Author Archives: Richard Guzman
Raja and Milosz and Me
Sometimes I think it’s my favorite book in the world: Czeslaw Milosz’s poetry anthology titled A Book of Luminous Things. Subtitled “An International Anthology of Poetry,” it ranges over continents and centuries giving us mostly short poems from Wang Wei, … Continue reading
SLAMS: Poetry and Applause Meters
Is it? Is it unhealthy to hook poetry up to an applause meter? Is it healthier to keep it locked up in university ivory towers, like so much of it is these days? Marc Kelly Smith was thinking about all … Continue reading
Marc Kelly Smith: Slams and Old Coats
Marc Kelly Smith was born and raised on the Southeast Side of Chicago, near the South Chicago Steel Works, which employed both his grandfather and, briefly, his father. Smith attended (but didn’t finish) college, married, had three children, and worked … Continue reading