Continuing our April theme of talking with poets and artists about the role of art in times of political turmoil, today host Ali Muldrow is joined by three local poets in the studio to talk about their craft and their work in the community.

juj e lepe, Jonny Teklit, and Andrew Chi Keong Yim talk about the competitiveness and performance of slam poetry, how art takes on a greater meaning in moments of social and political upheaval, how to address both human rights violations and joy within their craft, and the storytelling of astrology. All three poets are focused on writing poetry about their families and they share selections of their poetry on air. As they are all poised to graduate this May, they amplify each others’ work with tenderness and humor.

juj e lepe is a first generation Mexican-American poet from Stockton, California. Their poetry has appeared in Poetry Northwest, Harbor Review, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. They are currently an MFA candidate at UW-Madison. 

Jonny Teklit is an award-winning poet whose work has appeared in The Academy of American Poets, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Adroit Journal, and elsewhere. He is currently a second-year MFA candidate at the University of Wisconsin–Madison where he is working on his debut collection. He has an animal fact for any occasion.

Andrew Chi Keong Yim was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. He was awarded the 2024 New Voices Award in Poetry from Washington Square Review, selected by Terrance Hayes. His poetry has appeared in Best New Poets 2024, 32 Poems, Washington Square Review, Bat City Review, and AAWW’s The Margins. He has been a public school teacher in Boston and New York City, and has taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and with the Wisconsin Prison Humanities Project.

Featured image: photo of host Ali Muldrow with juj e lepe, Jonny Teklit, and Andrew Chi Keong Yim outside the WORT station by Sara Gabler/WORT.

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