The Personhood Project

In this, the final episode of The Personhood Project, host Aaron Tyler Hand sits down with poet Kathy Fagan. Fagan is the author of six poetry collections, including Bad Hobby, Sycamore, and The Raft. In the episode, the two discuss how poetry is often felt before it’s understood, and how its music and mystery allow both readers and writers to access emotions and truths that ordinary language can’t reach. They also talk about the difficulty—and necessity—of confronting the past, why that work is “so worth the time and effort,” and how poetry creates space for claiming one’s place in the world.Discover more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rough Draft TX⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Personhood Project⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this penultimate episode of The Personhood Project, poet Diannely Antigua sits down with host Aaron Tyler Hand for a conversation about the intersection of healing and craft. In the episode, the two discuss Antigua’s poetry collections Ugly Music and Good Monster, and how diary-entry poems can serve as a bridge between the therapeutic and the artistic. They also discuss the importance of noticing the poetic in the mundane, the role of community in healing, and how reclaiming one's story by sharing it can be a powerful act of care and resistance.Discover more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rough Draft TX⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Personhood Project⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This month poet Rosebud Ben-Oni sits down with Aaron Tyler Hand for the season two finale of The Personhood Project. In this episode, the two discuss the ways in which poetry can offer hope when all other signs point towards there not being any and the ways poetry allows us to see people more three-dimensionally. The two also discuss the pain of watching a loved one get locked up as well as the importance of writing to congress to make change in things you believe in. Rosebud also offers insight into her chapbook 20 Atomic Sonnets and the full length collection that it's developing into. You can find our writing prompts and the incarcerated writers' poems ⁠HERE⁠!

Sitting down with host Aaron Tyler Hand this month is poet, editor, and copywriter Phil Goldstein. In it they discuss Goldstein's debut collection, How To Bury a Boy at Sea, and the ways he used the poems in the book to help process childhood trauma and help close a painful chapter in his life. Goldstein also recommends ways to write towards a personal truth when there isn’t much separation between speaker and poet, and the importance of having a therapist when writing deeply personal poems. The two also talk about the lack of creative outlets available in carceral systems to help people work through feelings of isolation. You can find our writing prompts and the incarcerated writers' poems HERE!

For the 18th episode of The Personhood Project, host, Aaron Tyler Hand, sits down with poet Megan Fernandes. In it, they discuss Fernandes' latest collection, I Do Everything I'm Told, from Tin House books and the way her sonnet crowns play with repetition compulsion. They also examine the right and wrong way to approach writing a poem, the ways we hold contradictions within ourselves and in our writing, and the reasons why we need to stop saying "poetry is dead." You can find our writing prompts and the incarcerated writers' poems HERE!

This month, The Personhood Project welcomes poet James Fujinami Moore to speak with our host, Aaron Tyler Hand. In this episode, the two discuss Moore's debut collection, Indecent Hours, from Four Way Books. Additionally, they speak on reflections of violence within our culture and how being a firsthand witness to violence can change us. Moore speaks on the power of poetry to deal with ambiguity and uncertainty, as well as the ways poetry can help one break through mental loops. You can find our writing prompts and the incarcerated writers' poems HERE!

For our 16th episode, host, Aaron Tyler Hand is joined by poet, environmental educator, and cultural preservationist Ashia Ajani. Outside of giving insight into their debut full length collection called Heirloom, Ashia and Aaron discuss the crossroads between environmental justice and social harm. Additionally, they talk about the importance of connecting to nature and greenspaces, especially for those stuck in a carceral system. They take a deep dive into understanding inheritance and forced migration when sharing ones climate story. Ashia also goes into how one can use imagination to fight against despair. You can find our writing prompts and the incarcerated writers' poems HERE!

This month, poet Joshua Burton joins our host Aaron Tyler Hand to discuss his debut collection of poetry, Grace Engine, as well as his chapbook Fracture Anthology. In conversation, they bring up Terrance Hayes, the usefulness of exploring Juxtaposition, and the grace found within the tension. The two also discuss writing about family in an honest yet ethical way. Most importantly, they discuss how writing about family or even writing in general allows one to get closer to finding their own truth. You can find our writing prompts and the incarcerated writers' poems ⁠HERE⁠.

This month, the amazing Mag Gabbert sits down with our host, Aaron Tyler Hand, to discuss her two chapbooks Minimal Poems and The Breakup, as well as her brand new debut collection Sex Depression Animals. The two talk about the difference in sitting down to write from an emotional place versus forcing oneself to write in a poetic form. To this point, Gabbert speaks on the importance of finding a creative space where you feel okay to play, have fun, and be a bit messy. Going deeper into this, she talks about the value of seeing poetry as making art and the gravity of writing towards the unknown. Hit play to learn more about all of this as well as her invented erasure form! You can find our writing prompts and the incarcerated writers' poems HERE.

