I’m a fan of narrative poems, poems that tell a story. As I see it, that’s how poetry started, with epic poems that had to be memorized to be passed down, as people didn’t have printing presses or ...

My guest this week on Poetry from Daily Life is Heidi Mordhorst, who lives in Silver Spring, Maryland — a short bike ride from Washington, D.C. Heidi began writing poems early in childhood and favors ...

One of my strongest poetry memories took place at a black-tie dinner at the Library of Congress where George W. Bush introduced his wife Laura with a poem. He explained that she had been away on a ...

Today’s guest on Poetry from Daily Life is Scot Young, who grew up in Raytown, Missouri before settling in Ozark County. He has been writing since his junior and high school days. Scot says he ...

My guest this week on Poetry from Daily Life is Alan Katz, who lives in Milford, Connecticut. Alan says, “I’ve been writing since Miss Gordon showed me the alphabet in kindergarten. But I’ve been a ...

The Red & Black is a 501c3 nonprofit. Please consider a one-time gift or become a monthly supporter. Cancel anytime. In fifth grade, we were all given a copy of a poem to memorize. While the goal of ...

In early 2023, the editors of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) decided not only to include poems in their highly respected professional publication, but also to publish ...

Maria Shriver is a dear friend, and one of the most thoughtful people I know. Over the years, I’ve watched her navigate immense joy and deep heartbreak with incredible grace — and now she’s sharing ...

Jane Freilicher, "One Cat, Two Fish" (1974), oil on canvas, 50 x 63 inches (all images courtesy Pamela Salisbury Gallery) HUDSON, New York — I am a sucker for exhibitions with the word “poetry” in the ...

Poetry transcends individual identity and serves as a vessel for greater meaning, according to Joy Harjo. “It’s really not about me at all—I’m just a kind of messenger,” Harjo said. “There’s something ...

There is a posture that poets sometimes take, that of the prophet speaking predictions into the world, or simply proclaiming what is happening in the moment. More often than not, the role is ...