Two Poems by Rick Barot to Make Your Day Better & A New Way to Stay Connected to Poems You NeedRick Barot: Episode 14 of Poems You Need with Melissa Studdard & Kelli Russell AgodonDear Friend, Kelli was fortunate to first encounter Rick’s poem “Pleasure,” the opening poem of his new collection Moving the Bones while teaching at the Rainier Writing Workshop, Pacific Lutheran University's low-res MFA Program where Rick is the director. The moment she heard it, she knew she wanted to share it with our Poems You Need community. Meanwhile, Melissa was drawn to the title poem, “Moving the Bones.” Together, these poems not only showcase Rick's skillful craftsmanship but also his versatility as a poet—each poem is distinct in its own way, yet both are grounded in his engaging voice. And here’s a little behind-the-scenes moment for you— We filmed this episode right after teaching poetry to composers at the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado. Recording from our Airbnb condo, we took advantage of the warm weather by leaving the wall-sized window open, which overlooked a bustling walkway. With several families nearby, we tried to stay focused despite the lively sounds outside. But around the 10:20 mark in the video, you’ll see Kelli mid-sentence, glancing to her left as she couldn’t help but notice a cheerful young boy who, after hearing us recording, struck a funny pose through the window to get our attention—which he did! We chose to keep this moment in because one of our goals with this series is to keep it real. In a world where so much is filtered and staged, we love embracing these spontaneous moments that bring a bit of outside joy and laughter into our discussion of Rick’s beautiful poems. For all of you who love Poems You Need and want to help us continue sharing the voices of poets we admire, we’re excited to announce that we’ve launched a Patreon page! You can join for free to stay up-to-date with our episodes, or become a Patreon member for exclusive perks like free books from our featured poets, behind-the-scenes blooper reels, raffles, Zoom events, and even the opportunity to choose our next poet and/or co-host an episode with us! Your support helps us keep the poetry we love thriving in the world. And of course, the easiest way not to miss an episode of Poems You Need is on YouTube—and you can subscribe to that here, just hit the “Subscribe” button. We appreciate you. With love, light, and poetry, Melissa & Kelli Thank you for celebrating poetry with us today. May you always have the poems you need. |
An online journal of images that make me smile, think, wonder, or just be thankful...
Thursday, August 15, 2024
Two Poems by Rick Barot to Make Your Day Better & A New Way to Stay Connected to Poems You Need
Saturday, June 8, 2024
Write New Poems Class, An Evening with Jane Hirshfield, A Writing Residency in Palm Desert, California...
Happy June, friend… HAPPENING SOON THIS TUESDAY, June 11 at 4 pm PST!: #1 . Generating New Work Class POETIC ALCHEMY with Kelli Russell Agodon & Susan Rich (a few spaces left if you want to sign up!): Want to write new poems? Join Susan Rich and me for an enchanting 3-hour Generative ZOOM Poetry Workshop! We'll conjure new poems with prompts inspired by spells and magic. Space is limited, but a few spots remain. Learn more here and/or register now to secure your place: https://poetsonthecoast.weebly.com/ —we’d love to spend the evening with you! And you’ll leave with 4-6 drafts of poems! #2. An Evening on Zoom with Jane Hirshfield through Two Sylvias Weekly Muse: As a paid subscriber, you'll also get the Weekly Muse each Sunday, packed with prompts, submission opportunities, and more. Plus, you'll have access to all future Zoom classes, including those with the Janes. Don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity! #3. One Week Desert Rat Writing Residency in Palm Desert, California:
I hope to have a more of a personal update soon, but just wanted to let you what’s happening right now.
Sending love. More soon and thanks for reading. xo kel
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