I’m a sucker for a beautifully told tale, and Dan Curley’s “Remuria” delivers. This poem about his students and his friend and her devastating diagnosis, interwoven with Rome in all her beauty, kept pulling me back into its sad embrace. — Alexis Rhone Fancher *** Remuria The day you were diagnosed You came to …
Steamy. Provocative. Devastating. This sensual, highly visual poem drew me into its world of flowers and wolves and knives to the throat. “I am painting my body with vernaculars,” Ayinla writes. Gorgeous. And deadly. — Alexis Rhone Fancher *** Prelude to Omissions I have risen above noise level. I am painting my body with …
“Houseplant” is a wonderfully well-made poem. From the beginning, we are told that something odd, wonderful, and magical is happening, “I water my ficus with milk.” Every line that follows delivers what is promised in the first. As a reader, I cannot stop reading the poem because each turn and twist is enjoyable and fun. …
“Stuck in Traffic, I Witness” examines a small incident and meditates on its spiritual and humanistic significance. The poem’s power derives from the intimate conversation the speaker has with us readers: “Sometimes, I wonder if the universe intentionally breaks us till our bodies compete with dust before dispensing a rain of half-baked glee to whet …
I was surprised I chose “Hemingway’s Room” because I tend not to like poems about writing. Again, it was the language, clean and sharp throughout, but the section where the narrator heads out and reports what he sees, the images, is what won me over. — Tony Gloeggler *** Hemingway’s Room I think about …
I really dug the step by step precise writing, the repetition in the middle, the sure steady rhythm of “Eating Corn Soup under the Strawberry Moon.” I could taste and smell the poem. At the close, the poem left me with a sense of peace and power. — Tony Gloeggler *** Eating Corn Soup under …
Rosalie Sanara Petrouske: “Eating Corn Soup under the Strawberry Moon” Read More »
2020’s 8th Annual Jack Grapes Poetry Prize was our largest contest ever! We received 2,412 entries from all over the world, containing over 3,500 individual poems! From these our readers chose 112 semi-finalists and our three judges, Tony Gloeggler, Bunkong Tuon, and Alexis Rhone Fancher each chose one winner and two finalists. The competition was …
Unity is the only way we can keep our country from splintering. Reaching it is the challenge. 17 years ago I made the decision to leave religion. Although raised in it, it wasn’t until I left the institution that I saw more clearly how others experienced it. Things like rigid thinking and an inability to …
This remarkable poem enthralled me from the first reading. I got caught up in the poem’s velocity, the way it built up to that shattering line at the end. How many of us have been that girl? Ashley Mullin lived to tell the tale. — Alexis Rhone Fancher *** A Girl Is a Gun …
“Transatlantic Equation” is a brave and moving poem, blending the political with the personal. The poet approaches a difficult and serious subject with the right balance of passion and control, politics and aesthetic, clarity and beauty. In the poem, the speaker examines the “equation” that is involved in transporting slaves to the Americas or Europe, …
“Heat” stuck out from my initial reading and each time I read it with all the poems, it just felt stronger, resonated more. Clean, clear writing where every word fit. The poem surprised me where it went as I read it, but afterwards it felt as if it went the only place it could have …
To make it to the semi-finals in this year’s Jack Grapes Poetry Prize, a poem had to be in the top 8% among the over 3,500 poems submitted this year. Cultural Weekly salutes the following poets, and recognizes their achievement. Abu Bakr Sadiq Aidan Redwing Alfredo Quarto Quarto Anita Kongari Antara Roy Arifa K.M.T Ashley …
2020 Jack Grapes Poetry Prize — The Semifinalists Read More »
Hey Jack, Remember some years back, when I called to say we planned to start a Poetry Prize at Cultural Weekly. Could we name it after you? You said, and I’ll never forget this, “Can I donate for the prizes?” – That’s not necessary, I said. – But I want to, you said. So it …
You might have thought that the protesters cramming Hollywood streets and blocking traffic on the 101 and 170 freeways in early October had something to do with the looming political election. Instead, the demonstrations centered on the faraway land of Artsakh. The newly heated clash between Azerbaijan and Artsakh that began September 27 might also …
Why You Should Care About the Azerbaijan-Armenia Conflict Read More »
Drive-in dance resumes, tap dance goes solo, a folkloric encore, festival week 3 gets its share of 50 choreographers, street dance gets a YouTube channel, encore streaming, dance classes, and more SoCal dance this week. New This Week They’re back and free! The always anticipated LA Dance Festival was among local spring dance events cancelled by the …
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