The Line Break: Recent Episodes
Bob Sykora and Chris Corlew
The moment I sit down to write this description, my phone buzzes with some headline about more and more people going no-contact with their parents. Is the personal political? Is it possible to write a de-politicized family poem? Isaac Pickell—who seems to get along just fine with his parents—joins us to talk about writing audience-thinning family poems, diversity and beauty, and of course, LeBron James.Isaac Pickell is a Black and Jewish poet, PhD candidate, and adjunct instructor working in Detroit, Michigan. A Cave Canem Fellow, he is the author of The Smallest Mistake We Call Human (Black Lawrence Press, 2026), It’s not over once you figure it out (Black Ocean, 2023), and chapbooks from Black Lawrence Press and Dead Mall Press. Isaac's second collection, The Smallest Mistake We Call Human, comes out August 16, 2026, from Black Lawrence Press. Pre-order at https://blacklawrencepress.com/books/the-smallest-mistake-we-call-human/Isaac's first collection, It's Not Over Once You Figure It Out, is available from Black Ocean Press https://www.blackocean.org/catalog1/its-not-overFind more Isaac at https://www.isaacpickell.com/
Then, we wonder which horror movie Final Girl would write the best poetry. find more Kay at https://kayebancroftpoet.com/find BLOODROOM at https://www.sundresspublications.com/printtitles/bloodroom
It is the month of Bob's nuptials! The dudes actually pre-recorded a whole episode, but Chris's hard drive broke. He's working on getting it fixed, and that episode will air later. For now, please enjoy a few love poems to get your summer started.
Oh, and there's some talk about the icons of 90s NBA. Order Sipèstisyon: https://www.yesyesbooks.com/product-page/sip%C3%A8stisyon-by-mckendy-fils-aim%C3%A9MCKENDY FILS-AIMÉ is a New England based Haitian American poet, organizer, and teaching artist. He has received fellowships from Callaloo, Cave Canem, The Watering Hole, CantoMundo, and Periplus. Over the span of nearly two decades, Mckendy has represented New England in several regional and national poetry slams, making numerous semi-final and final stage appearances. Mckendy’s work has been featured or is forthcoming in Best New Poets, Adroit, Muzzle, Obsidian, the Academy of American Poets’ Poem-a-Day series, and elsewhere. sipèstisyon (YesYes Books, 2026) is his debut poetry collection.
by Joe Wilkins, and the guys talk about whether the new NBA broadcasters are working out or not.
by Aase Berg (translated from the Swedish by Johannes Göransson), and the dudes talk about ways to make syntax more interesting. Then, some NBA Cup talk.
Then, the guys talk about NBA players who are probably good at emotions. Find Disintegration Made Plain And Easy here: https://www.neonpajamas.com/pizama-press/disintegration-made-plain-and-easyFind more Kiik here: https://kiikak.com/Follow the show: @linebreakpod on Instagram@thelinebreak.bsky.social on Bluesky
by Heather Cristle, and then the guys talk about how much better off every team in the NBA is except the ones that they cheer for.
by Percival Everett, and then the dudes talk about basketball players they wished they'd watched more. Check out Bob's book, Utopians In Love, here: https://utopiansinlove.com/Check out Chris's blog and music here: https://www.lazyandentitled.org/
Another AWP in the books! We didn't have the energy for guerilla poetry again this year, but we also have something to celebrate: the release of UTOPIANS IN LOVE! Bob's book dropped just before AWP started, and you should both request it at your local library and order it from Game Over Books. On top of all that, the lads discuss conference panels, offsite reading, and street food. Apologies for the weird audio, recording in hotel rooms is not something we do all the time. Buy Bob's book: https://www.gameoverbooks.com/store/p/utopians-in-loveRead Bob's blog: https://bobsykora.substack.com/
Spring training is here, and we've brought Sandra Marchetti back! Sandy reads from her forthcoming book, DIORAMA, the three talk about manuscript structure and the vacuum cleaner of Lake Shore Drive, and then Sandy leads the dudes into a discussion of aesthetics in sports. SANDRA MARCHETTI is the 2023 winner of The Twin Bill Book Prize for Best Baseball Poetry Book of the Year. She is the author of Aisle 228 (SFA Press, 2023), and Confluence (Sundress Publications, 2015). Sandy is also the author of four chapbooks of poetry and lyric essays. Her poetry and essays appear widely in Mid-American Review, Blackbird, Ecotone, Southwest Review, Subtropics, and elsewhere. She is Poetry Editor Emerita at River Styx Magazine. Sandy earned an MFA in Creative Writing—Poetry from George Mason University and now serves as the Assistant Director of Academic Support at Harper College in Chicagoland. You can find out more at: https://sandramarchetti.net/Order DIORAMA: https://shorturl.at/lW3M3
