Poets and Muses: We chat with poets about their inspirations

This week, Lupe Castro (https://www.instagram.com/the.lupe.castro/) and Imogen Arate (https://poetsandmuses.com/imogen-arate/) discuss our respective poems, "#Neighborhood" and "#WhatWeFollow," #communitygovernmentinteractions, reform for a better future and becoming a more informed decision maker. Listening to this articulate, thoughtful 17-year-old will give you hope for the future. Take a listen to also find out about all the poetry-related events taking place in and around Phoenix during the week of February 18th. Picture of Lupe Castro (https://www.instagram.com/the.lupe.castro/) by Creative Catalysts (https://www.instagram.com/creativecatalystsaz/) #poetrypocasts #LupeCastro #ImogenArate #Letthosewithoutsincastthefirststone #NiccoloMachiavelli #ThePrince #crownofthorns #Lucifer #saint #authenticpeople #practicewhatyoupreach #hypocrisy #religiousimageryinpoetry #scienceinpoetry #facistpropoganda #objectivenews #socialmedia #sportsmedicine #helpingpeople #azhumanities #TheWrittenBody #EloisaAmezcua #AndreaAvery #KirstinChen #NewCityPhoenixStudentAuditorium #JuniorStateofAmerica #TheCronkiteSchoolofJournalism #fourteenthamendment #14thamendment #ChangingHandsBookStore #JeredithMerrin #PoeticImageryandInsight #LocaltoGlobalJusticeForum #PhoenixHostelandCulturalCenter #ArtsandCulture #AZPoetryEvents #AZPoetryOpenMics #PoetryOpenMics #PhoenixPoetryOpenMics #CafeToubaAfricanCoffeeShoppe #AlzohourRestaurant #ConnectandHeal #ChandlerCommunityCenter #poetryworkshops #writingworkshops #ChandlerPublicLibrary #KenKong #theUndergroundExperience #2601onCentral #PoeticSoulPhoenix #ClubDwntwn #District4Poetry #jarrodscoffeeteaandgallery #WordPlayCafe #TheNile #lorindrexler #GenSociety #kelearninglab

In anticipation for Valentine's Day, our guest this week, #OscarMancinas (https://twitter.com/oscar_wildin), and I (https://poetsandmuses.com/imogen-arate/) discuss our respective poems "Every Father Says I Love You" and "Soft Lights," familial and romantic love, crushes and heartbreak. (If you don't end up in tears at some point during this episode, then listen to it on repeat until you do ;) Take a listen to also find out about all the poetry-related events taking place in and around Phoenix during the week of #February11th. Order Oscar's debut chapbook of poems, Jaula, from GASHER Journal, at: https://www.gasherjournal.com/product-page/jaula Check out Oscar's debut collection of short stories at: https://artepublicopress.com/product/to-live-and-die-in-el-valle/ Picture of Oscar by #DulceArambula #EveryFatherSaysILoveYou #SoftLights #ValentinesDay #familiallove #romanticlove #crushes #heartbreak #SierraMadreOccidental #Tarahumara #Raramuri #IndigenousNation #ThoseWhoRun #TheRunnersonTwoFeet #BorntoRun #IndioCA #SilverMining #TheShallowEnds #SimonJimenez #ArizonaMastersofPoetry #BlazePizza #CreativeCollaborativeJam #InstituteforHumanitiesResearch #LadyPaulaByrne #Bibliotherapy #ASURossBlakleyHall #RossBlakleyHall196 #RBHL196 #OldMainCarsonBallroom #TheVirginiaGPiperCenterforCreativeWritingatASU #NatalieDiaz #OldMainCarsonBallroom #ASUTempeCampus #MerleNudelman #EkphrasisPoetry #ChangingHandsBookstore #PoetryWorkshop #LifesaHootProductions #ValentinesDayRedLightSpecial #SheratonPhoenixAirportHotelTempe #Flowerlounge #TomasStanton #LotusWeiFlowerlounge #Cleopache #OrganicPoetry #UnexpectedArtGallery #AlwunHouseFoundation #EroticPoetryandMusicFestivus #TristanMarshell #WeJazzJune #JazzmeetsPoetry #WomenInJazzandPoetry #DrTamikaSanders #TheNash #LaTosque #SpeakingintoExistence #SmokeItintoExistenceOpenMic #JustBlazeSmokeShop #ArtsandCulture #AZPoetryEvents #AZPoetryOpenMics #PoetryOpenMics #PhoenixPoetryOpenMics #CafeToubaAfricanCoffeeShoppe #AlzohourRestaurant #ConnectandHeal #ChandlerCommunityCenter #ChandlerPublicLibrary #KenKong #2601onCentral #PoeticSoulPhoenix #ClubDwntwn #LawnGnomePublishing #PhoenixPoetrySlam #TheLostLeaf #EroticHaikuDeathmatch #PalabrasBilingualBookstore #POCIt2Me #ImprovMania #District4Poetry #jarrodscoffeeteaandgallery

