Into the Looking Glass: Exploring the Magic Behind Speculative Poetry
By Jasmine Arch
Into the Looking Glass: Exploring the Magic Behind Speculative PoetryFeb 08, 2022
Bonus episode: TD Walker, author of Doubt and Circuitry
Jasmine recorded a second conversation with TD Walker, right after they finished episode 2.2, to talk about her latest book.
This wasn't included in the original episode because the book had not been released yet. It is now!
Go check it out here: https://books2read.com/u/3kBoBL For TD's original interview, go here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lookingglasspoets/episodes/2-2-TD-Walker--author-of-Small-Waiting-Objects--and-Maps-of-a-Hollowed-World--and-host-of-Line-Break-e239gs2
Until next time,
Later, lookingglass travellers!
Theme music: Wonderland by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
2.5 Christina Sng, author of The Gravity of Existence
In episode 5 of season 2, Jasmine is back at the mic, for a chat with the poet and lover of all creatures feline, Christina Sng.
You can find full episode notes, with a list of links and the prompt of the month will be made available as soon as possible at https://lookingglasspoets.wordpress.com
Until next time,
Later, lookingglass travellers!
Theme music: Wonderland by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
2.4 Exploring Latinx Futures on Earth and Beyond with Angela Acosta
In episode 4 of season 2, Brittany is back at the mic, for a chat with the wonderful Angela Acosta.
You can find the full episode notes, with a list of links and the prompt of the month, at https://lookingglasspoets.wordpress.com/2023/08/03/angela-acosta/.
Until next time,
Later, lookingglass travellers!
Theme music: Wonderland by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
2.3 Weaving Memory and Poetry with Katherine Quevedo
In the third episode of season 2, Brittany got to have a chat with Katherine Quevedo, poet, writer, and all around a lovely person to talk to.
Full episode notes, with a list of links and the prompt of the month, are available at https://lookingglasspoets.wordpress.com/2023/07/10/2-3-weaving-memory-and-poetry-with-katherine-quevedo/
Until next time,
Later, lookingglass travellers!
Theme music: Wonderland by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
2.2 TD Walker, author of Small Waiting Objects, and Maps of a Hollowed World, and host of Line Break
In episode 2 of season 2, Jasmine got to sit down and chat with TD Walker, host of Line Break, a poetry program on shortwave radio, as well as a poet in her own right
Full episode notes, and a list of links mentioned can be found at https://lookingglasspoets.wordpress.com/2023/06/29/2-2-td-walker-author-of-small-waiting-objects-and-maps-of-a-hollowed-world-and-host-of-line-break/
Until next time,
Later, lookingglass travellers!
Theme music: Wonderland by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
2.1 Speculative Poetry From Both Sides of the Editor's Desk with Colleen Anderson
For the first episode of season 2, Brittany got to have a chat with Colleen Anderson, poet, short story writer, and president of the Science Fiction Poetry Association.
We do apologise for the technical difficulties Brittany and Colleen experienced during their recording, but they still had tons of fun chatting all things poetry, and hope you enjoy listening just as much.
A big thank you to Brittany for jumping into the project alongside me. I don't think I could do it alone anymore, now that the world is more demanding again as it evolves to a post-pandemic situation in many places.
Full episode notes, a list of links mentioned, and a full episode transcript are available at lookingglasspoets.wordpress.com/2023/03/29/2-1-speculative-poetry-from-both-sides-of-the-editors-desk-with-colleen-anderson/
Until next time,
Later, lookingglass travellers!
Theme music: Wonderland by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
Welcome to Season 2!
In which brand new co-host Brittany Hause and I chaotically discuss the coming season of Into the Looking Glass.
We'll talk soon, lookingglass travellers!
Theme music: Wonderland by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
9. Poetry in Translation with Brittany Hause
Hello Looking Glass Travelers!
Welcome to the April episode! I guess we made it before the end of the month, if only barely. I do apologise for the delay. Between raising six high-energy puppies and getting the roof on our house replaced, every part of my life devolved into a steaming pile of chaos, making recordings impossible.