The hits keep rolling with these guest interviews! Today, Bob and Chris are joined by Justin Carter, author of BRAZOS. Justin reads "Facet" by Dean Young and his own poem "Watching the 2001 Daytona 500 With My Father," and then the guys talk about Justin's writing on the WNBA and college basketball. Justin Carter is a writer living in Des Moines, Iowa. His first poetry collection, Brazos, was published in 2024 Belle Point Press. Originally from the Texas Gulf Coast, Justin holds degrees from the University of Houston, Bowling Green State University and the University of North Texas, where he graduated in 2019 with a PhD in English. He currently works full-time as an editor at Fubo. He also writes freelance pieces about women’s basketball for a variety of publications.Website: https://juscarts.com/ Buy BRAZOS: https://bellepointpress.com/products/brazos
The Line Break podcast: the place where Poet Laureates go. This month, Bob and Chris are thrilled to welcome Melissa Ferrer Civil, inaugural Poet Laureate of Kansas City, MO! Melissa reads Angel Nafis's "Ghazal For Becoming Your Own Country" as well as their own poem, "Alambrista," from the book 'Steno Pad.' Find more Melissa: https://melissaferrerand.com/ Melissa Ferrer Civil (&), (she/they), formerly known as Missy T. Ferrari, is a poet, performer, organizer, and educator living on unceded Kaw, Kansa, Kickapoo, and Oceti Sakowin lands (KCMO). Rooted in the practical and the possible, their spoken word poems and songs are mostly responses to the world around them and their own internal journey. Melissa is the founder of the arts and organizing event series A Nation In Exile.Melissa received a Bachelor’s Degree in both Creative Writing and Italian from The Florida State University. She has also received her Master’s of Education with a specialization in Urban Education from Park University. She received her M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Randolph College. She was also long listed for the Palette Poetry 2021 Emerging Poet Prize. They are a Charlotte Street Studio Resident, a Chrysalis Institute Alumnus, and a Heartlandarts KC Fellow. Melissa Ferrer Civil is the inaugural Poet Laureate of Kansas City, Missouri.
The winter solstice is approaching—the shortest day of the year—which means it's a great time to read one of the longest poems ever written, Bernadette Mayer's 'Midwinter Day.' Bob and Chris each read sections of the poem, talk about the lore behind the writing, and reflect on other "story takes place in a day" books.
After August in September, it's November in December! Arriving late—tucking their shits in and trying to muss down their hair—the dudes are finally ready to bring some poems to your ears. Bob reads "Love Song to the Alpacas of Solomon Lane" by Kenzie Allen, Chris reads a three-line collaborative poem by Joshua Beckman and Matthew Rohrer, and then the dudes talk intriguing NBA stories so far.
It's year two for Garden Party Collective, and the winners of the 2024 chapbook contest are here! In this episode, Bob interviews (and Chris reacts to) Ashley Elizabeth (red line), Jacob Jardel (Full-Blooded CHamaole), Kenny Bradley (Night Science), and Maya Williams (What's So Wrong With A Pity Party Anyway?). Learn more about Garden Party Collective: https://www.gardenpartycollective.com/Check out the chapbook series: https://www.gardenpartycollective.com/2024-seriesAshley Elizabeth (she/her) is a winner of the 2024 Garden Party Collective Chapbook Contest. She is a Pushcart-nominated writer and teacher whose work has appeared in SWWIM, Voicemail Poems, Rigorous, and Sage Cigarettes, among others. Ashley is the author of A Family Thing (Redacted Books/ELJ Editions, 2024) and chapbooks CHARM(ed) (Fifth Wheel Press, 2024), black has every right to be angry (Alternating Current, 2023), and you were supposed to be a friend (Nightingale & Sparrow, 2020). She lives on the original land of the Piscataway (Baltimore, MD) with her partner