theKalliope

the Kalliope: a consideration of contemporary American poetry.

  • Nicholson’s Ekphrasis

    There is a certain intellectual ethos in Sara Nicholson’s April. And it’s hard for me to get a handle on the source for it. Is it the New Lyric style—how it feels conversant with its subject matter? Is it the subjects it approaches? Approaching topics like infinity or archetype? Like in the poem “A Crown…

  • “The No Scent Story,” by Basie Allen

    In the book review I wrote for Basie Allen’s Palm-Lined with Potience, I tried to convey an enthusiasm for the book. Its poetic energy. Its voice so present on the page. Like that way my fellow grad school classmates would read Frank O’Hara, and me with them, and it would feel like a baptism. This…

  • On Genevieve Kaplan’s [aviary]

    On Genevieve Kaplan’s [aviary]

    I originally started this point wanting to write out my thoughts on Genevieve Kaplan’s poem, “They trail there, they trail.” But it’s difficult to write about that poem alone without setting it in the context of the overall collection, [aviary]. The poem stands on its own, of course. How it singles out some specific yellow…

About this site

For many years, I’ve kept a database about poetry books, prizes, teaching positions, and literary journals. I’ve called it Kalliope, because that’s the Greek muse of epic poetry. And, well, I like thinking of the epic scope of American poetry!

And while all that data is still alive and well, I’m changing it so it’s private now. In its place, a blog! Where I’d like to relate some of my personal thoughts about poems, poetry books, literary journals, poetry criticism. Visual art. For a few years I was writing book reviews, which I loved. And then I didn’t love, because reviewing poetry books gets little respect. And every few years there’s going to be someone writing about how dumb book reviews are. Then that person’s friend will probably write something about how poetry is dying.

Consider this site an idiosyncratic aside to those conversations. I am a poet. My wife is a poet. And we are raising a daughter who has assured us she will never be a poet. I like conversations about poetry, and this site is my small contribution to those conversations.

3 SPECTACULAR POEMS