Poetry Says
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
Ep 100. Louise Carter interviews Alice Allan
16 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Through making 100 episodes of Poetry Says Iâve had the chance to talk to almost 50 poets from Australia and elsewhere about how they work and the p...
Ep 99. I made 99 episodes of a poetry podcast
03 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hereâs what I learned.
Ep 98. Jeanine Leane: Education, representation and unasked questions
19 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Talking with Jeanine Leane gave me so much to think about. We covered what it was like to study and write in Canberra in the 1980s, the role of writin...
Ep 97. What makes poets lucky
06 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
My favourite poem â ever â is Dorothy Porterâs âLuckyâ. In this episode I talk about why it matters so much to me and what it is to have som...
Ep 96. Eddie Paterson: The trashy and the profound
22 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
âŠI kind of wish Iâd written Eddie Patersonâs Redactor. There. Now you know. In this episode I get to hear about how Eddie made this hilarious an...
Ep 95. OâHara on his way to work
08 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
I finally get it. The OâHara thing. Walking to Work â a strange, broken poem full of dismissiveness and resolve â has finally won me over. Show ...
Ep 94. Claire Albrecht: Boosh at the End of the World
24 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This didnât feel like my first conversation with Newcastle poet Claire Albrecht. We started out with The Mighty Boosh and Atwood, moved on to Claire...
Ep 93. David Brooks: Insomnia and wild ducks
11 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
David Brooksâ The Balcony was one of the first poetry books I truly connected with. In this episode I look closer at two of his poems and draw some ...
Ep 92. Adam Ford: âAnd are you proud of me?â
24 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
âFuck you Adam Fordâ is a tough way to introduce yourself to your favourite poet. But thatâs what my cousin, Bridget Mackey, ended up doing. Thi...
Ep 91. Kate Lilleyâs anti-pastoral
10 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
To kick off Poetry Says for 2019 I take a look at Kate Lilleyâs âPastoralâ â a funny, biting poem about maths class, movies and refusing to w...
Ep 90. A poem for broken friendships
18 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Iâve been looking for John Russell McCarthyâs Friendship Broken for a while now. It reads more like Luke Davies that something published in 1938. ...
Ep 89. Thirteen Ways of Looking at a List Poem
04 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I love a good list poem. I canât define them. Stevens is probably a bad example. But Iâm going to start there anyway. Show notes Wallace Stevens:Â ...
Ep 88. Joel Deane on writing, not writing, and life after breaking point
19 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Joel Deane writes poetry, fiction and non-fiction. In this conversation, Joel and I talk honestly about the place of poetry in between the commitments...
Ep 87. Sylvia Plath, beekeeper
05 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Five months before her death, Sylvia Plath wrote to her mother that her bee sequence included âthe best poems of my lifeâ. But these arenât the...
Ep 86. A.J. Carruthers on sound poetry and experimentalism
23 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I suspect this chat with A.J. Carruthers about experimental poetry in Australia will kick start your next poem. We cover a lot of ground, from defini...
Ep 85. Paterson, Williams and women
09 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
My incredibly late take on the movie Paterson and a look at Paterson, the poem. Does it matter that William Carlos Williamsâ women are often mere...
Ep 84. Petra White on the Bible and the office
25 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I spoke with Petra White as she was preparing to leave Melbourne for London about her books Reading for a Quiet Morning (GloriaSMH Press, 2017) and A ...
Ep. 83 Two not quite love poems
11 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Maybe itâs just me, but I think thereâs some overlap between Ashberyâs Some Trees David Herdâs 3 notes towards a love song (from his book All...
Ep 82. Grant Caldwell on âI am not the trick of the flowerâ
27 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Iâve been on Grant Caldwellâs trail since I came across his poem âI am not the trick of the flowerâ over a decade ago. In this episode I tra...
Ep 81. Poetry mentors, poetry friends
13 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Writing poetry shouldnât be a âsolitary pursuitâ. Hereâs how I finally found a poetry mentor, why the mentor-mentee relationship is valuable (...
