1170: The Way by Cynthia Cruz

Today’s poem is One-Way Gate by Jenny George.The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Sometimes I swear I can feel a life-changing moment as it’s happening. Some moments in life feel like walking through a doorway from one place or time into anot ...  Show more

Today’s poem is The Ship by Bianca Stone.The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem feels right for today because it’s a “new year, same you” poem. Because being who you are, and nothing more, is exactly what you need to be doing—this ...  Show more

About twenty years ago, I heard William Stafford read his poetry for about twenty minutes. For a young aspiring writer like I was then, he was mesmerizing, a mix of poetic energy and grandfatherly wisdom, with a high-spirited charm. I think it was the first poetry reading that I ...  Show more

Isabel called to tell us about being on the other side of a hard chapter of life.  _ If you have anxiety, depression or any sense of the world around you, you know that not *everything* is going to be okay. In fact, many things aren’t okay and never will be! But instead of fallin ...  Show more

Jolie Stele has made a lot of plans for how her life should go. Very few of them panned out exactly how she expected, but she’s still happy with where she ended up. Jolie Steele is a coach and a writer. Check out more essays like this on her Substack, and follow her on Instagram. ...  Show more

Carmen Giménez’s poem “Ars Poetica” is a stunning waterfall of words, a torrent of dozens of short statements that begin with “I” or “I’m.” As you listen to them, let an answering cascade of questions fill up your mind. What does this series of confessions reveal to you about poe ...  Show more