Vs

In this episode, Wes reflects on his transition from being a youth to adulthood as it relates to the poetry scene, level of empathy, and approach to wonder.

In today’s episode, Kemi Alabi talks about poetic practice, pleasure, and play as it presents in their collection Against Heaven, winner of the Academy of American Poets First Book Award (Graywolf, 2022). In this conversation, they discuss the relationship between the secular and profane, subverting and breaking language, and the importance of embracing grief and the emotional body. Kemi will be reading at the Poetry Foundation on Dec 8th, 2022 – more info below!

Remica Bingham-Risher’s reverence for love and relationship is tangible in her work. The author of Soul Culture, Starlight & Error, What We Ask of Flesh, and Conversion talks with Brittany and Ajanaé about the necessity of Black women curating the archive and the value of interiority.

Franny and Danez grace us with insight on being grown and dreaming toward the future. These former VS hosts talk with Brittany and Ajanaé about the way sobriety, domesticity, and clarity about their identities as writers is shaping their lives. 

In October of 1871, the oldest University in Nashville TN, teetered on the brink of collapse. To survive, Fisk University staked its last $40 on a set of field hymns and 10 descendants of American slavery. The singing group carried melodies their families shared in secret from the cotton fields of middle Tennessee to the high court of the Queen of England. The landmark tours of the Fisk Jubilee Singers rescued a university, gave Nashville its identity, and set the course of American music.  One hundred fifty years later the journey of the Fisk Jubilee Singers continues. Immerse yourself in the music and voices of the original chorus and hear how their stories are transformed through poetry in this one-hour special “Three Castles and the Music City.” Produced in partnership with Nashville Public Radio [WPLN] Hosted by: Destiny Birdsong Co-Written and Produced by: Joshua Moore and Colleen Phelps Editing by: Anita Bugg Transcription by: Ayinde Jean-Baptiste Poets: Destiny Birdsong Ciona Rouse Bryan Byrdlong

All The Apostles are Black, All the Saints Queer, and All of Them Are Brave: towards a queer canon (Pt.2)  Hello, hi Beloveds! Welcome back to the second installment of our Roll Call episode. We are your hosts, Kopano Maroga and Maneo Mohale, and we are sluts for history and sluts for discourse and are going to be picking the brains of our fabulous guests Koleka Putuma (featured in part 1) and Nakhane (featured in part 2) speaking all things blackness, South Africanness, craft, microaggressions, white twinks and black queer ancestors. We are joined in these episodes by voicenote interludes from black, queer South African artists Gugulethu Duma (aka Dumama who opens and closes the show), Lindiwe Mngxitama and Kneo Mokgopa. Special thanks to our magnificent producer, Maia McDonald, and our generous mentors, Danez Smith and Jenna Wortham, for holding space for us and holding our hands through the process.  Big, black, slutty love! Maneo & Kopano Hosted by: Kopano Maroga and Maneo Mohale Featuring: Nakhane, K

All The Apostles are Black, All the Saints Queer, and All of Them Are Brave: towards a queer canon (Pt.1) Hello, hi Beloveds! We are Kopano Maroga and Maneo Mohale and we have the absolute honour of hosting this 2 part episode of Roll Call for you produced by the Poetry Foundation. We are sluts for history and sluts for discourse and are going to be picking the brains of our fabulous guests Koleka Putuma (featured in part 1) and Nakhane (featured in part 2) speaking all things blackness in these episodes. South Africanness, craft, microaggressions, white twinks and black queer ancestors. We are joined in these episodes by voicenote interludes from black, queer South African artists Gugulethu Duma (aka Dumama who opens and closes the show), Lindiwe Mngxitama and Kneo Mokgopa. Special thanks to our magnificent producer, Maia McDonald, and our generous mentors, Danez Smith and Jenna Wortham, for holding space for us and holding our hands through the process.  Big, black, slutty love! Maneo & Kopano Hosted by

In this episode, black feminist poet and performance artist Gabrielle Civil grapples with the slippery, urgent nature of black time, what she calls the déjà vu. She talks to fellow poets Rashidah Ismaili and jayy dodd, scholar Michelle M. Wright, and visionary six year old Naima about poetry and history, memories and the future. This episode offers sonic experiments, spotlight readings, and intimate chats to bring the déjà vu alive. (Also check out Gabrielle’s new book the déjà vu, available 2/22/22.) Hosted by: Gabrielle Civil Featuring: Rashidah Ismaili, jayy dodd, Michelle M. Wright and Naima Produced by: Tyree Rush Transcription by: Kristen Jeré Poets: Octavia Butler Nikki Giovanni Alexis Pauline Gumbs