and their cats.Jacob Jardel (he/him) is a CHamoru writer, scholar, and educator born in Guåhan (Guam), raised in California and Oklahoma, and currently based in Kansas City. He’s currently pursuing a doctoral degree in English and Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. A former Editor for The Sosland Journal, his work has appeared in The 580 Mixtapes Vol. 1, Fanachu’s Voices of the Diaspora zine, and No. 1 Magazine. Jacob lives online at itsjacobj.com, on Twitter/X @itsjacobj96, and on Instagram @itsjacobj. Offline, you can most likely find him in the wild writing, teaching, or working on a writing consultation. When in his natural habitat, though, Jacob is usually watching YouTube with his partner and his cat while hyperfocusing on his special interests, including (but not limited to) Magic: The Gathering, professional wrestling, baseball, and video games.Kenny Bradley is a poet and graduate student at Rockefeller University, based in New York City, where he travels the boroughs to perform spoken word poetry. He utilizes concepts in both music and biology to influence and shape his poetry to discuss topics ranging in self-love, identity, dissecting trauma, and being a black person in STEM. He was a member of the Provslam 2023 slam team, where he and his teammates won 4 northeast regional slam competitions and self-published a co-authored team chapbook, “Dear Kid, Monster”. He and his teammate Ren L[i]u were finalists for the 2023 Button Poetry Video Contest with their joint poem “Love, Monster.” His work can be found on Button Poetry, Frontier Poetry, Empty House Press, etc. When he is not writing, you can find him in a record store, steaming fresh cup of hot chocolate in hand, spotify in the other as he researches new artists to introduce to his homies. To find more of his work, you can find him on instagram @hotchocolate_poetry.Maya Williams (ey/they/she) is a religious Black multiracial nonbinary suicide survivor who was selected as Portland, ME's seventh poet laureate for a July 2021 to July 2024 term. Maya received a MFA in Creative Writing with a Focus in Poetry from Randolph College in June 2022. Eir debut poetry collection Judas & Suicide (Game Over Books, 2023) was selected as a finalist for a New England Book Award. Their second poetry collection, Refused a Second Date (Harbor Editions, 2023), was selected as a finalist for a Maine Literary Award. Their third poetry collection, What's So Wrong with a Pity Party Anyway?, was selected as one of four winners of Garden Party Collective's chapbook prize in 2024. Maya was selected as one of Maine Humanities Council's recipients of the Constance Carlson Public Humanities Prize in 2024. Follow her at @emmdubb16 and mayawilliamspoet.com
Summer's over, it's September, so naturally, we've invited our dear friend August J. Smith on the show! The author of VISITORS FROM THE RED STAR and ten chapbooks, as well as the mind behind the band Plum Wooer, August also used to live with Bob. August reads Mary Coons' poem "The Talking Family," his own poem "Viktor Kostrykin," and then the lads tell him about Victor Wembanyama and forget crucial details from SPACE JAM. Buy August's book: https://shorturl.at/TMFgE Visit August's website: https://augustsmith.net/
Summer is coming to a close, and it's time for the dudes to celebrate one of the most important summer events in a poet's life: the Ghost City Press Micro-Chapbook Summer Series! Bob reads from "Eating Out Anne Sexton" by Elena Sichrovsky and "AI Fever" by Paddy Qiu, Chris reads from "Poems" by Tom Snarsky and "Every Path Leads To The Sea" by Erinola E. Daranijo, and then the guys debate whether Rucker League or Summer League is cooler. Check out more from Ghost City Press, including every Summer Series micro-chap available as a pay-what-you-want download, here: https://ghostcitypress.com/
How can we continue to interrogate our writing? What new ways can we find to push ourselves as we read deeper? This month, Bob reads "A Romantic Sonnet!" by S. Yarberry, Chris reads "Dear Moses Grandy...Love, the Great Dismal Swamp," and the dudes wonder if they can grasp the concept of time zones clearly enough to watch Olympic basketball.
Summer is here, so why not read poems? This month, Bob reads "Time Is Filled with Beginners" by Diana Khoi Nguyen, Chris reads "This is the Barbecue We Had Last Night" by Han VanderHart, and then the guys recap and re-cope the NBA Finals.