Ep. 80 Louise Carter: Totem vs. Interferon Psalms
31 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I first spoke to Sydney poet Louise Carter about Luke Davies two years ago. Since then weâve talked imposter syndrome and had many a cathartic poet...
Ep 79. A Horatian Ode for gin drinkers
16 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I stumbled on J.D. McClatchyâs Late Night Ode very much by chance, but now it feels essential to me. It turns out itâs a Horatian ode about gett...
Ep 78. Lisa Gorton on Marianne Moore
03 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What more can I say? Having this chat was a long-held dream come true. Listen as poet and novelist Lisa Gorton puts Mooreâs poetic career in a broad...
Ep 77. Notes from a writing retreat
19 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
At the end of May I had the chance to spend a full six days away from home at a writing retreat, working on poems. Hereâs what I want to tell you ab...
Ep 76. Will Druce with your Lorca 101
05 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Latin American poetry is so vast and overwhelming! I donât know where to start! Yep. But Will Druce is here with a rough guide to Federico GarcĂa...
Ep 75. When Rumi is absolutely no help
17 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Which poet is there for you when life gets particularly strange? Sorry Rumi, but itâs not you. Lately Iâve had cause to go back to Gertrude Stein...
Ep 74. Geraldine Burrowes on Michael Farrell and Claire Gaskin
07 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Geraldine Burrowes came to poetry later in life from the world of visual art. We met in her beautiful apartment and talked about two poets who were in...
Ep 73. Inside a poetry workshop II: Erasure, cut-ups and villanelles
26 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Itâs a good day when you get to sit around a table with some friends and write something surprising. Hereâs what happened when we tried our hands ...
Ep 72. Anupama Pilbrow on the moments in between
16 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Anupama Pilbrow is co-editor at The Suburban Review and the author of Body Poems, just out from Vagabond Press. We recorded this conversation as Anupa...
Ep 71. Writing an Easter sestina
05 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What happened when I had four days off and decided to try to write a long poem. Show notes The Ode Less Travelled by Stephen Fry How to write a sestin...
Ep 70. Claire Gaskin on Gig Ryan
27 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sitting at Claire Gaskinâs kitchen table, I finally got to thank her for the ideas and poems she shared at a reading at Some Velvet Morning back in ...
Ep 69. Happy Birthday, Ern
18 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Ern Malley continues to be a made up person. So why did we celebrate his birthday this week? And why do Australian poets keep talking about him? I tak...
Ep 68. Ali Alizadeh on power, influence, anxiety and hope
06 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I still remember buying a copy of Ali Alizadehâs Ashes in the Air and the immediate effect the book had on me. In this interview Ali looks back on w...
Ep 67. There will be time (Iâm pretty sure)
25 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Time and I are not friends. Sometimes we have massive fights. Usually I donât win. But poems help. Show notes The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by...
Ep 66. What we read last summer
14 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
If youâre a fan of Chat 10 Looks 3 (which you should be) youâll enjoy this episode. Prolific poet and reviewer Maggie Ball and I catch up to talk ...
Ep 65. Poems of solitary delights
05 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Weâre back for 2018! Iâm starting the year off by going way back to 19th Century Japan and Tachibana Akemiâs Poems of Solitary Delights, then f...
Ep 64. Stuart Cookeâs Opera
14 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Stuart Cookeâs Opera is one of those books thatâs changed my understanding of what a poetry collection can do. (It also includes one of my favouri...
Ep 63. Ed Tato on poems that must be spoken
05 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Talking with Ed Tato reminded me how many rooms there are to discover in the house of poetry. We go from Ulysses to Kansas to a workshop with Mary Kar...
Ep 62. Amanda Anastasi on poetry at the mic
27 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
After finally getting up to read at Owl and Cat, I was lucky enough to have Amanda Anastasi around to chat about all things open mic, the highs and lo...
Ep 61. Dave Drayton on PMs and poetry demo tapes
16 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Dave Drayton joins me to chat about his recent book P(oe)Ms, the role of constraint, productive and preventative barriers in writing, and some of the...
Ep 60. John Blightâs old-school advice for Aussie poets
06 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Iâve gradually discovered that Great Uncle Jack Blight was a poet with something to say (and more than a few books under his belt). I delve into his...
