“The Belltower” by Diane di Prima
"In 2009, Di Prima was named the Poet Laureate of San Francisco. A movement is currently underway to have a street in the city named in her honor."… Read More
“No small perversion of language is needed to spin heroism out of an evening spent in a chair”: B.R. Myers Skewers Foodies and their Books
Steingarten tells of watching four people hold down a struggling, groaning pig for a full 20 minutes as it bled to death for his dinner. He calls the animal “a filthy beast… Read More
“Children Selecting Books In A Library” by Randall Jarrell
"Their tales are full of sorcerers and ogres / Because their lives are . . . " The setting of this poem may make no sense to readers today, and it certainly… Read More
“War and Peace and Russians and Napoleon and Hard Names to Remember and Even Harder to Pronounce and Lots of TALK TALK TALK. And Snow”: Truth in Book Titles?
Head over to Paste to see some honest book titles.… Read More
“Medusa” by Louise Bogan
"Louise Bogan's haunting, melancholy, but fierce poetry challenges me to sort out the question of poetic language and écriture féminine. Her experiments with the lyric earn her an important place in the… Read More
E-Verser Designer Jennifer Unveils her New Website: jenAWESOME!
Head over to Jennifer's new website to see her professional portfolio of corporate and fine art designs. Forward to anyone currently in the market for an excellent graphic designer who happens to… Read More
“Meet and Greet” by Ernest Hilbert
For some, ardent reading forms its own end, A drawn-out, lonely, unpaid profession. Even as pastime, it’s viewed as creepy. The mind greets ghosts, and no good to pretend You’ll get much… Read More
“Low Tide” by April Lindner
"With their beautifully textured surfaces, April Lindner's poems explore 'the hunger of skin for skin.' She combines the poet's lyrical compression with the novelist's eye for the telling domestic detail, and,… Read More
“Spain” by Bruce Bawer
"Bruce Bawer is an American literary critic, writer, and poet. He moved from New York to Amsterdam in 1998, where he felt that he could live better as a gay man in… Read More
“The Retired Literary Critic Pauses in his Sunday Reading” by Ernest Hilbert
1. The Retired Literary Critic Pauses in His Sunday Reading by Ernest Hilbert I still wonder who declined in this room Before me, in this rented antique house, As chips of light… Read More
“The Darkest Hour” by David Yezzi in the New York Times
Note, this is the correct stanza structure and spacing, unlike what you'll find at the Times. … Read More
“Long Distance II” by Tony Harrison
Tony Harrison is Britain's leading film and theatre poet. His first collection of poems, The Loiners (1970), was awarded the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize in 1972, and his acclaimed version of Aeschylus's… Read More
“Speech” by Kevin Young
"At Length is a venue for ambitious, in-depth writing, music, photography, and art that are open to possibilities shorter forms preclude. As a print-friendly online magazine, we create ways for readers, listeners,… Read More
“Sixty Years After” by Derek Walcott
From the Nobel Laureate's latest collection, White Egrets.… Read More
“What a beautiful Pussy you are!”: Poetry Tattoo!
E-Verser Penny sent in an image of her new tattoo, inspired by Edward Lear's famous and much-loved poem "Owl and the Pussycat."… Read More
“Lion” by Jericho Brown
"I strive to be clear—not obvious. I am neither afraid of nor married to difficulty or accessibility. I mean to write poems that are felt before they are understood. Of course, anyone… Read More
“Including Demi Moore and Mike Tyson. . . .”: Maria Shriver to Guest Edit O Magazine Poetry Issue
"In addition to showcasing work from many of the world's most celebrated poets, Shriver plans to include poems and thoughts on poetry from actors, athletes, musicians, and writers, including Demi Moore and… Read More
“Prayer” by Jorie Graham
From Never by Jorie Graham, published by HarperCollins, 2002.… Read More
This Ain’t Yer Grandma’s Knitting: Yarn Bombing!
E-Verser Cynthia introduces us to the world of Yarn Bombing. … Read More
“You’d be amazed at how quickly four dudes who aren’t in a band start acting like they are”: E-Verser Winn Coslick’s Newest Movie, Losers Take All
"For two weeks, this was like rock-and-roll boot camp," said Kay, who plays The Fingers' longhaired lead guitarist. He and Brensinger, the band's drummer, are the "heavy metal-stoner" members of the group,… Read More
“You Could Have a 4.0”
Thanks to my sister Lisa and her husband Casey for sending this one in. … Read More
“The Black Virginity” by Mina Loy
Conrad Aiken encouraged readers to "pass lightly over the . . . tentacular quiverings of Mina Loy," and John Collier cited Loy's verse as an example of "the need for objective standards."… Read More
“The Moose” by Elizabeth Bishop
David Yezzi will be leading a critical seminar on the life and works of Elizabeth Bishop to mark the centenary of her birth. Those interested in participating should visit the website of… Read More
“No Swan So Fine” by Marianne Moore
But there remains one all-important phrase in the poem. When one hears "The king is dead," the unspoken response should also be heard: "Long live the king!" One must be ready to… Read More
“In my 20s, I laughed at anything vaguely mystical. Forty pounds later, I’m not skeptical, I’m desperate!”: Daniel Nester in Salon Magazine
E-Verse Friend and Inspiration Daniel Nester on Hypnotic Dieting . . . . … Read More
“The Bobcats”
Courtesy of our friends at The Oatmeal. This is out-of-control-funny! … Read More
“You can tell by the way he slices the cantaloupe” by D. H. Tracy
The Editors of The New Criterion are pleased to announce that D. H. Tracy is the winner of the eleventh annual New Criterion Poetry Prize. Mr. Tracy will recieve $3,000, and his… Read More