on this month's episode, Bob and Chris confront narratives that feel depressingly inevitable—that war will continue to happen and fatherhood is difficult to get right—and try to see if poetry can help change those narratives. Bob reads "[...]" by Fady Joudah, Chris reads "We Were All Odysseus In Those Days," and even though the guys recorded less than a week ago, their playoff takes are already obsolete. two McSweeney's articles we might've been referencing:"An Interactive Guide To Ambiguous Grammar" by Vijith Assar https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/an-interactive-guide-to-ambiguous-grammar"How To Use The Past Exonerative Tense To Uphold White Supremacy" by Devorah Blachor https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/how-to-use-the-past-exonerative-tense-to-uphold-white-supremacy
Strap on your leather armor and sharpen your curved bronze swords, Bob Curator of Calendars and Chris Wrecker of Ships are reading The Iliad! The dudes realized they had both separately decided to storm the gates of Troy (Bob shepherded by Emily Wilson's translation, Chris violently thrown around by Robert Fagles') and figured why not do an episode on it? In this episode, you'll find enthusiastic gushing about the language of epics, parsing of the way the Homeric epics are culturally absorbed, Chris confusing "Antigone" with "Aeschylus," confusion as to way Ajax was basically absent from the 2004 film Troy, and stunningly knuckle-dragging sexism from an ancient society!Follow KC Poetry Calendar on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kcpoetrycalendar/Read the Shipwrecked Sailor blog: https://shipwreckedsailor.substack.com/
Gather round, damas y caballeros, children of all ages, have we got a treat for you! It's the first but probably not last crossover episode between The Line Break and Of Poetry! That's right, Han VanderHart joins Bob Sykora and Chris Corlew, and the three of them read not merely other people's poetry, but reach into the depths of their notebooks to holler some of their own art-words your way. Han reads their poem "last night I was sexting and reading June Jordan," and "Bottoms" by Jenny Johnson. Bob reads his poem "Utopians In Love" and "What Kids Don't Know" by Jill McDonough. Chris reads his poem "human pastoral brick" and "Elusive Black Hole Pair" by Alina Pleskova. After their declamations, the three dudes discuss how they decided to add podcasting to their practice of poetry. Do good things happen when you commit to discussing poetry with your friends every so often? We think so!Han VanderHart is a queer writer and arts organizer living in Durham, North Carolina. Han is the author of the poetry collection What Pecan Light (Bull City Press, 2021) and the chapbook Hands Like Birds (Ethel Zine Press, 2019). They have poetry and essays published in The Boston Globe, Kenyon Review, The American Poetry Review, The Rumpus, AGNI and elsewhere. Han hosts Of Poetry Podcast, edits Moist Poetry Journal, and co-edits the poetry press River River Books with Amorak Huey.Bob Sykora is the author of the chapbook I Was Talking About Love–You Are Talking About Geography (Nostrovia! 2016) and the forthcoming collection Utopians in Love (Game Over Books 2025). A graduate of the UMass Boston MFA program, he teaches at community college, edits with Garden Party Collective, co-hosts The Line Break podcast, and curates the KC Poetry Calendar.Chris Corlew is a writer and musician living in Chicago. His work has appeared in Cotton Xenomorph, Whisk(e)y Tit, Kicking Your Ass, Cracked.com, and elsewhere. With Bob Sykora, he co-hosts The Line Break, a podcast about poetry and basketball. With Brendan Johnson, he is ½ of Lazy & Entitled, the band that writes novels. You can find more Chris on Bluesky @thecorlew, at storiesfromvine.com, or at shipwreckedsailor.substack.com.
What an episode we have for you this month! Fresh off a weekend at AWP 2024 in Kansas City, Bob and Chris have recruited their most near-them-at-the-time friends to read LIVE POEMS on the show! That's right, we have Stephen J. Furlong, Teo Shannon, Chloe N. Clark, Diannely Antigua, Matt W. Miller, Todd Osborne, Amorak Huey, and Maya Williams! Forget NBA All-Star, this is Line Break All-Star! If you stay until the end, Bob and Chris even read their own poetry for once!
It still counts as the New Year if it's January 30th! Bob and Chris limp into 2024 burdened by complicated schedules but buoyed by the power of poetry. This month, Bob reads “Community Check-In” by Sam Herschel Wein, Chris reads “John Wayne Niles … .--…--.- …/ - --- Ermias Joseph Asghedom” by Mahogany L. Browne, and then the guys talk about the surprisingly fun Los Angeles Clippers.
The end of the year is upon us! Reflection time. Having put three guests in a row to the test with this question, Bob and Chris turn the metaphorical camera to themselves and ask: who/what are the five people/things that influence you/your poetics the most? The question is catchier in the episode. Have a great holiday and we'll see you in 2024.Follow the show: Instagram: @linebreakpodBluesky: @thelinebreakTwitter: @linebreakpod
