Are any of us professional poets? No. Are any of us poetry professors? No. Are any of us poetry publishers? One more time, no. But who cares. Poetry is part of our human patrimony. It’s the language of love, the language of war, the language of fear, despair, and human longing. Writing poems is what humans do—all humans, in every age—and this week, in perhaps our most favorite conversation ever, we’re talking about why that matters … and why poetry isn’t something to be scared of or left to the “experts” but rather something that can make us more deeply human in an increasingly less human age.

Show Notes:

“Can Poetry Matter,” Dana Gioia

Mike Aquilina

Jane Greer

Beatrice Institute

The Always Broken Plates of Mountains by Rose McClarney (Poem: “Gather”)

“Dichoso el corazón enamorado” by Saint Teresa of Avila

City Nave by Betsy Brown ( Poem: “To a Ripe June Strawberry”)

“All the World” by Liz Garton Scanlon

Emily’s Children’s Books

Mary, Mother of All
The Supper of the Lamb
Lord, Have Mercy
Joseph, Keeper of the King (forthcoming Spring 2026)

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