Category: Interviews

Poet & Journalist Mandy Shunnarah, my final Season 10 guest!

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In our final Season 10 episode, I had a great conversation with Appalachian & Palestinian-American poet and journalist Mandy Shunnarah!

Topics included: the role of poetry and journalism in 2025 America, the challenges of Arabic translation, the integration of ancestral research in poetry, the bustling poetry community in Columbus, and the ubiquitous influence of Waffle House!

WE HAD MANSIONS will be released on July 1 and can be preordered here.

I’ll be back with our first episode of Season 11 on July 3! Featuring Tram Colwin & Bea Apple at the Bentonville-based textile shop Hillfolk!

Interested in being a future featured guest? Let me know!

Poet & Columbia MFA Eduardo Martínez-Leyva, my next Season 10 guest!

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I had such a lovely conversation with poet, teacher, and Columbia MFA grad Eduardo Martínez-Leyva!

Topics included: the impact of crossing borders throughout childhood, the harrowing process of workshopping grief, Lucie Brock-Broido’s significant influence, and what God & border patrol agents have in common!

COWBOY PARK is already out and available for purchase here.

Interested in being a future featured guest? Let me know!

Poet & financial analyst Farah Ghafoor, my FINAL Season 9 guest!

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I’ve long been a fan of Toronto-based Pakistani poet Farah Ghafoor and was grateful to have the opportunity to speak to her about her utterly devastating debut collection SHADOW PRICE– out on April 1, 2025 from House of Anansi Press!

Topics include the challenges of writing and marketing such a book, the impact of economic theory, the critical role of poetry in addressing societal issues under capitalism, & Farah’s future projects!

SHADOW PRICE is available for preorder/purchase here!

Interested in being a future featured guest? Let me know!

Poet & photographer Nadia Alexis, my next Season 9 guest!

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I recently enjoyed a lovely conversation with Haitian American (and now, fellow Mississippian!) poet Nadia Alexis!

Topics include the MFA and PhD at Ole Miss, the poetry faculty at Ole Miss, water & flight imagery, intersections of poetry and photography, a charmed submission experience, the effort of marketing and promoting poetry, & the promising future of young Mississippi writers!

BEYOND THE WATERSHED is available for preorder/purchase here!

Interested in being a future featured guest? Let me know!

Poet, Editor, & Literary Translator CD Eskilson, my next Season 9 guest!

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I had such a great time catching up with CD Eskilson, dear old friend and fellow Arkansas MFA, ahead of the release of their debut collection SCREAM/QUEEN!

Join us as CD shares some truly fascinating things about horror films and poetry, and I probably go on for too long about Edgar Allan Poe.

SCREAM/QUEEN is available for preorder/purchase here!

Interested in being a future featured guest? Let me know!