"Every poem is a love poem"

Mural by Sara Erenthal, Allen Street, New York, New York. Photo by Susan Thomsen, 2020.

Today's bit of poetry goodness is the February 26th, 2025, edition of the New Yorker's Poetry Podcast in which Jericho Brown reads a work by Elizabeth Alexander ("When") and one of his own ("Colosseum.") He tells poetry editor Kevin Young, "Every poem is a love poem because somebody just had to write it down. Somebody just had to get it right, and it was out of love, of that moment of writing, out of love for that poem itself..." I highly recommend listening to the interview and readings.

Another of Brown's poems that I like is "'N'Em." You can read it at the New York Times Magazine.

*****

The Poetry Friday roundup is at Margaret Simon's Reflections on the Teche. Margaret and I grew up in the same hometown and even attended the same church as kids. Small world, right? She's such a thoughtful, talented writer. Go visit!

Comments

[Jane]

Oh wow, I really love that sentiment, that every poem is a love poem, because the act of putting pen to paper is an act of love, whether for a person, place, concept, or even the love of words themselves!

[Susan]

Yes, Jane, I love it too! My heart grew when i heard that.

[Margaret Simon]

I've been reading aloud a Kate DiCamillo book, Ferris. In Ferris, the theme is "Every story is a love story." It's fun for me to hear the connection to poetry, too. Thanks for joining the round up and for your kind comments.

[Susan]

That sounds like a good book! I’m so glad it’s Poetry Friday.

[Denise Krebs]

Thank you, Susan, for the link to the poetry podcast. I've been enjoying hearing Jericho Brown.

[Susan]

Yay! He’s great!

[Heidi]

I'll go back and listen--because yes, our hearts are in it, and that proves that love is work. "N'em" was firewalled for me until I logged in, so in case folks don't have a NYT subscription, here's a gift link to that heartwork of a poem. Thanks! I didn't know you and Margaret were connected like that!

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/magazine/nem-poem-jericho-brown.html?unlocked_article_code=1.2E4.KaDh.sznqYttbQMNz&smid=url-share

[Rose Cappelli]

Thanks for the link, Susan. I was reminded, too, of the book Ferris that Margaret mentioned. Writing as an act of love - so true.

[Irene Latham]

Yes!! And that love shoots out into the universe to touch we-dont-know-who-and-what! Like this blog post. Thank you! xo

[Janice Scully]

Thank you , Susan, for recommending this podcast which made me wonder about poems as love poems, to think about that. The podcast is a deep dive into two poems that are multilayered and I was glad to have a guide through Jericho Brown.

[Tracey Kiff-Judson]

Susan, thank you for the podcast recommendation. I just subscribed. Thinking of every poem as a love poem rings true to me and will definitely give me a different perspective on the poem that I write today. : )

[Susan]

Heidi, you're a lifesaver! Thank you so much for that gift link. I edited the post to include it, so I hope folks can read the poem.

Rose, Irene, Janice, and Tracey, thanks for reading! I do like this podcast a lot.

[Cathy Stenquist]

Thanks for the poems! I am fascinated to see how poets format their poems with different spacing, like wrapping a sentence around like this:

The TV when it rained. They hid
Money in mattresses

I am eager to understand choices and what the intention is.

[Susan]

It is interesting, Cathy! I have no inkling why Brown did it this way, but the folks he’s talking about did have to hide sometimes, and not just hide their money. With a very active Klan in the South, poor Black people were extremely vulnerable, and this line reminds me of that—and of their strength and ingenuity.

[Alan j Wright]

Susan, thank you so much for sharing this powerful quote from Jericho Brown. It is a timely reminder to call upon when we sit down to compose our poetic thoughts. It has gone straight into my writer's notebook in big, bold letters. I shall be committing this memory.

[Susan]

That’s awesome, Alan! These words really struck me, too. I love the process of creating a poem and getting it right.

[Sarah Grace Tuttle]

Love this Susan-- thank you!

[Mary Lee]

Thanks for a new podcast to keep me company while I stitch! I recently treated myself to a copy of the Century of Poetry in the New Yorker. I was impressed with the readability of Kevin Young's introduction and I appreciate the creativity of the way the poems are gathered -- not just a predictable chronological march.

[Linda]

I love that quote! I also enjoyed reading about how you and Margaret are connected. It's a small world indeed! : )

[Carol Varsalona]

Thank you, Susan, for your post, the poem, and this line, ""Every poem is a love poem because somebody just had to write it down." I enjoyed listening to the podcast.

[Susan]

Sarah, Mary Lee, Linda, and Carol, thanks for stopping by to visit! I really want to get that New Yorker book of poetry. The magazine e just turned 100! Incredible. I enjoyed hearing Jericho B. talk about his role in the expanding the kinds of poems the NYer publishes.

[Karen Edmisten]

Susan, you always have so much poetry goodness to offer! Thanks for these links. ❤️

[Susan T.]

Karen, what a nice thing to hear! Thank you so much.