How does she do it? Linda Bierds' best poems about historical figures--inventors, scientists, artists--hold an uncanny sense of discovery and inspiration so strong that I find myself holding my breath while reading.

Today's poem takes us back in time to the studio of the brilliant Italian sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

"Stroke" by Linda Bierds from her book First Hand

A good poet applying his pen and imagination to the inner life of historical figures...this is the human version of catnip for me. In his book A Companion for Owls, Kentucky poet Maurice Manning writes about the frontier life of Daniel and Rebecca Boone. The two poems in this episode are "Born Again" and "A Wife's Tale."

Back in episode 17 I shared and discussed "The Pupil" by Maurice Manning

Yes, one of these poems has already been featured on this podcast... but it's absolutely worth hearing again. And this time I got to yak about it a bunch. And read it again. And read a love poem. Enjoy! 

"What Work Is" by Philip Levine

Keith Hansen reads it wonderfully in Episode 63 https://takethispoem.podbean.com/e/episode-63-work-and-what-it-is/

"What I Didn't Know Before" by Ada Limon 

I had breath to spare and used it for poetry. And oh man, these are two good ones. 

"Winter Night" by Tomas Transtromer 

"Gnosis" by Eireann Lorsung

These poems, like elk, have some muscle and mystery to them. The trio is brought to us by Dave Mehler:

"Elk in the Field" by Michael McGriff

"Bull Elk in October River" by Chris Dombrowski

"Pat Describes an Elk Bugling" by Dave Mehler

Dave's poem that he reads was published (along with two others he wrote) in  The Red Wheelbarrow Anthology #15 

https://redwheelbarrowpoets.org/2022/10/09/the-red-wheelbarrow-15-is-ready-to-order-online/

These two poems by George Bilgere made me snicker. Doesn't eel jerky sound kinda good? I'd try it. 

"Facetime in Covidtime"

"Mystery of Jerky" 

I was delighted to receive this recording from a college classmate of yore who has since gone on to become the kind of math professor who starts his classes with passages of TS Eliot.  

Tom Clark reads and reflects on Scott Cairn's poem "Possible Answers to Prayer". 

Dave Mehler-- the local poet and friend I interviewed in episodes 12 and 45-- takes the mic today to read from Chris Dombrowski's book "Ragged Anthem". 

Dombrowski is a northwesterner, outdoorsman, and teacher as well as poet, and his slim book is one that you might need to add to your library. 

I'm back after summer break for a little chat, a promise of what's to come, and of course a poem.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/55500/during-the-second-world-war-

"Finding a Teacher" by W.S. Merwin