Happy Hibernation, Poets!

Recommended listening, plus a sneak peak at 2023

Before I sign off for 2022, I wanted to leave you with a few listening resources for this season of reflection and renewal. These five audio books, interviews, and podcast episodes are ones that I plan to re-listen to as I reflect on my poetic practice this year.

• Ross Gay’s Inciting Joy on Audible

• Carolyn Forché’s In the Lateness of the World on Audible

• Jorie Graham with David Naimon on Between the Covers

• Forrest Gander reads Ada Limón with Kevin Young on The New Yorker Podcast

• Ada Limón with Mitzki Rapkin on First Draft

Have a suggestion to add to this list? Leave it in the comments.

A sneak peek at 2023

In the first part of 2023, the Poet to Poet Membership (paid option) will get a new name—The Poets Circle—and a fresh focus. The Poets Circle is where we’ll have live conversations on the big questions that background our process, questions that help us know ourselves better as writers, such as: How do we develop poetic voice? Is a thematic approach to writing helpful or harmful? How much should we consider audience when we write? You get the idea. It won’t be about finding the “right” approach—rather, it’ll create a space for dynamic inquiry.

It’s also my hope that The Poets Circle will host live Q&A calls with guest authors and editors, similar to the 1:1 conversations I record now.

If you’d like to receive more information in January, please sign up for Poet to Poet Community Updates (FYI, if you’re a Substack subscriber, you are not automatically on that list).  

Poetry makes everything more vibrant

Poets, thank you. Thank you for showing up here in 2022.

When I started this newsletter a year ago, I had no idea how many poets would say yes to this newsletter—how many of you would subscribe, how many wonderful author and editor guests would share their process with us, and how many writers would join the Poet to Poet members community and masterclasses.

Truly, though, it’s not about the numbers. It’s about the depth of engagement I see all around me in the Poet to Poet community. Thank you for showing up yourself as a writer this year. I believe the connections we make here and in our poems aren’t just for fun. They aren’t “extra." I suspect that for many of you, like me, those connections are as essential as water—a necessity. 

In a time when we could all be doing a million other things, we’ve decided to focus at least a little of our attention on poetry. That gives me great hope because, when we let it, poetry has the power to infuse everything, to change how we see and approach the world. It makes us and everything we do more vibrant. 

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Wishing you happy, healthy holidays! See you back here on January 7th.