Episode 137: Collective Effervescence (ENCORE)

While we're on AWP hiatus, we’re bringing back an encore episode of the Slush Pile. Listen to Episode 137, Collective Effervescence, where we dive into poems by Han VanderHart.

If you want to hear more of their work, Han will be reading at the Virginia Festival of the Book the weekend after this episode drops.

Info about festival : https://vahumanities.cventevents.com/event/bookfest/summary?session=397b14b2-a8e5-46e5-97ab-05730c0f5466

Don’t be jelly, but we’re having a blast with three poems from the poet Han VanderHart in this episode! You can join in on the fizzing of our collective effervescence by just tuning in. We find the conversation naturally turning towards John Berger’s Ways of Seeing, taking in the pipe as a fairly recent newcomer as a punctuation mark in poetry, and the concept of absolute zero, alongside much, much more. Poetic themes of truth, love, and the power of “No” sit at the center of our conversation. Oh, and Marion deftly keeps Kathy in the conversation when technology unexpectedly steals her voice! (Be sure to check out the painting Truth Coming Out of Her Well, the inspiration for the first poem, an ekphrastic, that we discuss. It’s a painting that has inspired some cool tattoo art!)

At the table: Marion Wrenn, Kathleen Volk Miller, Jason Schneiderman, Divina Boko, Lisa Zerkle, Dagne Forrest, Lillie Volpe (sound engineer)

Han VanderHart grew up on a small-scale farm in Virginia, and now lives in North Carolina, under the pines with their long term partner, two children, four cats, two dogs, and a Diva koi Beta fish named Caroline (long I). Their favorite flower is all of them, with the exception of the gerber daisy, which looks fake. Han is the author of Larks (Ohio, 2025) and What Pecan Light (BCP, 2021), and hosts Of Poetry Podcast and co-edits River River Books with Amorak Huey.

Insta: @han.vanderhart

Bluesky: @hanvanderhart.bsky.social

Website: hanvanderhart.com