Let's think outside the literary box! It's a big world, and there's no reason to limit our poems to lit mags. Why not publish on billboards and sidewalks and bars of soap? There are thousands of other magazines newspapers with big circulations that might publish poems too. Katie, Tim, and friends explore, joined by Nate Jacob, who made a column for his poems in his local newspaper, Jennifer Reeser, who regularly publishes poems in the National Review, and Jeannine Hall Gailey, who has published widely in places like LA Weekly and the Journal of the American Medical Association.

At the Table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Nate Jacob

Jennifer Reeser

Jeannine Hall Gailey

Dick Westheimer

Brian O'Sullivan

What better way to spend a Friday night than on a date discussing how to write a poem? This week Timothy Green and Katie Dozier tackle what makes poems reach the top level of poetry submissions, while having almost too much fun in the process.

Poetry is the music of speech, and the original music of speech is meter. What is meter, anyway? How can you learn to dance with two left feet? Katie, Tim and friends discuss the art of the beat, joined by special guest Boris Dralyuk, formalist and author of My Hollywood.

Wisława Szymborska won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1996. Living through WWII and communist Poland, she was known for her use of irony and wit in deceptively simple poems detail domestic life against the backdrop of history. This week, Katie, Tim, and friend take a closer look at her life and poetry, joined by special guest Manuel Iris, whose own work is particularly informed by hers.

At the table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Manuel Iris Dick Westheimer

Joe Barca

What do you think of when you think of summer? And how do poems capture that? This week, Katie, Tim, and friends find their summer vibe along with special guests Nate Jacob and Sharon Ferrante, sharing a cooler of poems along the way.

At the picnic table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Nate Jacob

Sharon Ferrante

Joe Barca

Brian O'Sullivan

Dick Westheimer

Writing poems is only half the battle—performing poems is still an important aspect of sharing the work (and selling books!). Katie, Tim, and friends are joined by slam legend Taylor Mali to discuss the art of presenting poems, reading a few of his own and sharing some hilarious stories along the way.

At the table

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Taylor Mali

Brian O'Sullivan

Dick Westheimer

Joe Barca

There's a certain type of poem Tim calls the "Classic Rattle Poem." Even as the magazine has become more eclectic over the years, it's always stayed in touch with its accessible narrative roots. Katie, Tim, and friends discuss this style of "front porch poetry," with the authors of three great examples.

At the table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Tony Gloeggler

Cindy Guentherman

Joe Barca

Dick Westheimer

Brian O'Sullivan

They say imitation is the highest form of flattery—but it's also a learning tool and a lot of fun. Katie, Tim, and friends discuss the art of adopting another poets voice, joined by award-winning formalist and ventriloquist A.M. Juster, author of The Billy Collins Experience. Along the way, we share some other great poems mimicking Wallace Stevens, Kay Ryan, Bob Dylan, and more.

At the table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

A.M. Juster

Dick Westheimer

Joe Barca