Poetry

Poet Explores How Childlike "Boyishness" Exists Where You'd Least Expect It

Nicole Campbell and Frank Stasio — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:07:04 +0000

Tanya Olson will tell you that being an eight-year-old child in the world allows you a lot of room to be whoever and whatever you want. You can be a whale, a man, a spaceship, and few will tell you otherwise. After that age though, the feeling doesn't necessarily go away. She explores that desire to transform in her first book of poems, "Boyishly" (YesYes Books, 2013). Tanya Olson is a poet and an English professor at Vance-Granville Community College.

Duke Professor Carries On Tradition Of Black Radical Poetry

Nicole Campbell and Frank Stasio — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:56:19 +0000

Fred Moten grew up in a home and in a time where revolution was not portrayed as a romantic dream for the future, but a vital necessity for survival. He was raised in Las Vegas in the late '60s and '70s by a family who understood the need for change.

Goolsby Defends Potential Racial Justice Act Repeal

Frank Stasio and Nicole Campbell — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:40:11 +0000

This week the North Carolina Senate voted along party lines to repeal the Racial Justice Act. Also in the legislation are measures designed to restart executions, which have been unofficially on hold in the state since 2006.

Critics contend that eliminating the Racial Justice Act will prevent those unfairly sentenced to death because of racial bias from getting justice. More than 150 people in the state are awaiting execution.

Republican Senator Thom Goolsby of New Hanover County sponsored the legislation repealing the Racial Justice Act, and he said on The State of Things that the Act isn’t necessary.

Slam Poetry Festival Gives Voice To Area Students

Alex Granados and Frank Stasio — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 16:11:08 +0000

The Louder Than a Bomb Poetry Slam competition started in Chicago in 2001. Inspired by the competition and a documentary about it, local group Poet.she Female Performing Arts & Spoken Word decided to bring the competition to Greensboro.

Poet Draws From Life On The Reservation

Frank Stasio and Shawn Wen — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:00:51 +0000

Natalie Diaz grew up on the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation. While many of those around her struggled with the lack of opportunities, she saw basketball as her way out.

Ron Rash's Dark Stories From Appalachia

Shawn Wen and Isaac-Davy Aronson — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:05:11 +0000

Author Ron Rash has been chronicling the Appalachian way of life for nearly two decades. His poetry and fiction have earned him wide acclaim and a position alongside other esteemed writers from western North Carolina. He joins host Isaac-Davy Aronson to discuss his latest book of short stories: “Nothing Gold Can Stay” (HarperCollins/2013).

Women in Slam Poetry

Frank Stasio and Nicole Campbell — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:04:00 +0000

When you go to a poetry slam, you’ll probably notice the majority of spoken word artists who hit the stage are men. But that’s not representative of the spoken word community at large. Starr, a slam poet, will represent the Bull City Slam team next year in the 2013 Women of the World Poetry Slam in Minneapolis. Host Frank Stasio talks to her about what it’s like to be a woman in the slam world.

The Broken Flower

Frank Stasio and Alex Granados — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 15:15:00 +0000

Triangle poet Jeffery Beam has been prolific since his retirement last year.

He has two new books coming out called “The Broken Flower” (Skysill Press/2012) and "The New Beautiful Tendons" (Triton Books/2012). Along with his book “Gospel Earth” (Skysill Press/2010), they form a trilogy. “The Broken Flower” in particular is Beam’s exploration of brokenness and how we put ourselves back together. Host Frank Stasio talks to Jeffery Beam about his new book.

The Poetry of Kabbalah

Alex Granados and Frank Stasio — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 18:17:00 +0000

Poet Peter Cole is known for his translations of Hebrew literature and medieval Hebrew poetry, but in his latest translation, "Poetry of Kabbalah: Mystical Verse from the Jewish Tradition" (Yale University Press/2012), he explores the spiritual side of Jewish faith.

In the Palms of Angels

Frank Stasio and Susan Davis — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:15:00 +0000

Terri Kirby Erickson's third volume of poetry, "In the Palms of Angels" (Press53/2011) won a 2012 Nautilus Silver Award for poetry. The national award is given for a book of poetry that “engenders compassion, wisdom, greater understanding, empathy, or passion through the artful use of language.”