Update (Feb 4th), Connect & Heal's monthly poetry writing workshop and open-mid will take place on Feb 17th, NOT Feb 10th. #LaoShiClover (baile.reina at yahoo.com) and I (https://poetsandmuses.com/imogen-arate/) discuss our poems "#TheIronyoftheNewBlackMillionaire" & "#OdetoanAmicableStranger (On the Death of Mary Oliver)," what it means to "gain" from death & the trauma of losing one's child to #policebrutality. On February 9th & 10th, our poet guest will be starring in the Vagina Monologues at the #ThirdStreetTheater. Get your tickets at: https://phoenixcenterforthearts.yapsody.com/event/index/355161/the-vagina-monologues. Take a listen to also find out all the poetry events taking place in and around Phoenix during the week of #February4th. Episode cover provided by Lao Shi Clover Here are some background articles related to our discussion: 1. How Many People Are Killed By Police Each Year? - The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/559835/ 2. How Lawsuits Involving Police Officers Can Cost a City a Whopping Amount of Money https://www.virtra.com/blogs/lawsuits-involving-police-officers-can-cost-city-whopping-amount-money/%20 3. Mapping Police Violence https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/ 4. Years of life lost due to encounters with law enforcement in the USA, 2015–2016 | Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health https://jech.bmj.com/content/72/8/715 #ArtsandCulture #CafeToubaAfricanCoffeeShoppe #AlzohourRestaurant #ConnectandHeal #ChandlerCommunityCenter #ohmyearsmusic #thefilmbarphx #KenKong #2601onCentral #PoeticSoulPhoenix #ClubDwntwn #9thegallery #LorinDrexler

Anna and I discuss definitions of Pocha, Chicano and identities Cover art from the book cover of Anna Flores' book Pocha Theory by Pierston Doctor

This week, #BluesBlack and I (https://poetsandmuses.com/imogen-arate/) discuss our respective poems "#ThePromiseland" and "#SelfDestructive," the experience of living through the aftermath of MLK's assassination, the impediments to true equality, #classstruggles & #policebrutality. Take a listen to also find out about all the poetry-related events taking place in and around #Phoenix during the week of #January28th. See Blues read on Mondays (6-9pm) at Speak Easy - Cafe Touba Open Mic (https://www.facebook.com/events/565164970564029/), on January 29th (6:30-9pm) at The Art of Justice Open Mic (https://www.facebook.com/296200377839574/photos/a.363143597811918/363143544478590/?type=3&theater) and on the second Friday of each month (6-9:30pm) at the Caffeine Corridor Open Mic & Poetry Series, at {9} the Gallery (https://9thegallery.com/) Read the #EncyclopaediaBritannica's article on #HumanEvolution: https://www.britannica.com/science/human-evolution Picture of Blues Black below by Imogen Arate #ArtsandCulture #ValleyBar #Nocturnalthepoet #FirstChurch #RhythmRoom #LorinDrexler #GenSociety #MesaArtspaceLofts #ArizonaLatinoArtsandCulturalCenter #CollegeofIntegrativeSciencesandArts #ASU #HerbergerYoungScholarsAcademy #MaricopaArtsCouncil #MaricopaCityHall #SpeakEasyCafeToubaOpenMic #AlzohourRestaurant #ConnectandHeal #ChandlerCommunityCenter #KenKong #TheUndergroundExperience #2601onCentral #PoeticSoulPhoenix #ClubDwntwn #MaricopaCityHall #GetMorePlays

Anna Flores (https://www.instagram.com/pochaterca/) and I (https://poetsandmuses.com/imogen-arate/) discuss our respective poems "Mexicans Are Such Hard Workers" and "Erosion," the trials and tribulations faced by #mixedstatusfamilies, #immigrantidentity, climate refugees and #liberalism. Take a listen to also find out about all the poetry-related events taking place in and around Phoenix during the week of #January21st. (You'll be able to access the extra clip between Anna and myself when you subscribe to the Poets and Muses weekly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/17795d5229aa/poetsandmuses_weekly_newsletter Anna will be reading at the #ArizonaLatinoArtsandCulturalCenter on February 1st to introduce a year-long project about criminalization and incarceration. This will start at 7PM and run until about 10 PM. You can find her book Pocha Theory at https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pocha-theory-anna-flores/1128548521 Cover art from the book cover of Anna Flores' book Pocha Theory by Pierston Doctor (https://www.instagram.com/pdoc_pierre/)