Ep 59. The Melinda Bufton mixtape
26 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Set up your tea/biscuits/wine/other treats because this chat with Melinda Bufton is cosy and joyful. Within the first 10 minutes weâve covered perfo...
Ep 58. On not writing
17 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This episode comes to you from a messy desk, sandwiched between items on a long to-do list and a mostly blocked out calendar. Iâm sure youâre fami...
Ep 57. Audenâs secret Berlin Journal and poems that fall apart
06 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Iâve been trying to write a poem in response to Auden for about four years. Itâs not going well. So I thought Iâd talk to you about the ideas Iâ...
Ep 56. Getting published.
26 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Past guest Sean Wright joins us again this week to talk about the process of getting his first collection published (!) along with navigating the wor...
Ep 55. Ashberyâs autobiography (in 14 lines)
18 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Ashberyâs poem âYour name hereâ has been pinned up in my office for almost a decade now. Reading it again in light of his passing, I saw another...
Ep 54. Alistair Baldwin on comedy, permission and Milligan
07 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Can poets learn something from the world of improv? After chatting with Alistair Baldwin Iâm more convinced than ever that the best elements of poe...
Ep 53. Joanne Kyger is afraid (but also funny)
27 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Feeling a little sketchy, I went back to Joanne Kygerâs On Time, which led me to a poem about why calendars can be so very scary. Show notes I am af...
Ep 53. Steve Wasserman on Wallace Stevens and poetic medicine
18 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
UK-based psychotherapist Steve Wasserman sees poetry as having a kind of medicinal power, especially when memorised. We chat about using memorisation ...
Ep 52. Inside a poetry workshop
08 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Would you let a mic into your poetry workshop? Sydney poets Benjamin Dodds and Mran-Maree Laing were brave enough to let me record while we workshop...
Ep 51. Toby Fitch on Rimbaudâs Bloominâ Notions
30 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Grab yourself a beverage, pull up a chair and listen in as I ask Toby Fitch to help me understand Rimbaud, figure out where the keys to poetry are hid...
Ep 50. âAll the practice you get makes you better.â
18 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
For my 50th episode I wanted to talk about how I got started with this podcast, which took me back to a pretty painful decision point in my life. Thes...
Ep 49. Gemma Mahadeo on Ted Hughes and Fred DâAguiar
09 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In an episode that spans countries, languages and histories, Melbourne poet Gemma Mahadeo shares the poem Calypso History Lesson from Fred DâAguia...
Ep 48. Benjamin Solah on spoken word in Melbourne
28 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Benjamin Solah can recite a calendar of upcoming spoken word gigs from memory. We talk about what spoken word actually is (or might be), whether there...
Ep 47. Jack Spicer channels the Martians
19 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Can poems really be âdictatedâ from somewhere outside the poet? Or is this just a slice of California woo? In his 1965 lecture series Jack Spicer ...
Ep 46. Imposter syndrome
08 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Louise Carter and I get real about feeling like frauds. Why do poets sometimes end up with whatâs known as âimposter syndromeâ? And can we get p...
Bonus: The day after reading that difficult poemâŠ
31 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
I check back in with Eleanor 24 hours after we finished our recording about Emily Berryâs The End. What did she learn? How did she feel? We chat abo...
Ep 45. Getting into poetry: Reading a âdifficultâ poem for the first time
29 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Are poets who write âdifficultâ poems being intentionally obtuse? Are they trying to hide something? How on earth do you approach poems like these...
Ep 44. Anne Carson visits Bronte, post-breakup
17 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Anne Carsonâs shapeshifting long poem The Glass Essay exists somewhere between lyric, confessional and narrative. The deeper we get into it, the les...
Ep 43. Teaching poetry to kids: From bush ballads to YouTube
07 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Did studying poetry at school spark your interest or leave you cold? In this episode I chat with my sister-in-law Terri â a Leading Teacher in a K...
Ep 42. Alan Wearne on Frank Stanford
26 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Talking with Alan Wearne felt like taking a poetry masterclass. The poet Alan chose was Arkansas land surveyor and prolific writer Frank Stanford, wh...
