Episode 001: Al DeGenova and Gwendolyn Brooks

The inaugural episode of Poetry Spoken Here features an interview/reading with Albert DeGenova, founding co-editor of After Hours: a journal of Chicago writing and art. The second part of the show looks at the impact of how poems are read on their meaning, with comments by Gwendolyn Brooks on her poem "The Pool Players. Seven at the Golden Shovel." popularly known as "We Real Cool."

Episode 002: Alice D'Alessio, Ted Kooser, and James Laughlin

This week, we feature an interview with Madison, Wisconsin poet, Alice D’Alessio who reads poems about her father, the creative educator who festooned her childhood home with questions to prompt curiosity and learning. She also shares work about her relationship with Henry David Thoreau, her love of nature, and her brief stint in Manhattan. In the second part of the show, Charlie examines the use of extreme imagery in poetry with examples from former poet laureate Ted Kooser, and the late, great James Laughlin.

Episode 003: Patrick Reninger and Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Patrick Reninger, accomplished poet and musician is featured. He reads selected poems from the last decade of his writing as well as older work. Whatever the subject of the poem, his mother's passing, his refusal to get direct deposit services, or his first experience watching HDTV, it is infused with his wit, and love of the absurd. In the second half of the show, Lawrence Ferlinghetti's new book, Blasts, Cries, Laughter is reviewed.

Episode 003.5: The Music of Patrick Reninger

Since Patrick is an accomplished musician as well as a skilled poet, we asked him to stay after his interview and record a few songs. The resulting four recordings are featured on this special edition of Poetry Spoken Here. Included are renditions of the classic songs Summertime and Wayfaring Stranger as well as two improvisations based on country and blues styles.

Episode 004: Antler Remembers Jeff Poniewaz, Gary Snyder's New Book Reviewed

Then-Wilwaukee poet laureate, Jeff Poniewaz, passed away in December 2014 after a long battle with cancer. In January 2015, his long-time partner and former poet laureate of Milwaukee Antler remembered him, reading a selection of his poems at the annual poetry marathon held at Woodland Pattern in Milwaukee. In the second part of the show, host Charlie Rossiter reviews Gary Snyder's new book This Present Moment.

Episode 005: Jude Genereaux, She Walks in Beauty Examined

Wisconsin poet, Jude Genereaux, reading poems about family, nature, and her late partner, the writer, Norb Blei. The second part of the show investigates the poem, She Walks in Beauty with perspective and analysis from professor Geri Chavis. Special thanks to Paul Geiger for providing an exclusive performance of the famous Lord Byron poem for this podcast.

Episode 006: Dan Wilcox, Gregorio Gomez on Bi-Lingual Poetry

Albany poet and activist Dan Wilcox is featured. He reads poems ranging in subject matter from a coyote who contemplates the many lovers of bored housewives, to a vivid description of the cast of characters at an open mic. In the second part of the show, Chicago Poet, Gregorio Gomez, discusses the impact of being bi-lingual on his writing, and his experience of poetry.

Episode 007: Gregorio Gomez, Dan Wilcox's Record Photo Collection

Gregorio Gomez runs one of the most notorious open mics in the country at Weeds, a bar in Chicago. Gomez has been a fixture in the Chicago poetry scene for many years. He shares with us stories of how he came to be the emcee at Weeds, and why he signs his e-mails "The Ghost Who Walks." In the second part of the show, we talk to Albany poet (and last week's feature) Dan Wilcox about his collection of photos of unknown poets, the largest in the world.

Episode 008: Sharon Auberle, Michael Czarnecki's 48 State Poetry Tour

Poet-photographer, Sharon Auberle, of Door County, WI is featured. Sharon has published several books of poetry, and her photography has graced the pages of her own work as well as that of other poets. For nine years she has authored the website, Mimi’s Golightly Café, which can be found at: sharonauberle.blogspot.com. In the second part of the show, we talk with poet-publisher Michael Czarnecki of upstate New York about his 14-week, 48-state reading tour.

Episode 009: Poetry Therapy [SPECIAL EPISODE]

A special themed episode of Poetry Spoken Here examining the theory and practice of Poetry Therapy. We talk to Lynn Kapitan, recent past-president of the American Art Therapy Association, Nick Mazza, founding and current editor of the Journal of Poetry Therapy, and Beth Jacobs, a psychotherapist who uses poetry and expressive writing in her practice.

Episode 010: Emily Calvo and Anja Notanja Sieger

Poet and artist Emily Calvo discusses her new book, Lending Color to the Otherwise Absurd and her recent battle with cancer. While in the hospital, she blogged her experience daily at emilyshead.wordpress.com. In the second part of the show, we talk to performance writer Anja Notanja Sieger who creates spontaneous written pieces for any occasion. We talk to her about her wide-ranging projects.

Episode 011: The Poetry of Family and Home [SPECIAL EPISODE]

A special holiday episode of Poetry Spoken Here examining poetry's long relationship with the themes of family and home. The show opens with a reflection on how those themes are used in Homer's Odyssey, the second oldest work in the western cannon. Next, a conversation with Italian-American poet Maria Maziotti Gillan about her work reflecting on her upbringing in an immigrant family. In the final part of the show, we talk to Bill Schmidtkunz of Sutton, Alaska whose personal search for home lead him ever north.

