SLEERICKETS

SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible) For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW ! Leave the show a rating here ! SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube ! For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS , subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode: – Check out Alice’s SLEERICKETS Episode map ! – Pre-order the new book of short stories by my wife, Joanna Pearson! – Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so g ood! Now give Brian’s book a 5-star r eview! – My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now! – The Think Symposium is this Friday, October 16, and Saturday, October 17 – I’ll be giving a talk Friday, October 16, at 5:00 p.m. and a reading with Boris Dralyuk and Sunil Iyengar Friday, October 16, at 8:00 p.m. – New Verse Review’s Halloween Issue – Zara Raab’s Review of The Soft Black Stars – BlackRaven’s Review of The Soft Black Stars – Groom by Austin Segrest – The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein – Song of Solomon – Conversion on the Way to Damascus by Caravaggio – The Man of Adamant by Nathaniel Hawthorne Frequently mention ed names: – Joshua Me higan – Shane McCr ae – A. E. Stall ings – Ryan Wilson – Morri C reec h – Austin Allen – Jonatha n Farm e r – Z ara Raab – Amit Majmudar – Ethan McGuire – Colem an Glenn – Chris C hilders – Alexis Sears – JP Gritton – Al ex Pepple – Ernie Hilb ert – Joanna Pear son – MattWa ll – Stev e Knepper – Helena Feder – David Yezzi – Victor ia Mo ul – Katie Dozier & Tim Green – George David C lark – Tristr am Fane Saunders – Philip Metr es – He len a Feder – Nida Sopha sarun – Alex McKeown Ot her Ratbag Poe try Pods: Poetry Says by Alice Allan I Ha te Matt Wall b y Matt Wall Versecraft by Elijah Perseus Blumov Advice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan Farmer Alice: Poetry Says Brian: brianplatzer [at] gmail [dot] com Cameron: Minor Tiresias Matthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Music by ETRNL Art by Daniel Alexander Smith

SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible) For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW ! Leave the show a rating here ! SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube ! For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS , subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode: – Check out Alice’s SLEERICKETS The episode map ! – Pre-order the new book of short stories by my wife, Joanna Pearson! – Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so g ood! Now give Brian’s book a 5-star r eview! – My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now! Stranger Things The BFG by Roald Dahl New Mountain Goats album Days Matthew's essay Macbeth and His Problems Kurzel's Macbeth (2015) Cohen's Macbeth (2021) The Forbes symposium To the Bobbydazzlers by John Forbes Salute by James Schuyler Aidan Coleman Towards a Contemporary Australian Poetics by John Kinsella A Brief Outline of The History Of Australian Poetry by Alex McKeown click here for what we do by Pam Brown The Applestealers anthology The New Australian Poetry edited by John Tranter The New American Poetry 1945-1960 edited by Donald Allen Jamie Grant Kevin Hart Frequently mention ed names: – Joshua Me higan – Shane McCr ae – A. E. Stall ings – Ryan Wilson – Morri C reec h – Austin Allen – Jonatha n Farm e r – Z ara Raab – Amit Majmudar – Ethan McGuire – Colem an Glenn – Chris C hilders – Alexis Sears – JP Gritton – Al ex Pepple – Ernie Hilb ert – Joanna Pear son – MattWa ll – Stev e Knepper – Helena Feder – David Yezzi – Victor ia Mo ul – Katie Dozier & Tim Green – George David C lark – Tristr am Fane Saunders – Philip Metr es – He len a Feder – Nida Sopha sarun – Alex McKeown Ot her Ratbag Poe try Pods: Poetry Says by Alice Allan I Ha te Matt Wall b y Matt Wall Versecraft by Elijah Perseus Blumov Advice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan Farmer Alice: Poetry Says Brian: brianplatzer [at] gmail [dot] com Cameron: Minor Tiresias Matthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Music by ETRNL Art by Daniel Alexander Smith