I got to have a chat with Brittany Hause, author, poet, linguist, and poetry translator. Brittany and I had tons of fun, and I hope you enjoy it just as much. A big thank you to Brittany for pitching in and editing the recording. I wouldn't have made it before May 1st without their help. (and such a great job of it, too)
Full episode notes and a list of links mentioned can be found at https://lookingglasspoets.wordpress.com/2022/05/04/brittany-hause/
Until next time,
Later, lookingglass travellers!
Theme music: Wonderland by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
8. "Yes, I am a Poet" with Crystal L. Kirkham
Hello Looking Glass Travellers, and welcome to the March 2022 episode, again so late we're well past the fashionable stage.
My guest this month was someone I talk to a lot. We've just never recorded it before. But she's only recently started claiming the title of poet for herself, and this is something I very much wanted to talk about, since that step, and the impostor syndrome standing between you and that step, is something a lot of people deal with at some point in their creative journey.
Links mentioned:
- Crystal's website: https://www.crystallkirkham.com/
- Crystal's Twitter account: https://twitter.com/canuckclick
- And if you'd like to meet her gorgeous poodles, her TikTok is a fairly good option as well: https://www.tiktok.com/@canuckclick
- Altered Reality Magazine, where her first piece, also known as the accidental poem, was published: https://www.alteredrealitymag.com/
- Narrative Poetry, a discussion panel from Flights of Foundry 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J6uYsHgOVo&t=1s
- The Ode Less Travelled, by Stephen Fry: https://books2read.com/u/3yKAke
- A Mouthful of Air, a podcast discussing both contemporary and classical poems: https://amouthfulofair.fm/
- Koji A. Dae's episode, where you'll also find links to her website and her work in the episode notes: https://anchor.fm/lookingglasspoets/episodes/2--Exploring-and-Reimagining-Archetypal-Stories-Through-Poetry-with-Koji-A--Dae-e12k4d5
- Cislyn Smith's episode, where you'll also find links to her website and her work in the episode notes: https://anchor.fm/lookingglasspoets/episodes/1--The-Importance-of-Community-in-Fostering-and-Nurturing-your-Poetry-with-Cislyn-Smith-e12b8eo
- And last but not least, at the time of posting, there's still time to register for Flights of Foundry 2022, and it is very much worth it: https://flights-of-foundry.org/
For full episode notes, and the prompt of the month, visit https://lookingglasspoets.wordpress.com/2022/03/22/crystal/.
Until next time,
Later, lookingglass travellers!
Theme music: Wonderland by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
7. Poetry Within the Space of a Single Breath: Scifaiku and Other Micropoetry with Wendy Van Camp
Greetings LookingGlass Travellers,
Sorry about the delay. I am still getting used to a more limited spoon supply, so getting this episode ready to go took me longer than I expected.
For this month's episode, I had a chat with Wendy Van Camp, novelist, poet, SFPA con coordinator, and community builder.
Links mentioned:
- Wendy's website and blog: https://nowastedink.com/
- Social media accounts: Medium: https://medium.com/@wvancamp, Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/wendyvancamp, Twitter: https://twitter.com/wvancamp, FB: http://www.facebook.com/nowastedink, IG: https://www.instagram.com/nowastedink/
- For prints of her poetry and illustrations, check out Wendy's Etsy Poetry Print Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/NoWastedInk
- Check out her collection, The Planets: https://books2read.com/u/3LyEOX
- Eccentric Orbits, a Scifaiku anthology edited by Wendy: https://dimensionfold.com/catalog/poetry-books/eccentric-orbits/
- Some recources for those who want to learn more about haiku and scifaiku: https://thehaikufoundation.org/tag/haiku-basics/, https://thehaikufoundation.org/a-brief-introduction-to-scifaiku/
- Ashley Capes: https://ashleycapes.wordpress.com/about/
For full episode notes, and the prompt of the month, visit https://lookingglasspoets.wordpress.com/2022/02/08/wendy-van-camp/
Until next time,
Later, lookingglass travellers!
Theme music: Wonderland by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
Happy New Year, Looking Glass Travellers!
