In this episode of The Poetry Space_, we explore the power of persona poems. We dive into Robert Browning’s "My Last Duchess," William Blake’s "The Chimney Sweeper," Nikky Finney’s "Red Velvet," Margaret Atwood’s "Pig Song," and James Tate’s "The Motorcyclists." What happens when poets speak through masks, giving voice to dukes, children, pigs, and even storms? Join us as we unpack how persona reveals hidden truths, sparks empathy, and complicates the line between poet and speaker.

At the Table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Joe Barca

Dick Westheimer

Brian O’Sullivan

In the second half of our visit with Billy Collins, the door stays wide open. We talk dogs, humor, memory, and the surprising turns that make his poems feel like they’ve been waiting for us all along. If the first episode was the invitation, this one’s the living room conversation you never want to leave.

At the Table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Billy Collins

Dick Westhiemer

Joe Barca

Nate Jacob

Brian O'Sullivan

Billy Collins joins Katie and Tim for a conversation that we hope feels like one of his poems: open-armed, slyly funny, and disarming in the best way. We dive into the idea of poetic hospitality—how a poem welcomes its reader in—and explore how Billy pulls off that rare trick of being both approachable and profound.

At the Table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Billy Collins

Dick Westhiemer

Joe Barca

Nate Jacob

Brian O'Sullivan

The first episode that falls under the new “current state of lit mags” banner, Katie, Tim and the Squad examine the New Yorker which has been in print for 100 years. Will the institution’s high profile equate to a consistently high caliber of poems? Listen in as we discuss recent poems to appear in the New Yorker by Maya C. Popa, Jericho Brown, Ocean Vuong, and Bob Hicok.

At the Table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Joe Barca

Dick Westheimer

After a summer break, Katie and Tim return to the ring—the poetry ring, that is—to pit two literary heavyweights against each other: the venerable Poetry Magazine and the nimble 32 Poems. Who’s got the more electrifying lines, the sharper editorial eye? In this episode, Katie and Tim swap hot takes, and maybe even disagree (politely…mostly). In the end, one will take home the championship belt, but you’ll be the real winner for tuning in.

At the Table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

What happens when you pit a hoops-loving narrative philosopher against a tight-lipped Zen wit with a side hustle in metaphysical mischief? You get this episode of The Poetry Space_, where Pulitzer Prize winners Stephen Dunn and Kay Ryan go poem-to-poem in a lyrical Duel that’s part therapy session and part riddle wrapped in enjambment.

Dunn brings conversational wisdom and emotional nuance to the ring. Ryan counters with compressed clarity and punchlines precise enough to crack granite. Who wins? Who learns? Who makes the best metaphors out of antiquated outergarments? Tune in to find out.

At the table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Is the influence of the Imagists alive in contemporary poetry? In this episode, Katie, Tim and the Squad take a look at how their own poems may have been influenced by the poets of the previous episode. What is the true importance of imagery in poetry, and how can contemporary poets harness the power of writing over a hundred years after the Imagists?

At the Table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Joe Barca

Dick Westheimer

Brian O’Sullivan

A bit over a hundred years ago, Ezra Pound corralled a group known as the Imagists that would have a profound effect on poetry as we know it. A controversial figure, Pound explored and enlivened the economy of language and rich images that became founding principles of the group, along with H.D. (Hilda Doolittle), Richard Aldington, William Carlos Williams, Amy Lowell, and F.S. Flint.

At the Table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Joe Barca

Dick Westheimer

Brian O’Sullivan