Ep. 67 Robert Okaji

Welcome to Off The Bricks, poets and poetry lovers. Today we welcome Julie L. Moore to the show; she brings us an insightful and somber reflection on race and her experiences and lessons learned while teaching at Wilberforce University. Her newest book of poetry, Devil's Backbone, from Wildhouse Publishing, is the focus of today's episode. "Moore confronts inherited cruelties, national hypocrisy, and personal responsibility with unflinching honesty, confessing that she is “more than / complicit” as “a fragile, white / woman” who would like to “carve [herself] out of this story but can’t.”" You can find Moore's poetry for purchase at wildhousepublishing.com and julielmoore.com

Welcome to Off The Bricks, poets and poetry lovers. Today we are doing a special program with Joyce Brinkman and her longtime poetry collaborating partner, Dr. Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda, on their newly released collaboration, Vanishing Life: A Poetic Warning. Find Vanishing Life: A Poetic Warning ⁠here!⁠Carolyn is a former poet laureate of Virginia. She holds a BA from the University of Mary Washington and an MED, MA, and PhD degrees from George Mason University. She has co-edited four anthologies, co-edited a poem play, and published nine books of poetry, including The Embrace: Diego Rivera, and Frida Kahlo. Dr. Kreiter-Foronda is the winner of the International Art and Literature, the Mary Lynn Kotz Award. She is the recipient of five grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts. Her poems appear in numerous magazines, including Nimrod, Prairie Schooner, Mid-American Review, Best of Literary Journals and World Poetry Yearbook.Find Vanishing Life: A Poetic Warning here!

Welcome to Off The Bricks poets and poetry lovers! This month, we have with us Jessica D. Thompson with her latest book, The Mood Ring Diaries. Jessica D. Thompson is the author of the poetry collection Daybreak and Deep, Kelsay Books (2022). She was also the winner of the James Baker Hall Memorial Prize in Poetry and the Kudzu Poetry Prize, as well as a finalist in the following: the Joy Bale Boone Poetry Prize, the Betty Gabehart Poetry Prize, and the Janet B. McCabe Poetry Prize.You can find her latest work for purchase at Kelsay Books and your local book shop.

Welcome to Off The Bricks, poets and poetry lovers! This month, Mary Sexson and I recount the latest Brick Street Poetry meeting at the Literary Arts Park in downtown Indy, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Mary reads a selection of her poetry that she featured at the event, and we discuss themes of the American experience in this summer break episode!

Welcome to Off The Bricks poets and poetry lovers, our guest this week is Natalie Solmer. Solmer is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Indianapolis Review and is an Assistant Professor of English at Ivy Tech Community College. She grew up in South Bend, Indiana, went to Clemson University in South Carolina, and majored in horticulture. Before her return to grad school and career in teaching, she worked as a grocery store florist for 13 years. Her poetry has been published in numerous publications such as: Colorado Review, North American Review, The Literary Review, and Pleiades. You can find her poetry for purchase at Kelsay Books, and on Amazon.

Welcome to Off The Bricks, poets and poetry lovers! Today's show brings back Episode 8 guest, Matthew Graham, to discuss his latest work, The Indiana Series. Poetry of place is a big topic on this show, and that theme was largely inspired by Graham way back in 2020! Check out his work at the link here.

Welcome to Off The Bricks, poets and poetry lovers. This month, we welcome Louise Dupré. Today, she shares her book Up Close, translated by Karen McPherson. Dupré is a French Canadian poet who has published more than twenty books, which have received many awards, including the Governor General’s Award for poetry. Louise Dupré’s poetry and several of her novels have been translated into English or other languages. Louise Dupré is a member of the Academy of Letters of Quebec and of The Royal Society of Canada. In December 2014, she was appointed to the Order of Canada for her contributions to Quebec literature as a poet, novelist, playwright, essayist, and professor. You can find her poetry for purchase at ekstasiseditions.com

Welcome to Off The Bricks poets and Poetry lovers! This month, we have returning guest Robert Okaji, here to share his newest book of poems, His Windblown Self. You can find Okaji's poetry for purchase at Broadstone Books and 3 Taos Press, as well as more information about his work on his blog.

Welcome to Off The Bricks Poets and poetry lovers, today we have with us Frank X Walker, the first African American writer to be named Kentucky Poet Laureate. Walker unravels his historical poetry featuring York, party member of the Lewis and Clark expedition, and the Trilogy of poems that have sprung from his life as recorded in journals and museums. Go to ⁠https://frankxwalker.com to learn more and find Mr. Walker's poetry for purchase.

Welcome to Off The Bricks, poets and poetry lovers! Today's show brings back our editors' series with Barry Harris ofThe Tipton Poetry Journal. Today, we discuss The TPJ's selection process and how you can get paid for your poetry! Barry gives us insight into your best chances for your submissions!https://tiptonpoetryjournal.submittable.com/submit