics.
The Poetry Resolution
In 2015, Casey N. Cep is attempting to surround herself with verse.
When Commercial Fishermen Get Together to Recite Poetry
Ever year, hundreds of commercial fishermen gather in Astoria, Oregon, to present their poems and talk about an industry in flux.