This episode is a roundtable discussion between Brittany, Maurisa, and Ajanae. We discuss the way that friendship has sustained us and been the catalyst for our growth as writers. We also highlight other literary friendships that inspire and guide our practices (i.e Pat Parker and Audre Lorde, Cornelius Eady and Toi Derricotte, Willie Kinard and AsiahMae, etc) and how valuable community is to the development of Black writers. Hosted by: Maurisa Li-A-Ping, Brittany Rogers and Ajanae Dawkins Produced by: Camille Mojica Transcription by: Victor Jackson

When many people think of experimental Black poetry, they imagine Jazz, or spoken word, or vernacular––they “envision” sound. But what about poetry you can see? In this episode, Keith S. Wilson talks with poets Alison C. Rollins and Chaun Webster about visual poetry. What is it? Where does it come from?  What strange things does it do to our sense of time? Show Notes: Hosted by: Keith S Wilson Produced by: Original Sound Design and Production by Justin Zullo Transcription by:Kristen Jeré Featured work: “A Song by Any Other Name” by Alison C Rollins and “Untitled” from Wail Song by Chaun Webster

Show Description Can any label or identity explain our freedom, our community or history? How do you identify and what does it mean? In this special episode with Jasminne Mendez, Darrel Alejandro Holnes and Raina J. León explores the fluidity of terms and identity as Black Latinx,o,e,a people from the diaspora. Work featured by Toni Morrison, Aracelis Girmay, Alan Pelaez Lopez and Elizabeth Acevedo. Episode produced by Cin Pimentel. Transcription by Victor Jackson. Show Notes  Social Media for Darrel - @blackboytraveljoy (Insta) and darrelholnes.com (website) Books: Stepmotherland (Notre Dame University Press, 2022); Migrant Psalms (Northwestern University Press, 2021) Social Media for Raina - @rainaleon (IG, Twitter, Facebook) and rainaleon.com (website); @storyjoyinc on IG and Twitter and storyjoyinc.com and check out acentosreview.com and @acentosreview on IG and Twitter and Facebook Books and other work: Canticle of Idols ( CW Books, 2008); profeta without refuge (Nomadic Press, 2016); Areyto to Atabey: E

Friends, we’ve reached the end–Franny, Danez, and producer Daniel say their goodbyes after five wonderful years as the crew of VS. The team reminisces on some of their favorite moments from the show, tells some behind the scenes gems, and gets a lil weepy by the end. As we say in the episode, we are so deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to create this show for you. Thank you for your ears, time, attention, and love.  Stay subscribed for VS Presents Roll Call, a limited series launching early 2022 about the past, present, and futures of Black poetry, as well as VS season 6 with our new hosts and producer! NOTE: Make sure you rate us on Apple Podcasts and write us a review

On our last guest interview (oh god!), the squad is joined by masterful poet and overall champion Rachel McKibbens. Recording from the spooky, amazing bar she runs in Rochester, Rachel breaks down her comfort with violence, the power of stopping without providing an ending, the joy and uniqueness of her Pink Door retreat, and much more. NOTE: Make sure you rate us on Apple Podcasts and write us a review!

We’re dancing in the reflection pool with the inimitable Sarah Kay. On this penultimate interview led by Franny and Danez, the magnificent poet and poetry community member talks about what happened when she turned internal in the pandemic, the relationship between public persona and personal growth, and the gift of connecting with the form that she’s trying to pay forward to as many people as possible. Savor this convo, pals–we’re almost at the end of the road! NOTE: Make sure you rate us on Apple Podcasts and write us a review!

Douglas Kearney is developing some new armor for his people. The visionary poet breaks down how he is exploring the limits and possibilities of poems as protection, how he loves to share what he’s learned across generations, the power of drum machine prosody, and much more. NOTE: Make sure you rate us on Apple Podcasts and write us a review!

Cyrée Jarelle Johnson knows how to find satisfaction on the page. The brilliant poet breaks down where satisfaction lives in his poems, where the confessional meets the surreal, how sexy poetic form can be, and much more. NOTE: Make sure you rate us on Apple Podcasts and write us a review! Need a transcript of this episode? Request a transcript here.

George Abraham is ready to return. The Palestinian-American poet and professor talks with Franny and Danez about the experience of revisiting their first book Birthright, carving a past and future for themselves in the face of colonialism and homophobia, learning to spur their readers into action, and much more. NOTE: Make sure you rate us on Apple Podcasts and write us a review!

Evie Shockley is ready to bring us together. The poet, critic, and professor breaks down how she builds spaces to gather and exchange in her poems, the lineages she pulls from, balancing her critical and artistic lenses, and much more. Plus, some VERY important info about next season of VS! NOTE: Make sure you rate us on Apple Podcasts and write us a review

Aria Aber knows how to find the space between the buildings, the beauty in the ruins. The poet talks with Franny and Danez about her masterful book Hard Damage, sharing the fragments of her past with her family, writing toward city and landscape, and much more.  NOTE: Make sure you rate us on Apple Podcasts and write us a review!