poetry
‘Half the Night Is Gone’: The Literary Playlist
Listen to what was playing in author Amitabha Bagchi’s head while he wrote his latest novel, set in early 20th century Delhi.
Slam Poet Sabika Naqvi Prods the Public With Her Rhymes
We took notes as she challenged the patriarchy, one passerby at a time.
Rap Is Banned in Iran, But the Underground Scene Is Flourishing
"We have so many forbidden things in Iran, but does that prevent us from doing them? If forbidden rap can tell good stories, go ahead and forbid it! The ban only means it's an opportunity."
The World's First Author Was a Chill Priestess to an Even Chiller Goddess
Meet Enheduanna, the Mesopotamian princess and religious leader whose poetry celebrated a celestial goddess who could smash mountains and change people's gender.
'His Misogyny Lacks Imagination': Poets Critique Sean Penn's #MeToo Poem
The actor's supposedly fictional novel "Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff" ends with an epic poem where the woman-hating protagonist tries to take on the #MeToo movement. We asked professional poets what they think of it.
The Radical Poetry of Audre Lorde's Confidante, Pat Parker
The work of the Black lesbian poet and Black Panther is a salve for times like these.
Yrsa Daley-Ward's Intimate Poems Have Become an Instagram Sensation
The Nigerian-Jamaican writer has a new memoir called 'The Terrible' hitting shelves in June.
Aja Monet Is Not OK with Your Apathy
The Brooklyn native has been melding politics and poetry since long before Trump's white supremacist-fueled rise.
Traveling the Country with My Queer, Feminist Roadshow Family
"As soon as I stepped onstage at my first Sister Spit show, I felt my spirit open up to receive the sea of queer faces smiling, nodding, snapping their fingers."
Ashley August Isn't Afraid of Rejection
We talked to the actress and award-winning poet about how her bumpy road to stardom empowered her to be even more unapologetically black.