The Poets Weave

Eric Rensberger grew up in Elkhart County, Indiana and has lived in the Bloomington area since 1979. In childhood he knew he wanted to be a poet, but it took him a while to figure out what that meant in practice: mainly making mistakes and starting over. 

He has been published in journals and anthologies and has participated with enthusiasm in self-published projects. He has a large collection of his work on his website at ericrensbergerpoetry.net. In 2025, he published a volume of selected poems, Notes To Self.

On this edition of the Poets Weave, Eric reads “A Return,” “Clutter,” “3/10/14,” and “A Cursing.”

From her book Glass Jaw, poet Raisa Tolchinsky reads "Bless the Boxing Ring," "Carmen," "Melissa," and "Jess."

“Poetry is a language of imagination, which is world-building. To imagine, to act on imagination, to choose to create instead of mimicking ways of communicating, takes courage.” — Raisa Tolchinsky

Raisa is the author of Glass Jaw, a poetry collection about the world of women’s boxing. Her work has appeared in Boston Review, Kenyon Review, and elsewhere.

She holds degrees from the University of Virginia and Harvard Divinity School. In 2025-2026, she served as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Indiana University.

Writer Alyse Knorr reads her poem from her book Ardor: “Post-Partum,” “Incompleteness Theorem,” “Eclipse,” and “Ode.”

Alyse Knorr is the author of six poetry collections and two video game history books. Her lyrics have been performed at Carnegie Hall and her poetry is permanently installed on a wall of the New York City Public Library's East Harlem branch. She serves as an associate professor of English at Regis University.

Born and raised in Chicago, Janine Harrison is the author of Turning 50 on El Camino de Santiago, Weight of Silence, and If We Were Birds. Her work has appeared in Veils, Halos, Not Like the Rest of Us, Gyroscope Review, and Shackles: International Poetry on the Oppression and Empowerment of Women.

Janine lives in Highland, Indiana, and is a former Highland Poet Laureate.

On this edition of the Poets Weave, Janine Harrison reads an excerpt from her work "Seven Gen."

Allie Rigby reads "Nominare," "Signal," "Moonscape for a Child," "Mouse Fear," and "Gretel."

“So much of my writing life, I’m discovering, is about loosening what I know, or what I think I know.” –Ross Gay

Allie has roots in the chaparral and deserts of California. She is the author of Moonscape for a Child, published by Bored Wolves in 2024, and she’s a recipient of a Fulbright grant to Romania. Her writing explores health, climate change, ecology, and community, and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2020.

Peter Kaczmarczyk reads his poems “A Home For Jim’s Zombies” and “Mood For A Day.”

Peter was raised in Massachusetts and now resides in Indiana. His writing is assisted by cats, who think they can write better than him by walking across the keyboard. Sometimes they do. Peter has published three chapbooks and one full length book, More Than a Whisper.

Colleen Wells is a Bloomington, Indiana-based author who believes writing is a healing force, and helps others feel empowered to share their stories. Among her publishing credits is the memoir, Dinner with Doppelgangers, and two poetry chapbooks, Animal Magnetism and Around the Bend. She is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist candidate.

Colleen reads her poems “Hello, Walls,” “What it is,” “Reframing,” “The Wisdom of Fifty-one,” and “Checklist.” 

Mary Dezember reads her poems " Wild Conviction Epigraph: Poem 1" and "Poetry within the story: Poems 2-4" from her novel, Wild Conviction.

Mary is an award-winning author of stories and poetry as portals to possibilities. While earning her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature at Indiana University, she directed the Runcible Spoon Poetry Series. Professor Emeritus of English at New Mexico Tech, Mary was awarded a writer’s residency at the Historic Santa Fe Foundation in 2025.

Her books include Earth-Marked Like You (Published by Sunstone Press), Still Howling (CreateSpace Independent Publishing), and Wild Conviction, (Brilliant Moon Press).

The poems Mary reads on this edition of the Poets Weave are from her novel, Wild Conviction. Gold Winner of the 2024 Human Relations Indie Book Awards, Historical Realistic Fiction.

Writer Alyse Knorr reads from her book Wolf Tours, a surrealist novel-in-verse: “Day One,” “Wolf Tours Rules,” “Hunting Lesson,” and “Gratuity Not Included.”

Alyse is the author of six poetry collections and two video game history books. Her lyrics have been performed at Carnegie Hall and her poetry is permanently installed on a wall of the New York City Public Library's East Harlem branch. She serves as an associate professor of English at Regis University.

Antonia Matthew grew up in England during World War II and has lived in Bloomington, Indiana since 1968. She has been a member of the writing group "Five Women Poets" since 1974, which has published three chapbooks and one CD.

She has published a chapbook, Journey, and written a play, Antonia’s Home Front, a transatlantic audio theater co-production of Political Art, London and the Writers Guild of Bloomington. It premiered on WFHB’s Fireside Theatre, October 9th, 2022. Antonia is a member of the Bloomington Writers Guild.

Antonia "Poetry Reading in a gallery," "Art in the pulmonary disease waiting room," "Voice," and "Desert under a Full Moon."