NB: Yes, yes, yes, of course I meant to mention Putin. Putin also, yes. SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible) For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW ! Leave the show a rating here ! SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube ! For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS , subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode: – Pre-order the new book of short stories by my wife, Joanna Pearson! – Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so g ood! Now give Brian’s book a 5-star r eview! – My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now! – Tar River Poetry is open for submissions! – Literary Matters is also open for submissions! – Elijah’s review of my chapbook – Sunil Iyengar – Ned Balbo – Jonathan Fine – Claudia Gary – The DC Arts Center Poetry Series – The Score by Oliver Cotton – The Musical Offering by J. S. Bach – The Unconscious by Sigmund Freud – Hamlet – Short, Sweet by Hailey Leithauser – How to Moth by Hailey Leithauser Frequently mention ed names: – Joshua Me higan – Shane McCr ae – A. E. Stall ings – Ryan Wilson – Morri C reec h – Austin Allen – Jonatha n Farm e r – Z ara Raab – Amit Majmudar – Ethan McGuire – Colem an Glenn – Chris C hilders – Alexis Sears – JP Gritton – Al ex Pepple – Ernie Hilb ert – Joanna Pear son – MattWa ll – Stev e Knepper – Helena Feder – David Yezzi – Victor ia Mo ul – Katie Dozier & Tim Green – George David C lark – Tristr am Fane Saunders – Philip Metr es – He len a Feder – Nida Sopha sarun – Alex McKeown Ot her Ratbag Poe try Pods: Poetry Says by Alice Allan I Ha te Matt Wall b y Matt Wall Versecraft by Elijah Perseus Blumov Advice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan Farmer Alice: In Future Posts Brian: brianplatzer [at] gmail [dot] com Cameron: Minor Tiresias Matthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Music by ETRNL Art by Daniel Alexander Smith

SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible) For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW ! Leave the show a rating here ! SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube ! For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS , subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode: – Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so g ood! Now give Brian’s book a 5-star r eview! – My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now! – Tar River Poetry is open for submissions! – Literary Matters is also open for submissions! – The Flummoxed by Ethan McGuire – Apocalypse Dance by Ethan McGuire – H. P. Lovecraft: Against the World, Against Life by Michel Houllebecq – La Gradiva (2026) – The Thing (1982) – Stephen King – Thomas Ligotti – Edgar Allan Poe – At the Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft – Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell – In Amundsen’s Tent by John Martin Leahy Frequently mention ed names: – Joshua Me higan – Shane McCr ae – A. E. Stall ings – Ryan Wilson – Morri C reec h – Austin Allen – Jonatha n Farm e r – Z ara Raab – Amit Majmudar – Ethan McGuire – Colem an Glenn – Chris C hilders – Alexis Sears – JP Gritton – Al ex Pepple – Ernie Hilb ert – Joanna Pear son – MattWa ll – Stev e Knepper – Helena Feder – David Yezzi – Victor ia Mo ul – Katie Dozier & Tim Green – George David C lark – Tristr am Fane Saunders – Philip Metr es – He len a Feder – Nida Sopha sarun – Alex McKeown Ot her Ratbag Poe try Pods: Poetry Says by Alice Allan I Ha te Matt Wall b y Matt Wall Versecraft by Elijah Perseus Blumov Advice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan Farmer Alice: In Future Posts Brian: brianplatzer [at] gmail [dot] com Cameron: Minor Tiresias Matthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Music by ETRNL Art by Daniel Alexander Smith

SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible) For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW ! Leave the show a rating here ! SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube ! For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS , subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode: – Come see me at the D.C. Arts Center Poetry Series on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 3 p.m . EST. w/ Ned Balbo & Jonathan Fine – I’m going to see The Score Saturday the 26th, in case you want to see it too! – Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so g ood! Now give Brian’s book a 5-star r eview! – My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now! – Hilary Menos’s review of The Soft Black Stars in The Orange County Review of Books – Tar River Poetry is open for submissions! – Literary Matters is also open for submissions! – The Byron Bay Option: On (Not) Giving Up Poetry by Alice Allan – New Verse Review’s Summer Sampler #2 – Boris Dralyuk’s note on Zina’s poem – So This Is Love by Zina Gomez-Liss – Thomas Jardine’s review of So This is Love – Zina’s response to Jardine’s review – The Fall of Rome by W. H. Auden – Horace i.37 – Sundowner by Hilary Menos Frequently mention ed names: – Joshua Me higan – Shane McCr ae – A. E. Stall ings – Ryan Wilson – Morri C reec h – Austin Allen – Jonatha n Farm e r – Z ara Raab – Amit Majmudar – Ethan McGuire – Colem an Glenn – Chris C hilders – Alexis Sears – JP Gritton – Al ex Pepple – Ernie Hilb ert – Joanna Pear son – MattWa ll – Stev e Knepper – Helena Feder – David Yezzi – Victor ia Mo ul – Katie Dozier & Tim Green – George David C lark – Tristr am Fane Saunders – Philip Metr es – He len a Feder – Nida Sopha sarun – Alex McKeown Ot her Ratbag Poe try Pods: Poetry Says by Alice Allan I Ha te Matt Wall b y Matt Wall Versecraft by Elijah Perseus Blumov Advice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan Farmer Alice: In Future Posts Brian: brianplatzer [at] gmail [dot] com Cameron: Minor Tiresias Matthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Music by ETRNL Art by Daniel Alexander Smith

SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible) For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW ! Leave the show a rating here ! SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube ! For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS , subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode: – Come see me at the D.C. Arts Center Poetry Series on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 3 p.m . EST. w/ Ned Balbo & Jonathan Fine – Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so g ood! Now give Brian’s book a 5-star r eview! – My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now! – Hilary Menos’s review of The Soft Black Stars in The Orange County Review of Books – Stephen Dunn broadside from Lettre Sauvage – The Island in the Sound by Niall Campbell – Poetry London – The Odyssey (2026) – The Return (2024) – Emily Wilson’s review of The Odyssey in the LRB – Emily Wilson’s review of The Odyssey in The Atlantic Frequently mention ed names: – Joshua Me higan – Shane McCr ae – A. E. Stall ings – Ryan Wilson – Morri C reec h – Austin Allen – Jonatha n Farm e r – Z ara Raab – Amit Majmudar – Ethan McGuire – Colem an Glenn – Chris C hilders – Alexis Sears – JP Gritton – Al ex Pepple – Ernie Hilb ert – Joanna Pear son – MattWa ll – Stev e Knepper – Helena Feder – David Yezzi – Victor ia Mo ul – Katie Dozier & Tim Green – George David C lark – Tristr am Fane Saunders – Philip Metr es – He len a Feder – Nida Sopha sarun – Alex McKeown Ot her Ratbag Poe try Pods: Poetry Says by Alice Allan I Ha te Matt Wall b y Matt Wall Versecraft by Elijah Perseus Blumov Advice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan Farmer Alice: In Future Posts Brian: brianplatzer [at] gmail [dot] com Cameron: Minor Tiresias Matthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Music by ETRNL Art by Daniel Alexander Smith

SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible) For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW ! Leave the show a rating here ! SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube ! For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS , subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode: – Come see me at the D.C. Arts Center Poetry Series on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 3 p.m . EST. w/ Ned Balbo & Jonathan Fine – Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so g ood! Now give Brian’s book a 5-star r eview! – My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now! – The Necklace of Harmonia, Sonnets of Thebes by Elijah Perseus Blumov, out now from Lettre Sauvage – Tar River Poetry – Helena Feder – Cat Woman in Dog Country by Helena Feder – Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats – Bright Star by John Keats – This Living Hand by John Keats – If the Poet by Stephen Dunn – Helena’s interview with Stephen Dunn – Carl Dennis – Mizmor – Bull City Press – Ross White Frequently mention ed names: – Joshua Me higan – Shane McCr ae – A. E. Stall ings – Ryan Wilson – Morri C reec h – Austin Allen – Jonatha n Farm e r – Z ara Raab – Amit Majmudar – Ethan McGuire – Colem an Glenn – Chris C hilders – Alexis Sears – JP Gritton – Al ex Pepple – Ernie Hilb ert – Joanna Pear son – MattWa ll – Stev e Knepper – Helena Feder – David Yezzi – Victor ia Mo ul – Katie Dozier & Tim Green – George David C lark – Tristr am Fane Saunders – Philip Metr es – He len a Feder – Nida Sopha sarun – Alex McKeown Ot her Ratbag Poe try Pods: Poetry Says by Alice Allan I Ha te Matt Wall b y Matt Wall Versecraft by Elijah Perseus Blumov Advice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan Farmer Alice: In Future Posts Brian: brianplatzer [at] gmail [dot] com Cameron: Minor Tiresias Matthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Music by ETRNL Art by Daniel Alexander Smith

SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible) For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW ! Leave the show a rating here ! SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube ! For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS , subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode: – Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so g ood! Now give Brian’s book a 5-star r eview! – My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now! – The Necklace of Harmonia, Sonnets of Thebes by Elijah Perseus Blumov, out now from Lettre Sauvage – Lyndon Johnson by Jonathan Farmer – Near Hits & Lost Classics by Quincy Lehr – The Raintown Review – Carmine Street Metrics – The West Chester Poetry Conference – Poetry by the Sea Frequently mention ed names: – Joshua Me higan – Shane McCr ae – A. E. Stall ings – Ryan Wilson – Morri C reec h – Austin Allen – Jonatha n Farm e r – Z ara Raab – Amit Majmudar – Ethan McGuire – Colem an Glenn – Chris C hilders – Alexis Sears – JP Gritton – Al ex Pepple – Ernie Hilb ert – Joanna Pear son – MattWa ll – Stev e Knepper – Helena Feder – David Yezzi – Victor ia Mo ul – Katie Dozier & Tim Green – George David C lark – Tristr am Fane Saunders – Philip Metr es – He len a Feder – Nida Sopha sarun – Alex McKeown Ot her Ratbag Poe try Pods: Poetry Says by Alice Allan I Ha te Matt Wall b y Matt Wall Versecraft by Elijah Perseus Blumov Advice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan Farmer Alice: In Future Posts Brian: brianplatzer [at] gmail [dot] com Cameron: Minor Tiresias Matthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Music by ETRNL Art by Daniel Alexander Smith

SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible) For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW ! Leave the show a rating here ! SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube ! For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS , subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode: – Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so g ood! Now give Brian’s book a 5-star r eview! – My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now! – The Necklace of Harmonia, Sonnets of Thebes by Elijah Perseus Blumov, out now from Lettre Sauvage – Another man’s treasure by Steve Knepper – Riddle by Joshua Mehigan – Monologue & On the Necessity of Religious Belief by Minor Tiresias (Cameron) – Poetics with Robert Charboneau – If You Love That Lady by Maya C. Popa – Maya Popa Is a Hopeless Romantic by Robert Charboneau – Yvor Winters – Ep. 52: Singsongy Chimey Doggerel, ft. Joshua Mehigan – Ep 120: Picking up the Phone, ft. Dr. Taylor Byas – Ep. 156: Greater Metropolitan Shaltador, ft. Victoria Moul – Ep. 235: Romanticon Now ft. Paul Franz & Elijah Blumov, Part 1 & Part 2 – Ep. 242: Not the Greatest Time to Be a Poet, ft. Horace & Friends (Victoria Moul), Part 1 & Part 2 – On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer by John Keats – The Romantics by Maya Popa Frequently mention ed names: – Joshua Me higan – Shane McCr ae – A. E. Stall ings – Ryan Wilson – Morri C reec h – Austin Allen – Jonatha n Farm e r – Z ara Raab – Amit Majmudar – Ethan McGuire – Colem an Glenn – Chris C hilders – Alexis Sears – JP Gritton – Al ex Pepple – Ernie Hilb ert – Joanna Pear son – MattWa ll – Stev e Knepper – Helena Feder – David Yezzi – Victor ia Mo ul – Katie Dozier & Tim Green – George David C lark – Tristr am Fane Saunders – Philip Metr es – He len a Feder – Nida Sopha sarun – Alex McKeown Ot her Ratbag Poe try Pods: Poetry Says by Alice Allan I Ha te Matt Wall b y Matt Wall Versecraft by Elijah Perseus Blumov Advice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan Farmer Alice: In Future Posts Brian: brianplatzer [at] gmail [dot] com Cameron: Minor Tiresias Matthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Music by ETRNL Art by Daniel Alexander Smith

SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible) For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW ! Leave the show a rating here ! SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube ! For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS , subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode: – Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so g ood! Now give Brian’s book a 5-star r eview! – My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now! – The Necklace of Harmonia, Sonnets of Thebes by Elijah Perseus Blumov, out now from Lettre Sauvage – The Drama (2026) – ContraPoints on Twilight – Liking What You See: A Documentary by Ted Chiang – Hell Is the Absence of God by Ted Chiang – Exhalation (story) by Ted Chiang – The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling by Ted Chiang – The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – Bad Neighbors by Edward P. Jones – Good Country People by Flannery O’Connor – Deadwood (2004–2006) Frequently mention ed names: – Joshua Me higan – Shane McCr ae – A. E. Stall ings – Ryan Wilson – Morri C reec h – Austin Allen – Jonatha n Farm e r – Z ara Raab – Amit Majmudar – Ethan McGuire – Colem an Glenn – Chris C hilders – Alexis Sears – JP Gritton – Al ex Pepple – Ernie Hilb ert – Joanna Pear son – MattWa ll – Stev e Knepper – Helena Feder – David Yezzi – Victor ia Mo ul – Katie Dozier & Tim Green – George David C lark – Tristr am Fane Saunders – Philip Metr es – He len a Feder – Nida Sopha sarun – Alex McKeown Ot her Ratbag Poe try Pods: Poetry Says by Alice Allan I Ha te Matt Wall b y Matt Wall Versecraft by Elijah Perseus Blumov Advice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan Farmer Alice: In Future Posts Brian: brianplatzer [at] gmail [dot] com Cameron: Minor Tiresias Matthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Music by ETRNL Art by Daniel Alexander Smith

SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible) For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW ! Leave the show a rating here ! SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube ! For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS , subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode: – Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so g ood! Now give Brian’s book a 5-star r eview! – My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now! Frequently mention ed names: – Joshua Me higan – Shane McCr ae – A. E. Stall ings – Ryan Wilson – Morri C reec h – Austin Allen – Jonatha n Farm e r – Z ara Raab – Amit Majmudar – Ethan McGuire – Colem an Glenn – Chris C hilders – Alexis Sears – JP Gritton – Al ex Pepple – Ernie Hilb ert – Joanna Pear son – MattWa ll – Stev e Knepper – Helena Feder – David Yezzi – Victor ia Mo ul – Katie Dozier & Tim Green – George David C lark – Tristr am Fane Saunders – Philip Metr es – He len a Feder – Nida Sopha sarun – Alex McKeown Ot her Ratbag Poe try Pods: Poetry Says by Alice Allan I Ha te Matt Wall b y Matt Wall Versecraft by Elijah Perseus Blumov Advice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan Farmer Alice: In Future Posts Brian: brianplatzer [at] gmail [dot] com Cameron: Minor Tiresias Matthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Music by ETRNL Art by Daniel Alexander Smith

SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible) For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW ! Leave the show a rating here ! SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube ! For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS , subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode: – Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so g ood! Now give Brian’s book a 5-star r eview! – My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now! – Residency Review by Katie Dozier – The Poetry Space – Rattle Frequently mention ed names: – Joshua Me higan – Shane McCr ae – A. E. Stall ings – Ryan Wilson – Morri C reec h – Austin Allen – Jonatha n Farm e r – Z ara Raab – Amit Majmudar – Ethan McGuire – Colem an Glenn – Chris C hilders – Alexis Sears – JP Gritton – Al ex Pepple – Ernie Hilb ert – Joanna Pear son – MattWa ll – Stev e Knepper – Helena Feder – David Yezzi – Victor ia Mo ul – Katie Dozier & Tim Green – George David C lark – Tristr am Fane Saunders – Philip Metr es – He len a Feder – Nida Sopha sarun Ot her Ratbag Poe try Pods: Poetry Says by Alice Allan I Ha te Matt Wall b y Matt Wall Versecraft by Elijah Perseus Blumov Advice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan Farmer Alice: In Future Posts Brian: brianplatzer [at] gmail [dot] com Cameron: Minor Tiresias Matthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Music by ETRNL Art by Daniel Alexander Smith

SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible) For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW ! Leave the show a rating here ! SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube ! For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS , subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode: – Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so g ood! Now give Brian’s book a 5-star r eview! – My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now! – Minor Tiresias on Cesar Vallejo – In Future Posts on Lana Del Ray – The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham – The Optimists by Brian Platzer – The End of the Affair by Graham Greene – In This Novel, It’s the Student Who Shapes the Teacher’s Life by Jean Hanff Korelitz – The Kinda Sorta Real-Life Larry (My memory was slightly inaccurate. It appears this modest Wikipedia page would have existed even if Maugham hadn’t written a book kinda sorta about this guy.) – Why I Live at the P.O. by Eudora Welty – The clip in question from the Stone–Parker lecture Frequently mention ed names: – Joshua Me higan – Shane McCr ae – A. E. Stall ings – Ryan Wilson – Morri C reec h – Austin Allen – Jonatha n Farm e r – Z ara Raab – Amit Majmudar – Ethan McGuire – Colem an Glenn – Chris C hilders – Alexis Sears – JP Gritton – Al ex Pepple – Ernie Hilb ert – Joanna Pear son – MattWa ll – Stev e Knepper – Helena Feder – David Yezzi – Victor ia Mo ul – Katie Dozier & Tim Green – George David C lark – Tristr am Fane Saunders – Philip Metr es – He len a Feder – Nida Sopha sarun Ot her Ratbag Poe try Pods: Poetry Says by Alice Allan I Ha te Matt Wall b y Matt Wall Versecraft by Elijah Perseus Blumov Advice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan Farmer Alice: In Future Posts Brian: brianplatzer [at] gmail [dot] com Cameron: Minor Tiresias Matthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Music by ETRNL Art by Daniel Alexander Smith

SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible) For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW ! Leave the show a rating here ! SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube ! For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS , subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode: – Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so g ood! Now give Brian’s book a 5-star r eview! – My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now! – Measureless by Amit Majmudar – Things My Grandmother Said by Amit Majmudar – Lettre Sauvage – The Lottery in Babylon by Jorge Luis Borges – Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote by Jorge Luis Borges Frequently mention ed names: – Joshua Me higan – Shane McCr ae – A. E. Stall ings – Ryan Wilson – Morri C reec h – Austin Allen – Jonatha n Farm e r – Z ara Raab – Amit Majmudar – Ethan McGuire – Colem an Glenn – Chris C hilders – Alexis Sears – JP Gritton – Al ex Pepple – Ernie Hilb ert – Joanna Pear son – MattWa ll – Stev e Knepper – Helena Feder – David Yezzi – Victor ia Mo ul – Katie Dozier & Tim Green – George David C lark – Tristr am Fane Saunders – Philip Metr es – He len a Feder – Nida Sopha sarun Ot her Ratbag Poe try Pods: Poetry Says by Alice Allan I Ha te Matt Wall b y Matt Wall Versecraft by Elijah Perseus Blumov Advice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan Farmer Alice: In Future Posts Brian: brianplatzer [at] gmail [dot] com Cameron: Minor Tiresias Matthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Music by ETRNL Art by Daniel Alexander Smith

SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible) For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW ! Leave the show a rating here ! SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube ! For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS , subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode: – Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so g ood! Now give Brian’s book a 5-star r eview! – My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now! – My essay on Macbeth in Portico – Micah Mattix’s newsletter Prufrock – Poems for Katie by Timothy Green – Rattle – Rattlecast – The Poetry Space – Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel – Voices from the Other World by James Merrill – Iain McGilchrist – James Pennebaker Frequently mention ed names: – Joshua Me higan – Shane McCr ae – A. E. Stall ings – Ryan Wilson – Morri C reec h – Austin Allen – Jonatha n Farm e r – Z ara Raab – Amit Majmudar – Ethan McGuire – Colem an Glenn – Chris C hilders – Alexis Sears – JP Gritton – Al ex Pepple – Ernie Hilb ert – Joanna Pear son – MattWa ll – Stev e Knepper – Helena Feder – David Yezzi – Victor ia Mo ul – Katie Dozier & Tim Green – George David C lark – Tristr am Fane Saunders – Philip Metr es – He len a Feder – Nida Sopha sarun Ot her Ratbag Poe try Pods: Poetry Says by Alice Allan I Ha te Matt Wall b y Matt Wall Versecraft by Elijah Perseus Blumov Advice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan Farmer Alice: In Future Posts Brian: brianplatzer [at] gmail [dot] com Cameron: Minor Tiresias Matthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Music by ETRNL Art by Daniel Alexander Smith

SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible) For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW ! Leave the show a rating here ! SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube ! For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS , subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode: – Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so g ood! Now give Brian’s book a 5-star r eview! – My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now! – Pumpkin Chucking by Stephen Scaer – The Sidewalk Steve page on the Transgender Map – Alex Pepple – Eratosphere – Say Nothing but Good by Stephen Scaer – Gold Is the Last to Leave by Stephen Scaer – Backyard Triumph by Stephen Scaer – Mentor by Stephen Scaer – Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost – 4trans by Naomi Kanakia – ContraPoints – My weird omnibus: I Reviewed 99 Recent Poetry Collections—Here’s What I Found – No by A. M. Juster – Maine LD 1735 – Stephen Scaer’s comment on Maine LD 1735 – Make Believe by Stephen Scaer – Johnson and Nietzsche on Criticism and Critics by Ethan McGuire – Ozark Elegy by Ethan McGuire Frequently mention ed names: – Joshua Me higan – Shane McCr ae – A. E. Stall ings – Ryan Wilson – Morri C reec h – Austin Allen – Jonatha n Farm e r – Z ara Raab – Amit Majmudar – Ethan McGuire – Colem an Glenn – Chris C hilders – Alexis Sears – JP Gritton – Al ex Pepple – Ernie Hilb ert – Joanna Pear son – MattWa ll – Stev e Knepper – Helena Feder – David Yezzi – Victor ia Mo ul – Katie Dozier & Tim Green – George David C lark – Tristr am Fane Saunders – Philip Metr es – He len a Feder – Nida Sopha sarun Ot her Ratbag Poe try Pods: Poetry Says by Alice Allan I Ha te Matt Wall b y Matt Wall Versecraft by Elijah Perseus Blumov Advice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan Farmer Alice: In Future Posts Brian: brianplatzer [at] gmail [dot] com Cameron: Minor Tiresias Matthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Music by ETRNL Art by Daniel Alexander Smith

SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible) For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW ! Leave the show a rating here ! SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube ! For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS , subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode: – Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so g ood! Now give Brian’s book a 5-star r eview! – My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now! – Ep 248: The Montreal Fiasco, ft. Ernest Hilbert, Pt. 1 & Pt. 2 – Advice from an Unknown Poet Frequently mention ed names: – Joshua Me higan – Shane McCr ae – A. E. Stall ings – Ryan Wilson – Morri C reec h – Austin Allen – Jonatha n Farm e r – Z ara Raab – Amit Majmudar – Ethan McGuire – Colem an Glenn – Chris C hilders – Alexis Sears – JP Gritton – Al ex Pepple – Ernie Hilb ert – Joanna Pear son – MattWa ll – Stev e Knepper – Helena Feder – David Yezzi – Victor ia Mo ul – Katie Dozier & Tim Green – George David C lark – Tristr am Fane Saunders – Philip Metr es – He len a Feder – Nida Sopha sarun Ot her Ratbag Poe try Pods: Poetry Says by Alice Allan I Ha te Matt Wall b y Matt Wall Versecraft by Elijah Perseus Blumov Advice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan Farmer Alice: In Future Posts Brian: brianplatzer [at] gmail [dot] com Cameron: Minor Tiresias Matthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Music by ETRNL Art by Daniel Alexander Smith

SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible) For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW ! Leave the show a rating here ! SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube ! For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS , subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode: – Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so g ood! Now give Brian’s book a 5-star r eview! – My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now! – Diver by Alan Shapiro – Last Act by Alan Shapiro – King Lear – Macbeth – Hamlet – The Oxen by Thomas Hardy – Church Going by Philip Larkin – High Windows by Philip Larkin – Steven Wright – Glory Hunger by Alan Shapiro – Grasshopper by Alan Shapiro – Where Rainbows Go to Die by The SteelDrivers Frequently mention ed names: – Joshua Me higan – Shane McCr ae – A. E. Stall ings – Ryan Wilson – Morri C reec h – Austin Allen – Jonatha n Farm e r – Z ara Raab – Amit Majmudar – Ethan McGuire – Colem an Glenn – Chris C hilders – Alexis Sears – JP Gritton – Al ex Pepple – Ernie Hilb ert – Joanna Pear son – MattWa ll – Stev e Knepper – Helena Feder – David Yezzi – Victor ia Mo ul – Katie Dozier & Tim Green – George David C lark – Tristr am Fane Saunders – Philip Metr es – He len a Feder – Nida Sopha sarun Ot her Ratbag Poe try Pods: Poetry Says by Alice Allan I Ha te Matt Wall b y Matt Wall Versecraft by Elijah Perseus Blumov Advice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan Farmer Alice: In Future Posts Brian: brianplatzer [at] gmail [dot] com Cameron: Minor Tiresias Matthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Music by ETRNL Art by Daniel Alexander Smith

SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible) For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW ! Leave the show a rating here ! SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube ! For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS , subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode: – Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so g ood! Now give Brian’s book a 5-star r eview! – My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now! – Steve Knepper's Thomist Poets reading In the Waiting Roo m by Elizabeth Bish op Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011) A Le tt er by Anthony Hecht Couples Th erapy Clipse Lamen t by Th om Gunn Secret Show notes We Hogs Need This , Pt. 2 On Being B utthurt by Elif Batu man J oan Didion Matthew 's appearance on the Rattlecast August Wilson Frequently mention ed names: – Joshua Me higan – Shane McCr ae – A. E. Stall ings – Ryan Wilson – Morri C reec h – Austin Allen – Jonatha n Farm e r – Z ara Raab – Amit Majmudar – Ethan McGuire – Colem an Glenn – Chris C hilders – Alexis Sears – JP Gritton – Al ex Pepple – Ernie Hilb ert – Joanna Pear son – MattWa ll – Stev e Knepper – Helena Feder – David Yezzi – Victor ia Mo ul – Katie Dozier & Tim Green – George David C lark – Tristr am Fane Saunders – Philip Metr es – He len a Feder – Nida Sopha sarun Ot her Ratbag Poe try Pods: Poetry Says by Alice Allan I Ha te Matt Wall b y Matt Wall Versecraft by Elijah Perseus Blumov Advice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan Farmer Alice: In Future Posts Brian: brianplatzer [at] gmail [dot] com Cameron: Minor Tiresias Matthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Music by ETRNL Art by Daniel Alexander Smith

SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible) For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW ! Leave the show a rating here ! SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube ! For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS , subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode: – Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so g ood! Now give Brian’s book a 5-star r eview! – My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now! – Join the Zoom conversation I’m having with Jimmy Pappas this Monday, June 8, at 7:00 p.m. US Eastern: Poems Against Hope Zina Gomez-Liss Can Art Teac h ? by David S. Wal l ace Michel d e Monta igne The Pitt Suit s Anthony Lane J. M. Coetzee A Few Words O n Improving Your L ife Through th e Gre at Bo oks by Eth an McGu ire Secre t show notes E p 2 4 6 : A Case for Didactic Po e try, ft. Danie l Cowper Why Don't Peopl e Like Poetry? W hat Poetry Do The y Like? by D anie l Cowper Night by Elie W iesel Never Le t Me Go by Kazuo Ishig u ro Narrative of th e Life of Frede r ick Douglass Th e Souls of B l ack Folk by W. E . B. Du Bois Plat o's Repub li c Giovanni’s R o om and Notes of a Native Son by James B al dwin Good night M o on by Margaret Wis e Brown The Gi ving Tree by Shel Silver s tein Fancy Na ncy b y Jane O'Connor T he Varieties o f Religious Exp e rience by Will iam Jam es F reque nt ly me n tioned nam es: – Joshu a Mehigan – Shane Mc Crae – A. E. Stal lings – Ryan Wilson – Morri Creech – Austin Allen – Jonathan Farmer – Zara Raab – Amit Majmudar – Ethan McGuire – Coleman Glenn – Chris Childers – Alexis Sears – JP Gritton – Ale x Pepple – Ernie Hilbert – Jo anna Pearson – MattWall – Steve Knepper – Helena Feder – David Yezzi – Victor ia Mo ul – Katie Dozier & Tim Green – George David C lark – Tristr am Fane Saunders – Philip Metr es – He len a Feder – Nida Sopha sarun Ot her Ratbag Poe try Pods: Poetry Says by Alice Allan I Ha te Matt Wall b y Matt Wall Versecraft by Elijah Perseus Blumov Advice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan Farmer Alice: In Future Posts Brian: brianplatzer [at] gmail [dot] com Cameron: Minor Tiresias Matthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Music by ETRNL Art by Daniel Alexander Smith