Greetings and welcome to 2022!
This month, I don't have a full episode for you. I've spent all of December recovering from a car accident, which prevented me from scheduling an interview. However, I thought it might be nice to celebrate the end of 2021 with a reading of a public domain poem.
So for this little bonus episode, I hope you enjoy Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market as much as I did. A text version to read along is available at the Poetry Foundation: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44996/goblin-market.
While I may be a few days late again, I do hope to be back to being functional enough to have another interview recorded and ready for February.
Later, Looking Glass Travellers!
6. A Lifetime of Poetry and Creativity with LindaAnn LoSchiavo
Hello Looking Glass Travellers, and welcome to December.
For this month's episode, I got to chat with LindaAnn LoSchiavo, a fellow member of the SFPA and a poet, author, playwright, and ghost whisperer who has been writing poetry since early childhood.
Links mentioned:
- Find LindaAnn on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mae_Westside
- Have a look at her Elgin award winning collection A Route Obscure and Lonely: https://books2read.com/u/bMYGxV
- Or check out her YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHm1NZIlTZybLTFA44wwdfg/featured
- A Mouthful of Air, especially episode 3, discussing a sonnet by poet Mimi Khalvati: https://amouthfulofair.fm/eggs-by-mimi-khalvati/
- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow as available on Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/41
- Beowulf, translation by Maria Dahvana Headley: https://books2read.com/u/3JpK6B
- The Mere Wife, modern day retelling of Beowulf by Maria Dahvana Headley: https://books2read.com/u/bzZpVG
- Will Storr vs. The Supernatural: One Man's Search for the Truth About Ghosts, by Will Storr: https://www.amazon.com/Will-Storr-vs-Supernatural-Search/dp/0061132195/
- Coven of Dead Girls, a short story y L'Erin Ogle, available in text and audio: https://pseudopod.org/2019/06/07/pseudopod-651-coven-of-dead-girls/
- DH Lawrence: https://www.biography.com/writer/dh-lawrence
For full episode notes, and the prompt of the month, visit https://lookingglasspoets.wordpress.com/2021/12/01/lindaann/
Until next time,
Later, lookingglass travellers!
Theme music: Wonderland by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
5. Brandon O'Brien, Performance Poet and Author of Can You Sign My Tentacle
Hello Looking Glass Travellers, and welcome to the month of November.
For this month's episode, I got to chat with Brandon O'Brien, performance poet, game designer, former poetry editor of Fiyah Magazine, and author of Can You Sign My Tentacle, a poetry collection that combines the horrors of Lovecraftian myth with hip-hop to explore monsters both fictional and real, in the form of racism, sexism, and violence.
Links mentioned:
- Find Brandon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therisingtithes
- Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therisingtithes/
- Or catch one of his Twitch streams: https://www.twitch.tv/arvaneleron
- Check out his debut collection, Can You Sign My Tentacle: https://www.interstellarflightpress.com/canyousignmytentacle.html
- Rattlecast: https://www.rattle.com/rattlecast/
- Shivanee Ramlochan: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/shivanee-ramlochan
- Ramlochan's collection, Everyone Knows I Am a Haunting: https://www.peepaltreepress.com/books/everyone-knows-i-am-haunting
- Emily Dickinson: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/emily-dickinson
For full episode notes, and the prompt of the month, visit https://lookingglasspoets.wordpress.com/2021/11/01/brandon/
Until next time,
Later, lookingglass travellers!
Theme music: Wonderland by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
4. Combining the Careers of Editor and Poet with David Kopaska Merkel
Hello Looking Glass Travellers, and welcome to the month of October.
For this month's episode, I got to chat with David Kopaska Merkel, a fellow member of the SFPA and editor of Dreams and nightmares magazine.
