04.18.2021 - By Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler
Your Hosts: Mary Robinette, Dan, Amal, and Howard
How does a poem happen?
Absent an external structure, what makes a thing a poem?
The key word in that question may be "external," because ultimately the poem on the page will be the implicit definition of its own structure—even if it borrows a "non-poetic" structure from another form.
Structure is as structure does. "Unstructured" is just a way to say "I am unfamiliar with this structure," or maybe "I don't believe that this structure is fit for poetry."
And that might be a thing you are currently saying. After all, "blog post describing a podcast episode" is definitely a structure.
Does the embracing of that structure make this thing into a poem?
If this thing is a poem, how did that happen?
Liner Notes:
* "Girl Hours" by Sofia Samatar (via Stone Telling magazine),
* "The Hill We Climb," by Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman (YouTube from the Biden/Harris Inauguration)
Credits: This episode was recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Our Sponsors:
* Check out : betterhelp.com/WX
* Check out rosettastone.com/today to get 50% off Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership! Use our code TODAY for a limited time.
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy