Breaking Form: a Poetry and Culture Podcast

Aaron and James interview Miguel Murphy, author of 3 books of poetry who teaches at Santa Monica College. Miguel reads and discusses his poems "A Love Like Auto-Sodomy" and "Greg Louganis." We discuss queer subjectivity and the notion of the reader.Miguel Murphy's most recent book, Shoreditch, can be purchased through Barrow Street.You can check out more of his work here.Or buy his books at Loyalty Bookstore.*Greg Louganis is an Aquarius and an American Olympic diver. He won gold medals at the 1984 and '88 Summer Olympic Games. He is the only man and the second diver in Olympic history to sweep the diving events in consecutive Olympic Games. He has been called both "the greatest American diver" and "probably the greatest diver in history."*We reference the title poem of Adrienne Rich's Diving Into the Wreck and you can read that poem here.

What happens when a voice is silenced? Who holds power to account for itself?Some support & info resources:The Trevor Project:https://www.thetrevorproject.org/BIPOC mental health resources:https://www.thementalhealthcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/BIPOC-Mental-Health-Resources.pdfNational Alliance on Mental Illness: https://www.nami.org/Support-EducationNational Mental Health Association (Mental Health America), including phone line & chat:https://www.mhanational.org/finding-helpCarl Phillips’s poem “All the Love You’ve Got” can be read here.: https://poets.org/poem/all-love-youve-gotAaron Smith’s poem “Shallow” was published in Allium & can be read here: https://allium.colum.edu/fall-2021-poetry-1/aaron-smith

Is it REALLY good? Or is it merely tongue-in-the-butt good? Heart's official website is here. Listen to the vocals-only Heart cover version of "Alone" here. Ann Wilson sings lead; sister Nancy sings backup.Ann and Nancy's rift formed in 2016. You can read more about it here (CW: physical assault).You can see Frank Bidart read from Half-Light for the 92nd Y here (~30 min)

The Art of Daring to be Flawless: Is it Carl Phillips or Philip Seymour Hoffman? The answer will surprise you!Buy Carl Phillips's incredible books (including his newest book, Then the War: New and Selected Poems) at Loyalty Books, a terrific Black-owned bookstore in DC.Carl Phillips Bio:Born on July 23, 1959 in Everett, Washington, Carl Phillips is the author most recently of Then the War (Feb 1, 2022) and of Pale Colors in a Tall Field (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2020). He has been a finalist for the National Book Award three times (for Speak Low, The Rest of Love, and From the Devotions) and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award (for Cortège). His awards include the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award (for The Tether), the Thom Gunn Award for Gay Male Poetry, the 2006 Academy of American Poets Fellowship, an Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Pushcart Prize, the Academy of American Poets Prize, induction into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the Library of Congress. Phillips served as a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets from 2006 to 2012. He is Professor of English at Washington University in St. Louis. Carl Phillips's poems have  been chosen eight times for the annual Best American Poetry series.You can follow Carl on Instagram @ pinestereo (where he also sometimes does a very popular and fun cooking show!) Phillips is also the author of two book of prose on poetry: Coin of the Realm: Essays on the Art and Life of Poetry (Graywolf Press, 2004) The Art of Daring: Risk, Restlessness, and Imagination (Graywolf, 2014)Philip Seymour Hoffman was born on July 23, 1967 in Fairpoint, NY. He was nominated three times for Academy Awards as Best Supporting Actor: as a priest under suspicion of sexual predation in Doubt (2008); as a C.I.A. agent in Charlie Wilson's War (2007); and as a  cult leader in The Master (2012). He won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of the titular character in Capote (2005).See Carl talk about and read from his new book, Then the War, released with Carcanet Press in the UK and FSG in the US, on YouTube here. See Carl Phillips read his poem "Dirt Being Dirt" here (~3 min). Watch Sumita Chakraborty reads Phillips's poem "As From a Quiver of Arrows" here (~3 min).Carl Phillips interviewed by Ron Charles @ The Washington Post (1 hour). Watch this interview with PSH ("Philip Seymour Hoffman: A Life in Pictures" from the BAFTA Archives) here. (~30min)

Take The Fleabag Quiz! Can you top James (yes) or Aaron? Plus 901 sex tips for the fleabaggot on the move.You can read an interview conducted by Tina Fey with Phoebe Waller-Bridge here. You can watch a clip of Fleabag's stage show here. (~2 min.)While it appears the stage version of Fleabag is not still available on Amazon Prime in the U.S., here's "Six things to know about the original play."Watch "73 Questions with Phoebe Waller-Bridge" (Vogue's Q&A series), where she answers questions about the origins of Fleabag, the difference between American and British humor, and her summary of Killing Eve ("murder, murder, HAIR").

The queens revisit Lucille Clifton's poem "won’t you celebrate with me." Then the queens are NOT. HAVING. IT. with misogyny in an Anthony Hecht poem. Consider supporting and shopping at Loyalty Bookstores, a black-owned DC-area independent bookstore. You can listen to Lucille Clifton read "won't you celebrate with me" here (the text of the poem is available with the audio; ~1 min). Read more here about The Clifton House. Writers and artists interested in participating and developing Clifton House programs may contact Sidney Clifton at cliftonhousebaltimore@gmail.com Watch Lucille Clifton read "Sorrows" and "What Haunts Him" at the 2008 Dodge Poetry Festival (~2.5 min)The title of the new selected poems is How to Carry Water, Selected Poems of Lucille Clifton (American Poets Continuum Series, 180). Starshine and Clay is Kamilah Aisha Moon's 2nd book from 4Way, published in 2017. Tracy K. Smith has a great essay on Clifton that appeared in The Paris Review and you can read that here. Smith's edition/selection of a Clifton-centered tarot deck is available here.The beginning of Elizabeth Bishop's "The Fish" is "I caught a tremendous fish," not "terrible fish," as James says. You can hear Bishop read that famous and much-anthologized poem here.  There are absolutely scholars who defend the Hecht poem as lampooning Matthew Arnold's / Victorian notions of gender and romance, but these queens remain unconvinced.

You don't have to be good. You just have to be here.Please remember to shop indie and support poetry! We recommend Loyalty Bookstores, a great Black-owned bookstore if you are in need. Poets we talk about this episode include:See Prof. Harryette Mullen read some of her tanka diary poems from Urban Tumbleweed here (~15 minute video).You can see the fabulous Laura Kasischke read her poem "A is for Almost" here.  (~2 min)Miguel Murphy was interviewed on Breaking Form back in February. Check out Miguel reading with Sandra Lim and Randall Mann here.  (~58 min)C. Dale Young reads at the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival in this 5-minute clip here.Lucie Brock-Broido reads her poem “You Have Harnessed Yourself Ridiculously to This World” here. The poem is from Stay, Illusion , which was a finalist for the 2013 National Book Award.You can see Randall Mann read his poem "Stalking Points" here. (~2 min)Frank O'Hara's book is Lunch Poems. You can see cutie patootie Frank read "Having a Coke with You" here. (~2 min.)Tim Liu presents 4 poems here (~10 min)Elizabeth Bishop, A Cold Spring. You can read "Crusoe in England" here. Paul Monette, Love Alone: 18 Elegies for Rog. The text of one of those elegies, "No Goodbyes," can be found here. Watch Mary Oliver read "Wild Geese" here. Aaron references a cover of Robyn's hit "Dancing On My Own" by Kings of Leon. You can watch that here. Also, if you haven't seen one of the most iconic performances on Ru Paul's Drag Race -- when Raven and Jujubee's lip synced for their lives against each other to this song -- it's worth finding (here's a clip that's good for now).Say Yes to the Dress returned in 2019 to help us through the pandemic.Elizabeth Bishop poems we mention the titles of can be found in her Complete Poems. You can read various Bishop poems as well as other writers' critical essays on her work on the Modern American Poetry website here. 

How do you protect your family from your writing, and your writing from your family? The queens get serious about grief, death, homophobia, and family issues. Dear Dr. Freud!First, some resources:If you're struggling with LGBTQIA+ mental health issues (or want to be an ally for someone who is), visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness website here. It has great resources!Another great resource list for queer and trans BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) can be found here.The Atlantic published an informative essay regarding family estrangement. You can read that here.If you are grieving a loss, GriefShare can provide some resources and support (including finding others who are going through approximate experiences).If you want to be an ally for LGBTQIA+ individuals, try:PFLAG (parents/friends)GLSEN (educators)Straight for Equality has some great workplace tips.them's Trans Voices series on YouTube This article shares 10 ways to be an ally to Black LGBT peopleShow references:Aaron's essay, "The Very Act of Telling: Sharon Olds and Writing Narrative Poetry" can be found online here. In it, Aaron writes: "Recently I saw a news article about a politician in Alabama who is introducing a bill to the legislature with the hopes of removing all public funding from libraries and universities that have books with gay or bisexual characters in them or that promote homosexuality as a valid lifestyle. My first thought was: This is absurd. Just because we aren’t talked about doesn’t mean that we don’t exist. Then it occurred to me: If we aren’t talked about, do we really exist?"The correct title of the Lisa Glatt book we reference is Monsters and Other Lovers. James's poem "Pittsburgh" can be found here.Aaron's poem "God Is Not Mocked" can be found here (scroll down) and the poem which his sister denies is true is here. The new book/manuscript of Aaron's that is discussed hast not been published. Please consider purchasing books through an independent bookstore. If you need a good one, we recommend Loyalty Books, a black-owned bookstore in Washington, DC that ships everywhere.

It's the Thunderdome of Poetry: two books (from the same poet) enter. Only one book leaves. We've got the books up on Instagram if you want to play along! @breakingformpod Buy books authored by the poets we've referred to at Loyalty Books, a terrific Black-owned bookstore.Check out Ada Limón's website here. The website has the correct publishing order of her fabulous books.You can view Tracy K. Smith's poem "History" here, in its journal of first publication, Callaloo, Vol. 27, No. 4, Contemporary African-American Poetry: A New Wave (Autumn, 2004), pp. 876-882 (7 pages).Poet Sun Signs:Aries:Ada LimónJericho BrownTracy K. SmithTaurus:Louise Glück.Jorie Graham      Carolyn ForchéGeminis:Denise Duhamel Anne Carson is most likely a Gemini (June 21).Amy ClampittLeosCarl Phillips Rita DoveMark DotyJohn AshberyLi-Young LeeVirgos:Natalie DiazLinda GreggScorpio:Terrance HayesSharon OldsSylvia PlathSagittarians:Lynda HullCapricornsDavid SedarisDorianne Laux (Her book Only As the Day is Long: New and Selected was a finalist for the Pulitzer in 2020, when Jericho Brown's The Tradition won. The other finalist was Mary Ruefle's Dunce).Aquarians:Elizabeth BishopNone of the authors we listed were Libras, Cancers, or Pisceans. 

Pop Culture Thursdays arrive! We discuss Divas, 90s TV, and why Elycia can go f*ck herself.Anita Baker is an Aquarius.Gladys Knight is a Gemini.Gloria Estefan is a Virgo. Gloria remembers the bus accident here.Bette Middler is a Sagittarius. Siskel and Ebert gave Beaches 2.5 stars, calling it mechanical and sentimental. Watch Middler sing "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today" here. Cher is a Taurus. Aaron was referencing "not.com.mercial," which showcased Cher's writing and was released through her website. She took the songs to the studio in 1994, but they wouldn't release it (saying it wasn't commercial).  Whitney Houston is a Leo. We reference her performance of "I Loves You, Porgy" along with "And I Am Telling You" plus "I Have Nothing" at the 1994 American Music Awards. Watch that here. Mariah Carey is an Aries.  Dolly Parton is a Capricorn. See her performance of "Does He Love You" with Reba here. Adele is a Taurus. ____ Dionne Warwick hosted the first season of Solid Gold, aided by comedian Marty Cohen, with veteran Los Angeles DJ Robert W. Morgan announcing. After Warwick left the series, singers Andy Gibb and Marilyn McCoo were brought in as co-hosts and puppeteer Wayland Flowers joined the series as a secondary comedic act with his puppet Madame. Gibb left Solid Gold in 1982 and Rex Smith replaced him, but he too would leave after one season. Following a season where McCoo hosted by herself, she left in 1984 and Rick Dees of the Weekly Top 40 radio show was hired. Arsenio Hall joined the series during this time as the in-house comedian in place of Marty Cohen. At the midway point of the 1984–85 season, Dees left Solid Gold and a series of guests were used in the interim. Original host Dionne Warwick returned toward the end of the 1984–85 season and stayed on through the following season, finally leaving the program for good in 1986. Susan Hallock Dey (born December 10, 1952) is a retired American actress, known for her television roles as Laurie Partridge on the sitcom The Partridge Family from 1970 to 1974, and as Grace Van Owen on the drama series L.A. Law from 1986 to 1992. A three-time Emmy Award nominee and six-time Golden Globe Award nominee, she won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series for L.A. Law in 1988.James references a scene with Julia Sugarbaker (Dixie Carter) reading another woman who'd maligned her younger sister, Suzanne Sugarbaker (Delta Burke) to FILTH. (Designing Women.)James's poem, "Four Letters from SPC Elycia Loveis Fine" was first published in the spring 2005 issue of the Hiram Poetry Review under J. Allen Hall (cringe!) – and you can access that issue here. There's a really good Shane McCrae poem in the issue called "Immunity."