Lit from the Basement

Danielle and Max slam the door on 2018 by reading Naomi Shihab Nye's poems "Kindness" and "Burning the Old Year." Talking points include the new year, empathy, cruelty, and metaphorical landscapes.

For this Christmas week, Danielle introduces Max to Mark Doty's Visitation. Talking points include the holidays, the Christmas Whale, and complicated joy.

Danielle and Max celebrate the 2018 winter solstice by reading Paisley Rekdal's “Nightingale." Talking points include handling a rude guest lecturer, John Keats, Odysseus/Ulysses, dwelling in doubt, and autolysis.

Danielle introduces Max to the poet Kaveh Akbar with the poem “Portrait of the Alcoholic Floating in Space with Severed Umbilicus.” Topics include addiction, the sublime, and why we love people in recovery.

Danielle shares the poem “Visions and Interpretations” by Li-Young Lee with Max. Topics touched upon include elegies, miscommunications, and Mercury in retrograde.

Danielle shares Hannah Dow's poem "What is the Body" from her debut collection Rosarium with Max. Topics touched upon include René Descartes, nesting instincts. and tape worms.

Danielle shares Natalie Diaz’s poem “I Watch Her Eat the Apple” with Max... who gets the poem very, very, very wrong. Topics include Thanksgiving, Oedipus, and some ugly facts about the Pilgrims.

Danielle shares Brenda Shaughnessy’s brutally clever poem “Drift” with Max. Topics touched upon include metaphysical poets, paradox, and staying in bad relationships.