On this month's episode, Bob and Chris are thrilled to welcome the author of 'It's not over once you figure it out,' Isaac Pickell! Fresh off of a book and pub day, Isaac reads "Nature Walk" by Basie Allen, as well as his own poem, "Uncommissioned Elegy For Joseph Paul Jernigan and The Body of Michael Brown." After that, the dudes talk Detroit Pistons basketball. Quick CW: from about the one-minute mark until the 10-minute mark, the three of us discuss the war in Gaza, and our desire for a ceasefire. If you would like to not hear that for whatever reason, listen to us introduce Isaac, then skip to the 10-minute mark. buy 'It's not over once you figure it out': https://www.blackocean.org/catalog1/its-not-overIsaac's Substack: https://isaacpickell.substack.com/Follow the show @linebreakpod on Twitter / @thelinebreak on Bluesky
Poetry asks us not to be sentimental, but how can you not be sentimental about baseball? On this episode of The Line Break, Bob and Chris are thrilled to welcome poet and (this is for all our dads) Baseball Prospects writer Sandra Marchetti!. Poems and sports combine as they rarely have on this poetry podcast that already talks about sports too much. Sandra reads "Eating Alone" by Li-Young Lee as well as her own poem, “Against Seven-Inning Doubleheaders and Starting Runners on Second Basein Extra Innings in Major League Baseball.”You can find more Sandra on most social media sites @sandrapoetryYou can buy 'Aisle 228' here: https://www.tamupress.com/book/9781622889556/aisle-228/You can buy 'Confluence' here: https://sundress-publications.square.site/product/confluence-by-sandra-marchetti/30You can follow the show @linebreakpod on Twitter or @thelinebreak on Bluesky
Who's ready for some long poems? Oh, it's a good month on The Line Break. This month, Bob and Chris welcome Alina Pleskova, author of 'Toska,' for a talk about the crossover between the poetry and punk scenes, the massive debt we all owe translators, and writing poems in your mid-30s. Alina reads "Without" by Stephane Bouqet (translated by Lindsay Turner) as well as her own poem, "Vulnerability Engine." Plus, we gush about the city of Philadelphia. Buy Toska here: https://store.deepvellum.org/products/toskaFollow Alina on Twitter/Bluesky: @nahhhlina / @alinapleskovaFollow us on Twitter/Bluesky: @linebreakpod / @thelinebreak
Climb aboard a clean, affordable public train and travel with Bob and Chris from the city to the shore. This week, it's all about short poems that take us places. Bob reads "Elegy For Soft Things" by Wendy Xu, Chris reads "If I Wanted A Boat" by Mary Oliver, and then the guys get wistful about—what else? The 1999 New York Knicks.
For the first time since before the show even started, Bob and Chris are recording in the same room! Bob came to Chicago to read "Dura" by Alina Pleskova, Chris's cat won't let him read "Up Nursing" by Hoa Nguyen in peace, and are the guys too old to follow sports?
Today, Bob and Chris are thrilled to welcome José Olivarez! Shockingly, this is not a Jimmy Butler podcast. Not entirely. Three discuss writing to procrastinate on writing, "nostalgia with rigor," and food and humor in poems. José reads "Family Portrait With Enchiladas and A Movie" by Analicia Sotelo and then his own poem, "Ode to Tortillas." Then, well, yeah, it becomes a Chicago Bulls podcast.
José Olivarez is the son of Mexican immigrants. His debut book of poems, Citizen Illegal, was a finalist for the PEN/ Jean Stein Award and a winner of the 2018 Chicago Review of Books Poetry Prize. It was named a top book of 2018 by The Adroit Journal, NPR, and the New York Public Library. Along with Felicia Chavez and Willie Perdomo, he co-edited the poetry anthology, The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 4: LatiNEXT. He is the co-host of the poetry podcast, The Poetry Gods. In 2018, he was awarded the first annual Author and Artist in Justice Award from the Phillips Brooks House Association and named a Debut Poet of 2018 by Poets & Writers. In 2019, he was awarded a Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowship from the Poetry Foundation. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Paris Review, and elsewhere.
https://joseolivarez.com/
On today's episode, Bob and Chris are thrilled welcome Maya Williams! The three discuss the upcoming release of Maya's book, 'Judas & Suicide,' forthcoming from Game Over Books in May 2023. Then, Maya reads "Bashert" by Jeremy Radin, eir own poem "The Devil is Concerned with More Pressing Matters Than My Mental Health Issues," and then the three use basketball as an excuse to gush about Ross Gay. Maya Williams (ey/they/she) is a religious Black multiracial nonbinary suicide survivor who is currently the seventh poet laureate of Portland, Maine. May 2023 marks the release of their debut poetry collection, Judas & Suicide, via Game Over Books. October 2023 marks the release of their second poetry collection, Refused a Second Date, via Harbor Editions. They were one of three artists of color selected to represent Maine in The Kennedy Center's Arts Across America series in 2020 and were listed as one of The Advocate's Champions of Pride in 2022. She is currently an Ashley Bryan Fellow through the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance. You can follow more of eir work at mayawilliamspoet.com
Does poetry require form? Does poetry require basis in observable reality? These are question we'd try to address if we were a more boring podcast. Instead, Bob reads "Sestina" by Elizabeth Bishop, Chris reads "The Wine-Dark Sea" by Mathias Svalina, and the dudes mostly talk about how rad it all is. Plus: is Hakeem Olajuwon a formalist or a surrealist?
Is there such thing as a perfect poem? If there is, will it unsettle us on purpose? This week, Bob reads an untitled letter to Lorca by Jack Spicer, Chris reads "Mansion" by Julie Doxsee, and everyone has a brief chuckle about the word "alas."