Ep 41. The unknown poet of Malvern
17 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Even the editors of poetry anthologies feel uncomfortable about the format at times. Iâve now discovered thereâs at least one poet, maybe still...
Ep 40. Ellen OâBrienâs poem for late night Google searches
06 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
As a First Nations poet, Ellen OâBrien says Alison Whittakerâs poem âWilli Willi Will Iâ from Lemons in the Chicken Wire speaks directly to...
Ep 39. Rhea Bhagat on Dubai and Robin Coste Lewis
27 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
I had a lot of fun talking with Melbourne-based writer and spoken word artist Rhea Bhagat for this episode on Robin Coste Lewisâs poem On the Roa...
Ep 38. To get the news from poems
16 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
âIt is difficult to get the news from poems yet men die every day for lack of what is found there.â A few thoughts on poetry and the news along wi...
Ep 37. Magdalena Ball on Samuel Wagan Watson
07 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Compulsive reader (and ModPo classmate) Magdalena Ball chats with me about the event that stopped her latest novel in its tracks and resulted in her ...
Ep 36. Poetry basics: It doesnât even rhyme!
27 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
People have complicated feelings about rhyme. Today Iâm looking at seven types of rhyme based on Poetry Foundationâs glossary to see how cringewo...
Ep 35. Corey Wakeling: Having fun with the ANZAC
20 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Two larrikins asking what youâre into, Merlions toasting at your table, a pig showing off â Australia is pretty hilarious when you think about it...
Ep 34. Poetry basics: Got rhythm?
14 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
When my friend asked me to explain how rhythm works in poetry I thought Iâd have no troubleâŠuntil I opened my poetry encyclopedia. Show notes The ...
Ep 33. Jessica Wilkinson on poetic biography
06 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How do you tell a life story through a poem? For Jessica Wilkinson, poetry can go much further than straightforward biography. In this interview she ...
Ep 32. Cid Cormanâs poetry of blank spaces
30 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Cid Corman isnât afraid to ask unanswerable questions or to leave most of a page blank. In todayâs episode heâs asking the question straight up...
Ep 31. Robin Wallace-Crabbe: âArt can be a lot of funâ
23 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Robin Wallace-Crabbe describes himself as âa dear little old manâ but Iâm sure you wonât be fooled by that for long. Welcome back to Poetry Sa...
Ep 30. A restless Christmas
20 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In my final episode before taking a Christmas break I invite you to be part of the show in 2017 and to check out this close reading of Charles Bern...
Ep 29. âThis is what happens when you cease your management.â
13 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A little more Maggie Nelson for you today to follow on from my chat with Tricia Dearborn. Molly Silverstein brings us The Mute Story of November, anot...
Ep 28. Poetry spoilers
06 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In todayâs episode you get to hear how Judi Dench says the word âpoetryâ, Kelsey Grammer butchering Tennyson, everyone piling on e e cummings...
Ep 27. Tricia Dearborn on relaxing about writing
28 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Talking to Tricia Dearborn was a really good reality check for a stress bunny writer like myself. We covered everything from routine to writing ...
Ep 26. R D Wood on the possibility of Australia
21 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
R D Wood spoke to me from his vantage point in Kerala about the idea of Australia, the house of poetry, the ethics of being a writer and whether poli...
Ep 25. An Australian in New York
14 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Reeling from the US election while in New York City, I reflect on the poems, books and poetic communities that suddenly became essential this week: J...
Ep 24. Rob Wilson on poetically killing the PM
07 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Rob Wilsonâs Free Will and the Clouds received plenty of love when it came out, for good reason. Today I chat with Rob about how he comes up with h...
Ep 23. Jill Jones gets back to work
31 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Jill Jones describes herself as a âpoet person living quietly in Adelaideâ. Today I look into her poem Back at work after the flu (from her 199...
Ep 22. R. A. Villanueva: chance, race and games
24 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A thought-provoking chat with R.A. Villanueva, author of Reliquaria, after weâd seen some fantastic readings at National Poetry Day Live. We cover...
