Portside

Simon Baena’s homage to the Spanish Republic reflects the continuing grief of the lost anti-fascist cause of the 1930s.

The poet Andrew Hemmert finds himself “stationary and in a state of undress/ like a fountain statue” caught in a mess of environmental distress. How can a person move through this muddled world?

“I’ve been appalled but not surprised,” writes poet Dave Bonta, criticizing “the slanted coverage of the U.S. and NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan” by media war hawks.

Mask or No Mask, Boston poet Paul Hostovsky captures a simple aesthetic of these divided times.

Carolina poet Dan Albergotti places “American Exceptionalism” in a disturbing historical context.

Poet-Teacher Susan Gubernat brings the life—and passion --of Emma Goldman into the 21st Century.

Illinois poet Elaine Fowler Palencia reveals one of the great secrets of evangelical capitalism, duping the consumer.

California poet Jerry Dyer captures the crazy rush for the good old days: “voices mix wisdom with the lies./ Bars are filling their pulpits and their pews.”

Colorado poet José A. Alcántara has a thing or two to say about the difference between so-called professional revolutionaries and mere amateurs.

Labor Day: Former Poet of the United States Robert Pinsky reads his poem “Shirt,” among the great works of poetry about labor.