It's the All-Star Break here at The Line Break! Two banger poems this month: Bob reads "Remembrance" by A. Van Jordan, "Chris reads an excerpt from Claudia Rankine's 'Citizen,' and then the guys talk about NBA memories they wish they had.
On this week's episode, Bob and Chris are talking about what poetry does, the joys of discovering poetry around the world, and just what in the heck we get out it this stuff, anyway. Bob reads "The Way To Keep Going In Antarctica" by Bernadette Mayer, Chris reads "Jiikimaadizi / A Joyful Life" by Margaret Noodin, and then the dudes talk about just what in the heck we get out of basketball, anyway.
The end of the year leads the dudes to do some reflecting on life, death, authorial legacy, and what the future should look like. Bob reads from Diane Seuss's 'frank: sonnets,' Chris reads "Leah Gilliam, 'Sapphire and the Slave Girl,' 1995, 18:20" by Anaïs Duplan, and the lads wonder what 6'9" NBA players are supposed to do. Note: for further reading on the "what are we all doing here" question of writing, please check out Kathy Fish's blog post on her The Art of Flash Fiction Substack, "On Literary 'Success.'" The question Kathy asked on Twitter and begins the blog with was on Chris's mind when this episode was recorded. By the time we got this edited and posted, Kathy had posted her column. Worth reading in conjunction with this episode. Check it out here: https://artofflashfiction.substack.com/p/on-literary-success?utm_source=%2Finbox&utm_medium=reader2
After too long away, Bob and Chris are BACK reading poetry. Bob reads "Broken Light Bulb Flickering Away" by Noor Hindi, Chris reads an excerpt from Joshua Marie Wilkinson's book length poem "Meadow Slasher," and then the guys ask who's having a better NBA season: Ezra Pound or Billy Collins?
On today's episode, what begins as a gentle "what have you been reading lately" morphs into Bob and Chris gushing about how rad poetry is even when the world is difficult. Bob reads "Snow Theory" by Ocean Vuong, Chris reads "Ethos, Pathos" by Sebastian Castillo, and then Bob says nice things about the Boston Celtics.
Guest time! Today, Bob and Chris welcome Hannah Cohen to the show! The three talk about everything from manuscript length to wrestling with abstractions to Tommy Wiseau. Hannah reads "Under One Small Star" by Wislawa Szymborska, as well as her poem "Some Covenant." Then the three plot to become Poet Laureate of Waffle House.
Hannah Cohen bio and publications: https://hannahcohen.carrd.co/
If poems are made of music, metaphor, and image, well, we're certainly talking about one of those today. What makes an image in a poem just the right one? Bob reads "Quabban Reservoir" James Tate, Chris reads "revaluation" by MJ Santiago, and then the guys talk about how basketball looks cool.
If brevity is the soul of wit, what's an hourlong podcast? Today, Bob and Chris are exploring short poems. Bob reads "Invisible Fish" by Joy Harjo, Chris reads "Ghosting" by Andrea Cohen, and then the guys celebrate NBA players under six feet tall.
The poets are back! This week, Bob and Chris discuss poets they just haven't gotten around to yet. Bob reads "Rodedendrons" by Larry Levins, then Chris reads "MOTHERFUCKER I'M ILL" by Beyza Ozer.
The poets are back, and they need coats, hats, and gloves. It's cold outside, and we're breaking lines over it. Bob reads "Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden, Chris reads "In Winter" by Michael Ryan, and then the guys discuss watching full days of basketball.
Family! Everyone has one, everyone feels differently about them. So let's do some poetry! Bob reads "enough food and a mom" by francine j. harris, Chris reads "In The Hospital" by Chen Chen, and then the guys talk about familial duos in basketball.
At long last, Bob and Chris are back for Season 3! The guys have returned to catch up read a few words. Bob reads "Miss You" by Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Chris reads an excerpt from "Scarliotti and the Sinkhole" by Padget Powell, and then they talk about how the Bulls are winning the NBA championship this year.
In this week's episode, Bob and Chris read poems dealing with sleep. Bob talks anxiety while reading "Dream Song #17" by Daniel Borzutzky, Chris talks childcare while reading "Chicago is a chorus of barking dogs" by Eve Ewing. Then the two reminiscence on NBA teams worth staying up for.
On this week's episode, Bob and Chris are back for another installment of "what have you been reading." Bob reads "(Earth), The" by Natalie Eilbert, Chris reads an excerpt from "They All Seemed Asleep" by Matthew Rohrer, and there's plenty of lighthearted discussion about climate change and antifascism.
This week, Bob and Chris continue their discussion of Tyehimba Jess's leadbelly. They talk how hard living and difficult conditions affects more than just the person doing the hard living, how exploitative academic study can be, and great moments in NBA labor history.