Our guest this week, Jyotishka Misra, and I (https://poetsandmuses.com/imogen-arate/) talk about our poems "The Last Shot of Vodka" and "Connected," the #tundra during the unforgiving #AlaskanWinter, his friend at the #UniversityofAlaskaFairbanks, who taught him about #NativeAlaskanCulture (#Iñupiat), and connecting with people from different cultures and backgrounds. You can find Jyotishka's book, Wonderings of a Wanderer, at https://www.amazon.in/Wonderings-Wanderer-Jyotishka-Misra/dp/9386263505 (physical copy) & http://bookden.in/products/macmillan-book-wonderings-of-a-wanderer (e-book version) Tune in to also find out about #poetryevents in Phoenix and surrounding valley during the week of #January14th Episode- (and book-)cover illustration by Sukanya Misra (http://craftcravesandwanderlust.blogspot.com/) The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 1-800-273-8255 / 1-800-273-TALK or https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ #ArtsandCulture #poetryevents #Arizonapoetryevents #poetryopenmics #SpeakEasyCafeToubaOpenMic #AlzohourRestaurant #connectandheal #ChandlerCommunityCenter #chandlerlibrary #GenSociety #WritersWorkshop #Ke-MainStreetLearningLab #District4poetry #JarrodsCoffeeTeaandGallery #POCit2Me #PalabrasBookstore #HomeBase #TempeImprov #theundergroundexperience #PoeticSoulPhoenix #justblazephx #speakingintoexistence #SmokeItintoExistenceOpenMic #GetMorePlays

#IsaraeKoval & I (https://poetsandmuses.com/imogen-arate/) discuss our poems: "#VoicesthroughtheWalls" & "#BullFight" & get into the heavies of #domesticviolence, #bullying, #animalcruelty, society's role in perpetuating these problems & #moralambiguity. While we wait for Isarae's book (#TheValleysoftheDead) to launch, u can find her at the #November11th #MyBeautyWIthinMovement event (http://ilovethisjourney.com/) & the grand opening of #MesaArtspaceLofts (https://www.artspace.org/mesa-artspace-lofts-grand-opening-celebration) on #January23rd. I, your host, #ImogenArate, will be appearing at the @garageartgallery on #November12th (https://m.facebook.com/events/1177880089028429). Take a listen & also find out all the poetry open mics, shows & workshops taking place #inthevalley (#Arizona) during the week of #January7th. . . . . #connectandheal #ChandlerCommunityCenter #Poetryworkshops #chandlerlibrary #improvmaniacomedy #ImprovisedPoetryOrchestra #ohmyearsmusic #thefilmbarphx #iamkenkong #iamtheunderground #2601oncentral #theundergroundexperience #clubdwntwnphx #PoeticSoulPhoenix #mesaartscenter #WordPlayCafe #niletheater #lawngnomepublishing #thelostleaf #PhoenixPoetrySlam #theklute #honeycuttcoffeeaz #2019All-ArizonaPoetrySlam #onyxartgallery #9thegallery #CaffeineCorridorOpenMic #artlab1689 #changinghands #merlenudelman #latosque #justblazephx #speakingintoexistence #SmokeItintoExistenceOpenMic #poeticartifacts #phoenixcenterforthearts #InfuseOpenMic #therealsuzannevega #Luka #ChildAbuse #animalpoetry #Poetryinspirations #Writinginspirations #PoetryCommunity

Tamika (that's Dr. T. to you) & I (https://poetsandmuses.com/imogen-arate/) get into the importance of not excluding people by their appearance, the blind spots that lead to prejudice, the A in STEAM education & Savvy Pen's MLK Creative Writing Contest (Arizonan 3-12 graders: apply before Feb 3rd! https://www.facebook.com/MlkCreativeWritingContest/) in Poets and Muses' latest episode. Take a listen to also find out about all the poetry events happening in Phoenix during the week of Dec 31st.

In the very first episode of Poets and Muses, I, your host Imogen Arate (https://poetsandmuses.com/imogen-arate/), chat with Ms. Jay (https://www.instagram.com/ms.jay_musingsandart/) about our respective poems on education and the holidays. Cover Art by Ms. Jay