Links mentioned:
- Find David on Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidKM
Have a look at his blog: http://dreamsandnightmaresmagazine.blogspot.com/ - Check out his latest poetry collection, the Elgin award nominated The Ambassador Takes One for the Team: https://www.amazon.com/Ambassador-Takes-One-Team/dp/1936021633 https://www.amazon.com/Ambassador-Takes-One-Team/dp/1936021633
- Dreams and Nightmares Magazine: http://dreamsandnightmaresmagazine.com/
- Star*Line magazine: https://www.sfpoetry.com/starline.html
- SFPA (Science Fiction Poetry Association): https://www.sfpoetry.com/
- Roger Zelazny: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Zelazny
- Ann K. Schwader: http://schwader.net/
- Brian Dietrich: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/bryan-d-dietrich
For full episode notes, and the prompt of the month, visit https://lookingglasspoets.wordpress.com/2021/10/01/david-km/
Until next time,
Later, lookingglass travellers!
Theme music: Wonderland by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
3. Finding Yourself Through Poetry with May Chong
Hello Looking Glass Travellers, and welcome to the month of September.
For this month's episode, I got to chat with the lovely May Chong, a fellow Dream Foundry member, and a poet and writer whose work is not consumed but breathed in.
Links mentioned:
- Find May on Twitter, where she tweets about her work as it comes out, and is an allround lovely person: https://twitter.com/maysays
- She also has a thread listing her publications: https://twitter.com/maysays/status/1218142901781200896?s=21
- Strange Horizons, special issue celebrating South East Asian poets: http://strangehorizons.com/issue/30-august-2021/
- Things I Love About My Werewolf Girlfriend, published in Fantasy Magazine: https://www.fantasy-magazine.com/new/poetry/things-i-love-about-my-werewolf-girlfriend/
- Seed Star Song: https://ghostcitypress.com/2020-summer-series/seed-star-song
- Ghost City Press Chapbook series: https://ghostcitypress.com/2020-summer-series
- Ito Hiromi: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/hiromi-ito
- Pablo Neruda: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_Neruda
- Usman Awang: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usman_Awang
For full episode notes, including links to more pieces by May, and the prompt of the month, visit https://lookingglasspoets.wordpress.com/2021/09/01/may/.
Until next time,
Later, lookingglass travellers!
Theme music: Wonderland by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
2. Exploring and Reimagining Archetypal Stories Through Poetry with Koji A. Dae
For the second launch day episode, I got to chat with talented poet and my friend, Koji A. Dae. Among the topics we discussed were her collection Scars That Never Bled, fuzzy navels, and Hemingway.
Links mentioned:
- Find Koji and her work online at kojiadae.ink and https://twitter.com/KojiADae, where you can also find links to her book, Scars That Never Bled
- Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, available via Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/84
- Beowulf, as translated by Maria Dahvana Headley: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41940267-beowulf
- Frankisstein, by Jeanette Winterson, as listed on Goodreads since that's the fastest way to list multiple retailers: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42123790-frankissstein
- The recipe for a fuzzy navel: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/fuzzy-navel/
- I Like My Body When It Is With Your, by E. E. Cummings: https://hellopoetry.com/poem/1590/i-like-my-body-when-it-is-with-your/
For full episode notes, including links to pieces by Koji, and the prompt of the month, visit https://lookingglasspoets.wordpress.com/2021/08/01/koji/.
Until next time,
Later, lookingglass travellers!
Theme music: Wonderland by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
1. The Importance of Community in Fostering and Nurturing your Poetry with Cislyn Smith
In this episode, I got to chat with the lovely Cislyn Smith, writer, poet, and community builder. Of course, community is not the only thing we talked about. Sappho, bubble tea, and hats were among the topics that came up.
Links mentioned:
- Find Cislyn and her work online at http://elushae.org/ and https://twitter.com/cislyn
- The Dream Foundry's website and Discord community: https://dreamfoundry.org/ and https://discord.gg/GyergQ6cXG
- Find out more about Joni Mitchell in this amazing documentary on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T95l3_eai88
- Or listen to Shell Silverstein reading a poem of his: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNiaYHZme_U
- Sweetbitter: a history podcast focused mainly on queer women. In their first season, they not only discussed Sappho and her work, but brought it back to life as she originally intended it: through music. This is definitely worth a binge. https://sweetbitterpodcast.com/
For full episode notes, including links to pieces by Cislyn, and the prompt of the month, visit https://lookingglasspoets.wordpress.com/2021/08/01/cislyn-smith/.