This week, Bob and Chris break down Tyehimba Jess's book "leadbelly," a poetic biography of the legendary bluesman. Bob reads "fanin street signifies" and "brownie and leadbelly: stipulations and apprenticeship," and the guys mispronounce the word "contrapuntal" a whole bunch.
This week, Bob and Chris continue their discussion of Ross Gay's book-length poem, Be Holding. The dudes cover how repetition can be an effective writer's tool, the dogwhistling early aughts sports writers did when talking about Allen Iverson, and the importance of being good to one another.
This week, Bob and Chris do a deep dive on Ross Gay's book-length poem, Be Holding. They discuss how Julius Erving is mystical, how being good is a daily practice, and which dunks we'd write book-length poems about.
This week, Bob and Chris are ecstatic to welcome Stephen J. Furlong to the show. Stephen reads "Delphiniums In A Window Box" by Dean Young, as well as his own poem "Most Days I Long To Be An Ampersand." Then the guys talk about how cool Keyon Dooling is and basketball players who have gone on to be writers and activists.
Stephen's twitter: https://twitter.com/StephenJFurlong
This week, Bob and Chris are thrilled to welcome Lyd Havens! The three discuss experimenting with form and the writing life. Lyd reads “Homewrecker” by Ocean Voung and their own poem “ChokeCherry." Plus, an exciting announcement!
Lyd's website: https://www.lydhavens.com/ Lyd's twitter: https://twitter.com/lydhavens
This week, Bob and Chris welcome Laura Villareal! Laura reads "After Love" by Miguel Hernandez, and the poets discuss words "not allowed" in poetry. Then they tackle the thorny nature of love-hate relationships in sports and arts.
Laura's website: https://www.lauravillareal.com Laura's chapbook: http://www.nostroviatowriting.com/uploads/9/0/3/8/9038323/cartography-of-sleep__online_pdf_.pdf Laura's twitter: https://twitter.com/earthandstars
On today's episode, Bob and Chris are thrilled to welcome Diannely Antigua! The three explore how poetry can connect disparate things, Diannely reads "Elegy" by Aracelis Girmay, and then the three talk about how rad Jaylen Brown is.
Diannely's book: https://www.yesyesbooks.com/product-page/ugly-music-by-diannely-antigua Diannely's website: https://diannelyantigua.com/ Diannely's twitter: https://twitter.com/nellfell13
On this week's episode, Bob and Chris ask why so many poets refer to their poems as self portraits. Bob reads "Self Portrait, 1969" by Frank Bidart, Chris reads by "Elegy for the Self Portrait" by Adam Clay, and then the dudes talk about getting dunked on.
Bob and Chris are back for Season 2! In this week's episode, Bob reads "All My Life Has Been a Costume Party" by Jessica Abughattas, Chris reads "Story In A White Diction" by Jaswinder Bolina, and then they talk about how weird watching basketball during a pandemic is.
On this week's episode, Bob and Chris are joined by longtime friend Adrian Sobol to discuss his book, The Life of the Party is Harder To Find Until You're the Last One Around, how jokes and poetry work in concert, and the later work of James Tate.
On this week's episode of The Line Break, Bob and Chris do another reading check-in. Bob reads "Anniversary" by Diannely Antigua, Chris reads the "September 5, 1996" entry from Joe Wenderoth's Letters To Wendy's collection, and then the guys discuss favorite and least favorite alternate NBA jerseys.
On this week's episode, Bob and Chris catch each other up on what they've been reading lately. Bob reads "Pokedex Entry #778: Mimikyu" by Marlin M. Jenkins, Chris reads "Petition To Get All White Girls To Stop Wearing Hoop Earrings" by Melissa Lozada-Oliva, and then the dudes talk about how basketball players evolve like Pokemon.
Today, Bob and Chris are joined by Brendan Johnson to discuss how religion and poetry intersect. The dudes talk about the difference between growing up Protestant in the Bible Belt vs. Catholic on the Left Coast, just how damn sad Job is Brendan reads an excerpt from "Sinners In the Hands Of An Angry God" by Jonathan Edwards, and which NBA player is the most cursed.
In perhaps the least spooky (but still bone-chilling) episode of Monster Month, Bob and Chris are talking magic! Bob reads "Song" by Brigit Pegeen Kelly, Chris reads “White Godiva Melts In a Mouthful of Blood: Prayer For My Unborn Daughter” by Alysia Nicole Harris, and then the dudes talk Hot Sauce and how weird it'd be to give Grant Hill a nickname.
