Poems Inspired By Music, Jos Charles June Poem-a-Day Guest Editor, and more

June 7, 2022

Poems Inspired by Music

“Guitarrero!” by Cyrus Cassells
“Rain Music” by Joseph Seamon Cotter Jr.
“A Distant Song” by John Gould Fletcher
“Song for a Banjo Dance” by Langston Hughes
“Weaving the Round” by Gabriela Mistral, translated by Ursula K. Le Guin
“June Sunset” by Sarojini Naidu
“Bird Saver” by Alexandria Peary
“Sonic Fireflies” by Quincy Troupe

In honor of Pride Month, browse more LGBTQ poems, essays, books, and photos from the archive, including Audre Lorde’s 1971 reading flyer.

Jos Charles recommends a poem from Poets.org

I’m a big fan of Bob Kaufman, so I would direct [readers] to “I Have Folded My Sorrows” by Kaufman. He was one of the first, or nearly the first, contemporary poet I read. I was being a California kid, I guess, drawn to the Beats. And it absolutely just changed what I thought was possible within this space of a poem. It’s oracular, yet it’s gentle. It’s got this kind of permanent, chiseled on stone quality, and yet it’s as light as the air.

Jos Charles is the author of feeld (Milkweed Editions, 2018), a winner of the National Poetry Series and long-listed for the 2018 National Book Award. Read and listen to Charles discuss her curatorial approach and more on Poets.org.

#PoetryNearYou Pick of the Week

Check out our #PoetryNearYou Pick of the Week: a Rain Taxi release celebration for Gabrielle Civil’s the déjà vu: black dreams and black time (Coffee House Press, 2022) with Douglas Kearney, Miré Regulus, and Saygre Carroll. Wednesday, June 8, at 7 p.m. CDT/8 p.m. EDT at Open Book (1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55415). Register for this free event here.

In honor of the 100th anniversary of “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost, read and share the piece, which was written on a June morning in 1922.

Watch and listen to Anthony Vahni Capildeo’s poem “Kissing Distance.” Part of the Adrian Brinkerhoff Poetry Foundation’s Read By series of poetry films.

Apply Now: Poetry Coalition Fellowships

With thanks to the Mellon Foundation, the Poetry Coalition is pleased to announce the 2022–23 Poetry Coalition Fellowships, which are paid fellowship positions hosted by founding member organizations Letras Latinas, Mass Poetry, Urban Word, Woodland Pattern, and Youth Speaks. Applications are being accepted until July 3, 2022. The positions will begin on September 5, 2022 and end on June 30, 2023. Interested individuals who are 21 or older are encouraged to apply, including those who are enrolled in or have recently graduated from an MFA program in creative writing.

From Our Partners

Join the Alan B. Slifka Foundation, the Academy of American Poets, and The Ruby on June 5 at 7 p.m CDT to celebrate the launch of Human Resources, the debut collection of poems by Ryann Stevenson and the 2021 winner of the Max Ritvo Poetry Prize. Stevenson will be joined in conversation by poet Richie Hofmann. The Max Ritvo Poetry Prize Presents virtual event series brings together a vibrant group of poets and poetry advocates for an evening of celebration and conversation in honor of Max Ritvo’s work and life. Free and open to the public. RSVP here.

Charleston Southern University in Charleston, South Carolina is seeking an assistant professor of English.
Clayton State University in Morrow, Georgia is seeking a full-time, temporary Writers’ Studio manager.

Revisit last week’s Poem-a-Day selections with us on Poets.org:

May 29: “The Gift of India” by Sarojini Naidu
May 30: “Fire Dragon” by Sage Uʻilani Takehiro
May 31: “Seawall soliloquy number two: she built a seawall” by Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner
June 1: “Hinemoana” by essa may ranapiri
June 2: “Rest House” by Brandon Shimoda
June 3: “Caught Sight” by Claire Meuschke
June 4: “Voyages V” by Hart Crane

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Poems Inspired By Music, Jos Charles June Poem-a-Day Guest Editor, and more

Older messages

"Klangfarbenmelodie" by manuel arturo abreu

from "When the Rooster Announces the Dawn of Another Day" by Alain Mabanckou, translated by Nancy Naomi Carlson

"Of a Certain Friendship" by Elsa Gidlow

"Voyages V" by Hart Crane

Poems for Graduation, Juneteenth, and LGBTQA+ Pride Month

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