Poem of the Week: “Aquarium, February,” by Liz Ahl

A note about the choosing of this poem from Center for Poetry Intern, Allison Costello: “In light of the intense winter storm that has made its way across Michigan, I wanted to choose a poem that referenced winter but honored the safety and stillness of indoors. “Aquarium, February” by Liz Ahl does just that, describing

Poem of the Week: “All Souls’ Day”, by Carol Rumens

              All Souls’ Day By Carol Rumens   Let’s go our old way by the stream, and kick the leaves as we always did, to make the rhythm of breaking waves. This day draws no breath – shows no colour anywhere except for the leaves – in their death

Poem of the Week: “Dear Amy Nehzooukammyatootill,” by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Center for Poetry intern Grace Carras selected this poem, and had this to say: “I had the great privilege of participating in a poetry workshop led by Aimee Nezhukumatathil over the summer. As a teacher, she was tremendously energetic and inspiring; as a poet, her wit and attention to sensory detail sets her work apart

Poem Of The Week: Someday I’ll Love Ocean Vuong by Ocean Vuong

Ocean, don’t be afraid. The end of the road is so far ahead it is already behind us. Don’t worry. Your father is only your father until one of you forgets. Like how the spine won’t remember its wings no matter how many times our knees kiss the pavement. Ocean, are you listening? The most

Poem of the Week: Eating Walnuts

The old man eating walnuts knows the trick: you do it wrong for many years, applying pressure to the seams, to split the shell along its hemispheres. It seems so clear and easy. There’s the line. You follow the instructions, then your snack ends up quite pulverized. You sweep your lap, and mutter, try again.

Renowned poet, activist, and MSU alumna Carolyn Forché returns to campus

By Kelsey Block The Residential College in the Arts and Humanities Center for Poetry was proud to welcome Michigan State University alumna and poet Carolyn Forché to campus on April 22 and 23. Forché joined the Center as a part of its annual Spring Poetry Festival, which is held in conjunction with National Poetry Month

2015 Balocating Prize for Poetry: “Memorial Day” by Connor Yeck

Congratulations to Connor Yeck, a Senior in English and the winner of the 2015 Annie Balocating Undergraduate Prize for Poetry! Yeck’s poem “Memorial Day” was selected by guest judge Carolyn Forché and presented during her reading at the RCAH Center for Poetry on April 22, 2015 in Snyder-Phillips Hall. The Balocating Prize is an award

Poem of the Week: “The Colonel” by Carolyn Forché

Perhaps Carolyn Forché’s most well-known poem, “The Colonel” was published in her book The Country Between Us (1981) and captures “her now-famous encounter with a Salvadoran colonel who, as he made light of human rights, emptied a bag of human ears before Forché” (from The Poetry Foundation). Forché will visit the RCAH Center for Poetry this

Poem of the Week: “Ice Music” by Terry Blackhawk

Detroit-based poet Terry Blackhawk will join the Center for Poetry for a reading and talk on April 15th as part of our Spring Poetry Festival. You can read more about her visit on our website. “Ice Music” by Terry Blackhawk ice melt ice lace ice breaking up upstream coming down from up north in variegated

Poem of the Week: “Resurrection Yoga” by Dennis Hinrichsen

In celebration of an upcoming visit by Lansing poet Dennis Hinrichsen, we present his poem “Resurrection Yoga” from Kurosawa’s Dog (Oberlin Press, 2009). Dennis will visit the RCAH Center for Poetry on April 1, and at his reading, the Center for Poetry will release handmade broadside sheets with the poem “Resurrection Yoga” printed in-house on the