On this week's episode, Bob and Chris are talking about art talking about art! How does thinking about other pieces of art help us write? How do different mediums inform each other? We'll talk movies, music, fiction, visual art, and of course poetry. Bob reads Chase Berggrun's "Chapter XII" (an erasure of Dracula), Chris reads Elizabeth Willis's "The Wolfman," and then the dudes discuss how monstrously inadequate their basketball games are.
Continuing October's series of spooky talks, Bob and Chris welcome Chloe N. Clark, author, co-EIC of Cotton Xenomorph, and professional Monster Theorist to discuss what makes a monster, monsters that deserve more representation, monsters we wouldn't mind turning into, and then the dudes clear out to the weakside and let Chloe talk about Rasheed Wallace.
It's October! This month Bob and Chris are talking all about friiiightfully scaaaarrrryyy poems. On today's episode, Bob reads "Ghost School" by Kim Hyesoon (translated from Korean by Don Mee Choi), Chris reads "What Would Kill Me" by Zachary Schomburg, and then the dudes talk about the possibility of getting dunked on by Shaq.
As a sequel to last week's episode, Bob and Chris discuss poems they think should be added to THE CANON. Bob reads "American Sonnet 66" by Wanda Coleman, Chris reads "The Singing Knives" by Frank Stanford, and then the dudes discuss Arvydas Sabonis and what the future would look like if the Shaq/Kobe Lakers only won one title.
This week, Bob and Chris dive into the Western poetry canon. Is it worth reading? We try to answer that question as vaguely as possible! Bob reads "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell, Chris reads a section of "Rime of The Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and then the dudes discuss which pre-NBA/ABA merger players they wish they could see more of
This week we check in on our reading habits. Bob reads “Thoughts While Taking Out the Trash” by Ariel Fransisco, Chris reads “How To Leave A Party” by Adrian Sobol, and then Chris has a reckoning with Jimmy Butler before the dudes wish Lamar Odom well.
Politics! That's right, we're breaking the third rail. Can poetry affect political imagination? We think so! Bob reads “The Master’s House” by Solmaz Sharif, Chris reads “I Walk Into Every Room and Yell Where The Mexicans At” by Jose Olivarez, and then the dudes celebrate the Milwaukee Bucks-led wildcat and the importance of specificity in language.
Basketball! On this week’s episode, Bob and Chris lean fully into their absurd love of basketball by reading poems about hoops. Bob reads “Mixology” by Adrian Matejka, Chris reads “windmill” by Kevin Coval and Idris Goodwin, and then the dudes discuss teams they’re excited about in the NBA playoffs (spoiler: it’s the Clippers). Special shoutouts: Natalie Diaz, Marissa Crane, Chris's dad, Charles Gabel, Kevin Weidner.
On this week’s episode, Bob and Chris scratch the gritty, dreamlike surface of Chicago’s literary tradition. Bob reads “Declaration” by Philip B. Williams, Chris reads “I Wasn’t in Grant Park when Obama Was elected” by Kevin Coval, then the dudes share some memories of hoops in Chicago while saluting the recently-departed Guthrie’s Tavern.
On this week’s episode, Bob and Chris celebrate all that is joyous about writing and reading. Is writing fun? Sometimes! Bob reads “Patience” by Ross Gay, Chris reads “I Won’t Lie This Plague of Gratitude” by Kaveh Akbar, and then the dudes talk about why basketball is very joyous, except when refs call 3 seconds on 11-year-olds.
On this week's episode, Bob and Chris discuss poetry in isolation. Bob reads "I Don't Miss It" by Tracy K. Smith, Chris reads an excerpt from Claudia Rankine's "Don't Let Me Be Lonely," and then they debate whether or not Blake Griffin counts as an iso-ball guy.
In episode four, Bob and Chris discuss prose poems! Bob reads “Even The Gods” by Nicole Sealey, Chris reads “The Monster Hour” by Zachary Schomburg. Later, the guys talk genre-bending NBA weirdos, including Joakim Noah, Brad Miller, and P.J. Tucker.
In episode three of The Line Break, Bob and Chris discuss that most poetic of topics: love. What is it, anyway? Do poets fall in love? We'll find out. Bob reads “Winter” by Chen Chen, Chris reads “Steps” by Frank O’Hara, and then they talk about basketball players they irrationally love, including John Stockton and Ray Allen, before Chris asserts that Karl Malone "signed with the Jazz in 2003."
On this episode of The Line Break, Chris and Bob talk about the last poems they read in the 2010s. Bob reads "To Live" by Ilya Kaminsky, Chris reads Eve Ewing's "Haibun for July 30," and then they make starting 5s of their favorite NBA players from the 2010s.
Welcome to The Line Break podcast. Each week, Bob and Chris will read you poems and talk about basketball. We hope you enjoy.
Music: Brendan Johnson Art: A.M. Strickland