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Transcript
Never mind
the torn-out pages of the book, forget
the tender bruise of facts—
to wit, that poetry
is not enough—
it's what she's got,
it's all there is
—Portrait of the Heart #7

Hello friends! Weird day for a Riffs & Rants drop, again, but the truth is that I rarely know what day it is anyway, so here we are. The past few weeks, perhaps because of my current immersion in politics & news of the world, I’ve found myself searching for a little solace in the form of poetry; I know that to be where it’s always found. I can never shake the echo of William Carlos Williams’ famous line: “It is difficult/ to get the news from poems / yet men die miserably every day/ for lack/ of what is found there.

So I send these in that same spirit. Listen and watch, watch but don’t listen, listen but turn off the damn video while you drive—do what you gotta do, I’m not the boss of you. May they bring you a little solace too, even if it’s the kind you get from singing the blues.

See you back here tomorrow with the weekly essay post—I’ll post audio of that one, too. Peace.

Going Solo at the End of the World
Riffs & Rants from the Road
Join me on a solo journey through the United States and beyond. Riffs & Rants roam far and wide while staying short & sweet.* You'll get weekly reports from the road, readings of great travel writing by authors both legendary and obscure, conversations with fellow travelers at truck stops, campgrounds, diners, and dive bars, and stellar interviews with some of today's best artists, writers, and thinkers.
*I cannot commit to "sweet."