Ep 21. Adrienne Richâs anger and tenderness
18 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
âShe got swept too far. She deliberately made herself ugly and wrote those extreme and ridiculous poems.â Adrienne Rich lived enough for at least...
Ep 20. Sophie Mayer on the interconnectedness of everything
11 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A few weeks ago I went along to the Free Verse Poetry Book Fair and saw the panel âPoetry and Politicsâ with Choman Hardi, WN Herbert, RA Villan...
Ep 19. Hannah Gamble and the bear of secret desires
27 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today I dive into my favourite poem from the last five years: Hannah Gambleâs funny and haunting Growing a Bear. I also detour into a classic Ca...
Ep. 18 SB Wright on dedicating a year to poetry
20 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week South Australian poet SB Wright gets real about the fact that perfect poetry doesnât happen the moment the pen hits the page. Seanâ...
Ep 17. Approaching Olena: A minor poet?
13 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A grab-bag of thoughts about the awe-inspiring (but not at all intimidating) Olena Kalytiak Davis and my ideas on how to approach a poet/poem for the...
Ep. 16 Benjamin Dodds on the joy of surreal, skewed poetry
06 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week I had fun chatting to Sydney-based poet Benjamin Dodds, author of Regulator published by Puncher and Wattman. We get a window into his curr...
Ep 15. Getting into poetry: 5 starting points
30 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week Iâm attempting to answer a listener question: How do I get into poetry? Poems in this weekâs episode: Stopping by woods on a snowy even...
Ep 14. Lisa Brockwell on âgirlhood as a place of strengthâ
23 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week I got to talk with Lisa Brockwell about three poems that play with the theme of âthe girl in the poet and the poet in the girlâ. We ...
Ep 13. Edward Thomas: Remembering and misremembering
16 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week I make a case for the short WWI poem Adelstrop by Edward Thomas. Then things get a little experimental as I try to answer the question: How...
Ep 12. Robbie Coburn on banned books, Larkin, Pi O and poetry addiction
09 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
You might already know Robbie Coburn as co-host of the fantastic Australian Poetry Podcast (a must listen for AusPo fans). Today Robbie tells us ...
Ep. 11 Stuart Barnes on Harwood, Plath, centos and Glasshouses
02 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In todayâs bumper episode I get to have an in-depth chat with Queensland-based poet Stuart Barnes. We cover how he came to poetry through none oth...
Ep 10. Ted Berrigan: Poem as photo album
27 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The wonderful PoemTalk podcast tackled Ted Berriganâs 3 Pages back in 2008. For this episode, Iâm jumping in with my own interpretation of this ...
Ep. 9 Loma writes for Orlando, Whitman speaks through time
20 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Since reading All the dead boys look like me, a poem for Orlando by Christopher Soto (aka Loma), Iâve understood the tragedy that happened there in...
Ep 8. Louise Carter on Duffy, Davies, doubt and humour
12 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
I had a blast talking to Sydney-based poet Louise Carter today about UK poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy and Australian poet Luke Davies. We cover every...
Ep 7. Michele Seminara on Bishop: The internal battle
06 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week I got to talk to Australian poet Michele Seminara about Elizabeth Bishopâs mysterious, insistent poem Giant Snail. (Bishopâs One Art an...
Ep 6. Judith Wright: When your conscience catches up with you
29 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
âAppreciation of poetry, one out of 10 or whatever it might be, is quite alien to what a poet feels about poetry.â So says Judith Wright, a poet ...
Ep 5. Basho: Itâs ok to fail at mindfulness
22 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
If the proliferation of posters, t-shirts, mugs and grocery bags urging you towards âmindfulnessâ is starting to grate, 17th century haiku master ...
Ep 4. Cristina Haraba on Eminescu: Bohemian? Conservative? Buddhist?
15 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
At first, Romaniaâs national poet Mihai Eminescu seems like your standard tragic Romantic poet. But as Cristina Haraba explains, heâs much actua...
Ep 3. Jane Kenyon: Happiness is a sly dog
08 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Happiness was part of my life for years before I took the time to understand the poet who wrote it. Now itâs an even closer friend. Definitely read...