Episode 012: Andy Karol and Poetry App SlamFind

Andy Karol is a Chicago performance poet whose work has been called “raw, visceral, sensual, and rich in imagery.” She muses about her creative process, the anxieties of parenting, and discusses what inspires her. Learn more about Andy and see videos of her performing on her website: www.andykarol.com/

In the second part of the show, we talk with NYC’s Mason Granger. When he is not performing as one third of the Mayhem Poets, he is busy building a poetry app, SlamFind, designed to help poetic travelers locate slam venues and poets across North America. Learn more about SlamFind and sign up yourself or your event at: www.slamfind.com/.

Episode 013: Jacqueline Harris and Maria Mazziotti Gillan's Writing Book

Chicago performance poet, Jacqueline Nicole Harris discusses her inspirations, and reads examples of her passionate work. In the second part of the show, Maria Mazziotti Gillan talks about her book, "Writing Poetry to Save Your Life: How to Find the Courage to Tell Your Stories" full of advice and wisdom to help writers unlock their creative potential. We also offer a quick remembrance of Frank Sinatra's album of tone poems originally released in 1956.

Episode 014: Poetry and Music [SPECIAL MUSIC]

This special episode features historic recordings by Carl Sandburg, William Butler Yeats and Allen Ginsberg as well as interviews with singer-songwriter Brian Laidlaw and composer Ellie Rourke who discuss their experiences merging poetry and music in their own work.

Episode 015: John Sierpinski and Freesia McKee

Wisconsin poet, John Sierpinski reflects on his personal poetic journey and how he has been influenced by beat poets. Freesia McKee discusses her experience bringing poetry into prisons.

Episode 016: Randy Brooks and Robert Hass

Haiku master Randy Brooks featured, and former poet laureate, Robert Hass' book, The Essential Haiku reviewed.

Episode 017: Kristin LaTour and The Performance Poetry Preservation Project

Kristin LaTour reads from her new book "What Will Keep Us Alive" and talks about what inspires her to write. Wess Mongo Jolley discusses the Performance Poetry Preservation Project, an initiative dedicated to creating an online archive of recordings documenting the history of the poetry slam movement.

Episode 018: Bunkong Tuon and I Just Hope It's Lethal Review

Bunkong Tuon reads poems from his new book Gruel and talks about how the poetry of Charles Bukowski helped turn a community college drop-out from Cambodia into a professor of English. In the second part of the show, I Just Hope It’s Lethal, an anthology of poems about depression, is reviewed.

Episode 019: Lori Desrosiers and Split this Rock

Massachusetts poet Lori Desrosiers reads from her new book, Sometimes I Hear the Clock Speak. Sarah Browning, Executive Director of Split This Rock talks about the D.C. organization and a festival that focuses on poetry that bears witness and provokes social change. Special music provided by Chicago-based harpist Yomi.

Episode 020: Anguish of the Earth: The Poetry of WWI Pt. 1 [SPECIAL SERIES PT. 1]

Producer Jack Rossiter-Munley talks with Sam Grayck about the the social, political, and cultural impact of WWI. The state of poetry and literature before and after the war, and the differing impact of the war in the various countries involved is also discussed.

Episode 021: Karen Holmes and Allen Ginsberg's Politics

Karen Holmes of Atlanta, GA, reads from her book of divorce and relationship poems, Untying the Knot. Eliot Katz's The Poetry and Politics of Allen Ginsberg is reviewed. Katz's book is the first in-depth critical analysis of politics in Ginsberg's work.

Episode 022: Mong-Lan and Smashwords

Mong-Lan, a poet, writer, multi-instrumentalist, dancer, and visual artist is featured. She was born in Saigon and left with her family in 1975. She has published many works of poetry and continually explores new realms of creative expression. On the podcast, she reads poems from her latest collection and discusses her many sources of creative inspiration. In the second part of the show, host Charlie Rossiter discusses smashwords.com a website that facilitates free self publishing.

Episode 023: Ladan Osman and The Book Thing

Somali-American poet, Ladan Osman is featured. She reads her poetry and discusses how she used Wordle to edit her book. In the second part of the show, The Book Thing, a free book warehouse in Baltimore, Maryland going through a hard time is highlighted.

Episode 024: Dulce et Decorum Est: The Poetry of WWI Pt. 2 [SPECIAL SERIES PT. 2]

Part two of Producer Jack Rossiter-Munley's interview with Sam Grayck about the poetry and poets of WWI. In this part of the interview they discuss specific poets and their poems. Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen, and Edmund Blunden are discussed among others. Poems analyzed include "Anthem for Doomed Youth", "Dulce et Decorum Est", "The Redeemer" and more.

 Episode 025: Michael Czarnecki and Amazon Smile

Michael Czarnecki, poet and founding publisher of FootHills Publishing, is interviewed. He reads from his work and discusses his influences including Frost, Jeffers, Snyder and a variety of ancient Chinese poets. Host, Charlie Rossiter, explains how to support the non-profit of your choice when you shop online.