Citizen Lit

In today’s episode, we get a scene report with selected readings from the joint Cherry Tree and Dr. TJ Eckleburg Review release party (recorded live at Busboys & Poets in Washington D.C.). Our show features Nate Brown, Julia Kolchinsky Dasbach, and Rajiv Mohabir.

Daniel M. Shapiro is the author of How the Potato Chip Was Invented (sunnyoutside press, 2013), a collection of celebrity-centered poems. His work has appeared in Word Riot; RHINO; Menacing Hedge; Forklift, Ohio, and elsewhere. His latest collection is called Heavy Metal Fairy Tales published by throwbackbooks. Daniel is a poetry editor of Pittsburgh Poetry Review and interviews poets for his website, Little Myths.

In today’s episode we talk literary citizenship and teaching with Cathy Day, the Assistant Chair of Operations in the Department of English at Ball State University.

The following short fiction piece “Idaho, or the Reverse of Gravity,” appeared in issue 13.2 of Redivider. Author Siân Griffiths lives in Ogden, UT, where she directs the creative writing program at Weber State University. Her work has appeared in the Georgia Review, Fifth Wednesday Journal, Quarterly West, Ninth Letter, and The Rumpus, among other publications. Her debut novel, Borrowed Horses (New Rivers Press), was a semi-finalists for the 2014 VCU Cabell First Novelist Award.

In today’s episode we share excerpts from the panel “Creating Space for Marginalized Voices” presented at the 2017 AWP Conference. The organizers of Canada's inaugural Festival of Literary Diversity in discussion with publishing professionals talk about how to promote and support a diverse lineup of authors, uncovering how targeted initiatives and intentional approaches can effectively address the diversity gaps in the publishing industry.

In today’s microcast, we get a poem by Lauren Samblanet from A Shadow Map: An Anthology by Survivors of Sexual Assault published by Civil Coping Mechanisms. Released last week, A Shadow Map is edited by Joanna C. Valente and features poems and essays “born out of traumatizing and terrible experiences. CCM believes in providing a safe space within the literary community where we can not only talk about painful experiences and issues becomes ever more necessary considering the current political climate.” Contributors include Hillary Leftwich, Maggie Queeney, and Mila Jaroniec.

What began as an offsite event for the 2017 AWP conference in Washington D.C. became a rallying point on Saturday, February 11th for over a thousand writers at Lafayette Park, across from the street from The White House. In today’s show you will hear from poets and writers Kazim Ali, Gabrielle Bellot, Melissa Febos, Carolyn Forché, Sanaz Fotouhi, Ross Gay, Luis J. Rodriguez, and Eric Sasson with minimal edits for time and program continuity. Prior to the Vigil, Citizen Lit sat down with one of the event organizers, Split This Rock executive director Sarah Browning, to talk about importance and impact of such public gatherings. Note: transcriptions for each speaker are available on Split This Rock's blog: http://blogthisrock.blogspot.com/search/label/candlelight%20vigil

After a holiday break, Citizen Lit returns with its first scene report of 2017. Poet Lauren Hilger was featured as a part of the Jubilant Thicket reading series at Head House Books in South Philadelphia. Lauren shares poems from her debut collection Lady Be Good(Civil Coping Mechanisms, 2016).

In today’s episode P.E. Garcia shares an essay from HTMLGiant. An Editorial Assistant for The Rumpus and the Dead Letters Editor for The Offing, PE Garcia’s writing has appeared in Hunger Mountain, Prairie Schooner, and more. His chapbook is available from Awst Press. Born and raised in Arkansas, he now lives in Philadelphia where he's a PhD student at Temple University.

In today's episode we present part two of the two-part panel presentation "Poetry, Publishing, Politics, and the Art of the Book" from this fall's Philalalia Small Press & Art Fair at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. This panel was hosted by Brian Teare and featured editors from Bloof, Belladonna*, Fact-Simile, and Nightboat Books.

In today’s episode we present part one of a two-part panel presentation called "Poetry, Publishing, Politics, and the Art of the Book," from this fall’s Philalalia Small Press & Art Fair at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This panel was hosted by Brian Teare and featured editors from Bloof, Belladonna*, Fact-Simile, and Nightboat Books, discussing matters of aesthetics, politics, and poetics as they inform their practices as publishers and members of the poetry community.

In today's episode, Kali VanBaale joins us to talk about the ten-year journey to releasing her second book, The Good Divide. Then, the editors of Redivider join us to present the winner of their inaugural Blurred Genre contest, "The Town of Milkcarton Kids" by Ali Rachel Pearl.

In today's episode, Maggie Smith shares a reading her poem "Good Bones" (originally published in Waxwing Literary Journal). We also get a preview of next week's episode featuring novelist Kali VanBaale discussing her new novel, The Good Divide.

We kick off season 2 with a discussion about politics and masculinity with Jared Yates Sexton at Voices of the Middle West, followed by a reading of "An American Nightmare."

As we wrap up our first season, and prepare to move our studio to Philadelphia, Citizen Lit is proud to present some of our favorite moments from the podcast year in this extended mix. On today's show, you will hear from writers including: Marlon James, Kathleen Rooney, Charlotte Pence, Adam Prince, as well as music from Beach Slang. Today's episode ends with a previously unreleased recording featuring poet Ross Gay from The Voices of the Middle West '16 opening night reading at Literati Books. Thank you for being a part of the conversation this year, and we'll see you later this summer for Season Two!

Poet Jason Carney returns to Citizen Lit in a special scene report from Mountain View College in Dallas, Texas. Jason's discussion "What America Needs is an Honest Conversation" interweaves his poetry and personal commentary about race, homophobia, and breaking the cycle of hate.

In today's episode, we return to the University of Tennessee Knoxville's Writers in the Library Reading Series featuring writer Cameron Conaway. He is reading from his poetry collection Malaria, named by NPR as one of the top books of 2014.

This week's episode features a scene report from Burnt Tongue reading series in Portland, OR. Tabitha Blankenbiller shares an essay "Blow Thai Bye" originally published in Split Lip Magazine.

Open Book's Lynn Rosen discusses how three decades in the publishing industry lead her to the world of indie bookstores. Also in this episode is a scene report from Voices of the Middle West 2016 featuring writer Fred Arroyo.

In today's microcast, Indian author Karan Bajaj reads an excerpt from his latest novel The Yoga of Max's Discontent, out this week from Riverhead Books. Bajaj is the author of a pair of bestsellers in India: Johnny Gone Down and Keep off the Grass.