Until next time,
Later, lookingglass travellers!
Theme music: Wonderland by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
But what exactly is speculative poetry?
In the third mini episode, we have a bit of a closer look at exactly what speculative poetry entails. The definition, while clear-cut and simple, will still leave you unable to anticipate the vast range the genre can encompass, in terms of style, theme, and form. After this, it's only two more weeks until the frabjous launch day, August 1st, when I'll be releasing not one, but two full episodes.
As before, a full transcript of this episode can be found on the website, at https://lookingglasspoets.wordpress.com/2021/07/18/but-what-exactly-is-speculative-poetry/.
If that sounds like something you think you'll enjoy, hit that subscribe button, and/or come and hang out on the Looking Glass Discord server, by clicking on the link below.
Until next time,
Later, lookingglass travellers!
Theme music: Wonderland by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
So, about Jabberwocky...
Welcome, speculative poets and poetry lovers, to this still kind of brand new project. The plan to provide an opportunity for speculative poets to step into the spotlight, and allow all of us to learn from each other, is still go for launch. I repeat, we are go for launch.
As we collectively count down to the official launch day, on August 1st, I have a second mini episode, in which I talk a bit more about all the things that amaze me so much about Carroll's poem, Jabberwocky, and how that led me to the title of this podcast. After today, we have one more mini episode, and then on the frabjous day of August 1st, I bring you not one but two full episodes, featuring interviews with speculative poets Cislyn Smith and Koji A. Dae. In the meantime, I will be sharing some of their work on Twitter, so you can get a bit of a taste of their poems. Kind of like the fancy appetisers at a restaurant you eat too many of and then you're full by the time the starters are served. Ahem.
If any of this sounds like something you'd enjoy, hit that subscribe button so you don't miss any future episodes, follow me on Twitter (@specpoetrypod), and/or join the conversation on the Looking Glass Discord server at https://discord.gg/HMmvk8xsAY.
While I won't always be able to provide full transcripts for the complete episodes, I'm making a slight exception for the mini episodes leading up to the official launch of the podcast. The full transcript for this episode can be found at https://lookingglasspoets.wordpress.com/2021/07/04/so-about-jabberwocky/
Sources:
- https://interestingliterature.com/2016/01/a-short-analysis-of-jabberwocky-by-lewis-carroll/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jabberwocky
- Merriam-Webster: to chortle: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chortle#:~:text=(Entry%201%20of%202),pleased%20She%20chortled%20with%20delight.
- Merriam-Webster: jabberwocky: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jabberwocky
- Merriam-Webster: frabjous: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frabjous
- 'Chortle,' and other words invented by Lewis Carroll: https://www.cjr.org/language_corner/chortle.php#:~:text=The%20most%20popular%20one%20is,his%20joy%2C%E2%80%9D%20which%20sounds%20more
- Shakespeare-online.com: http://shakespeare-online.com/biography/wordsinvented.html#:~:text=The%20English%20language%20owes%20a,and%20devising%20words%20wholly%20original.
Theme music: Wonderland by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
Welcome Into the Looking Glass
Welcome, speculative poets and poetry lovers, to this brand new project, in which I hope to provide an opportunity for speculative poets to step into the spotlight, and allow all of us to learn from each other as we go.
As I prepare for the official launch day, on August 1st, I'd like to invite you along on these few mini episodes in which we discuss the the field of speculative poetry in a bit more detail.
If this sounds like something you'd like, hit that subscribe button so you don't miss any future episodes!
You can also follow me on Twitter, where I will post links to work by interviewees on the account @specpoetrypod, or join the conversation on the Looking Glass Discord server at https://discord.gg/HMmvk8xsAY
While I won't always be able to provide full transcripts for the complete episodes, I'm making a slight exception for the mini episodes leading up to the official launch of the podcast. The full transcript for this episode can be found at https://lookingglasspoets.wordpress.com/2021/06/20/welcome/.
Theme music: Wanderer by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
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