For the first episode of season two of The Personhood Project, host Aaron Tyler Hand, sits down with poet and educator Jose Hernandez Diaz. Diaz discusses his 2020 chapbook The Fire Easter, as well as his forthcoming full-length collection Bad Mexican, Bad American. The two then discuss the accessibility of prose poetry for new writers and how far poetry has evolved since John Donne. Diaz shares the importance of sharing and uplifting the immigrant story and the ways he honors his family through his poetry. He also shares tips for using poetry to turn the lemons handed to us in life into lemonade. Oh and they talk about sneaking into HomeTown Buffet! haha You can find our writing prompts and the incarcerated writers' poems HERE.

For the final episode of season 1, poet and playwright, Ebony Stewart joins our host, Aaron Tyler Hand, to discuss her two 2022 poetry collection releases, Bloodfresh and Home.Girl.Hood. Stewart also offers insight into her exploration of her mother's family through her two one woman plays Hunger and Ocean. The two also examine the differences in writing long forms like plays and short forms like poetry. Stewart shares her thoughts on the expansive power of long forms and the control that one gains when writing in the limits of a short form. As a recent recipient of her Masters in Clinical Social Work, Stewart also discusses the necessity and importance of social workers in the USA, and the ways her social work and poetry overlap. She also speaks on the ways in which poetry can help us face our traumas and overcome them. You can find our writing prompts and the incarcerated writers' poems HERE. 

For episode 11, host, Aaron Tyler Hand, is joined by poet Taylor Byas. In this episode, Byas offers insight into her forthcoming full-length collection I Done Clicked My Heels Three Times, as well as two forthcoming anthologies she is co-editing, The Southern Poetry Anthology, Vol. X: Alabama and Poemhood: Our Black Revival. The two also discuss the places we call home and the ways one can find home in spaces that feel foreign to them. In their conversation about poetry, they talk about giving ourselves permission to experiment with our poetry, appreciating different voices and styles of poetry, and the importance of holding the door open for them all. You can find our writing prompts and the incarcerated writers' poems HERE!

After a whirlwind of events, poet Jason B. Crawford sits down with Aaron Tyler Hand for episode 10 of The Personhood Project. They discuss Crawford's debut collection, Year of the Unicorn Kidz, and take a closer look at vulnerability that radiates through the pages of Crawford's book. Crawford shares insight into writing from memory even when those memories don't present the writer on their best moments. True to Crawford's style, though, much of the conversation is on joy, and the act of writing about and talking about joy that is often overlooked. Specifically, Black and Queer joy. You can find our writing prompts and the incarcerated writers' poems HERE!

Poet Jayme Ringleb sits down with Aaron Tyler Hand for episode 9 of The Personhood Project. The two talk about Jayme's debut collection of poetry title So Tall It Ends In Heaven and themes seen throughout the book. Specifically, they talk about estrangement and how writing can help someone overcome feelings of estrangement, as well as distances and ways that writing can help close both physical and emotional distances. Jayme also offer tips on becoming comfortable sharing your poetry with a larger public. You can find our writing prompts and the incarcerated writers' poems HERE!

For episode 8, poet, essayist, and rapper Sean Avery Medlin sits down with our host, Aaron Tyler Hand. They discuss the importance of expressing vulnerability in ones writing and how poetry doesn't have to be a place to only express pain. They also get into a conversation about pop culture and how much of it is just a rehashing of Black culture. This leads into conversations about James Baldwin and the anime Naruto. We even get to hear Sean sing a line or two when they get to the point of readings their poems, so make sure you listen to the end for that treat! You can find our writing prompts and the incarcerated writers' poems HERE!

In this episode, host Aaron Tyler Hand is joined by poet, musician, and Director of Prison and Justice Writing at PEN America, Caits Meissner. They discuss some of the amazing work that she is doing at PEN America such as editing the book The Sentences That Create Us and hosting writing contests for incarcerated writers. Meissner also goes into the difference in sitting down to wrong lyrics versus sitting down to write a poem. While discussing poetry, they dive into the importance of balance between writing about pain and happiness. You can find our writing prompts and the incarcerated writers' poems HERE!

In this episode, guest Vincent Cooper welcomes host Aaron Tyler Hand into his home to discuss being inspired by the places they grew up, fostering a dedication to poetry without taking any college classes, finding time to write when you have a life outside of writing, and the ways in which writing can help bring people closer together. You can find our writing prompts and the incarcerated writers' poems HERE!

In our first ZOOM interview, host Aaron Tyler Hand is joined by the amazing Melissa Lozada-Oliva for a conversation about writing in different forms, spoken word vs written poetry, the importance of therapy, and the power of going head first into hurt. You can find our writing prompts and the incarcerated writers' poems HERE!

In this episode, the wonderful poet and essayist Jane Wong joins host Aaron Tyler Hand in a discussion about honoring family, remembering home, and finding creativity in the day-to-day actions of our lives. This is our first episode to go over an hour, so we help you all enjoy! You can find our writing prompts and the incarcerated writers' poems HERE!

In this episode, host, Aaron Tyler Hand is joined by the amazing poet and author of a brand new memoir, Tomás Q. Morín. They discuss the differences in writing poet and nonfiction, with close examination on how each can help a writer find personal growth in their own unique ways. (NOTE: We apologize for any disruptive background noise, we did our best to edit it out).  You can find our writing prompts and the incarcerated writers' poems HERE!