LINE LEVEL #14
Welcome to LINE LEVEL: Craft Lessons from Poets of Color, a monthly column in which writer, editor, and educator Joanna Acevedo zooms in on an element of craft from the work of BIPOC poets. LINE LEVEL unfolds in three parts:…
Category: General
Poetry: “in my english poems” by Josiane Kouagheu
Josiane Kouagheu is the undisputed master of implication. In this brief poem, she reveals a powerhouse indictment and accuses the centuries of colonialism which have led to the dominance of English as a global language—and the Western world at large,…
Poetry: “First Notes on Tennis” by Noreen Ocampo
Noreen Ocampo’s “First Notes on Tennis,” is intimidating, plain and simple. The structure of the poem is a little scary. But when you look closer, the poem, which mimics a tennis court, is full of lyrical and inventive moments of…
Poetry: “What the Fuck” by Robert Pearson
New Voices opens the year with Robert Pearson’s “What the Fuck,” which is a poem that expresses more than meets the eye. At first glance, the poem is almost too simple, absent of the kinds of elements we talk about…
Poetry: “I Stalk the Piedmont Houses on Zillow Just to Feel Something” by Zoe Dorado
“People / from the Bay always say they’re like upper-middle-lower-class / when they’re actually a South Park punchline. But we like to believe / we’re funny. I want to believe that I’m in on the joke.” Here is a fresh…
LINE LEVEL #13
Welcome to LINE LEVEL: Craft Lessons from Poets of Color, a monthly column in which writer, editor, and educator Joanna Acevedo zooms in on an element of craft from the work of BIPOC poets. LINE LEVEL unfolds in three parts:…
Poetry: “Hi Everyone! Welcome To My 8 Step Skincare Routine” by Christy Ku
As New Voices wind down for the year, Christy Ku brings us “Hi Everyone!” which is an exercise in irreverence. We see her repetitive in form, which at first feels like a comic trick, but rises into a fever pitch…
Poetry: “Against letting sleeping dogs lie” by Angela Cao
Angela Cao is ambitious with “Against letting sleeping dogs lie,” and she delivers—in just a short grouping of lines she is able to demonstrate with lyrical precision a coming-of-age narrative turned on its head, a story that all too many…
Poetry: “god in LOWERCASE.” by Hero Jason
Hero Jason has the remarkable ability to cut through the noise. He brings a refreshing honesty to spiritual practice, and even as his speaker struggles with their faith, it’s clear that Jason has tapped into a well of essential human…
Poetry: “Dress Up Game” by Zoe Korte
Zoe Korte pulls no punches. The first lines of their poem “Dress Up Game,” cover all the bases, from human sacrifice all the way to devout religious practice. There’s an element to the way they create pairings, both in terms…
