SLEERICKETS cover art

SLEERICKETS

SLEERICKETS

Written by: Matthew Buckley Smith
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About this listen

Welcome to SLEERICKETS, a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems.

© 2021 Matthew Buckley Smith Art
Episodes
  • Ep 229: Art Sex Drugs Food

    Ep 229: Art Sex Drugs Food
    Jan 11 2026
    SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. My book Midlife now exists. Buy it here, or leave it a rating here or hereFor more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW, join the group chat, and send me a poem for Listener Crit!Leave the show a rating here (actually, just do it on your phone, it’s easier). Thanks!Wear SLEERICKETS t-shirts and hoodies. They look good!SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube!For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS, subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 25 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode:– Pre-order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so good!– Let me know if you’d like a review copy of my forthcoming chapbook The Soft Black Stars: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] comSarah Jessica ParkerLiterary MattersNew Verse ReviewYouth (2015)The Great Beauty (2014)Maud Martha by Gwendolyn BrooksPhilip RothThe Denial of Death by Ernest BeckerFrequently mentioned names:– Joshua Mehigan– Shane McCrae– A. E. Stallings– Ryan Wilson– Morri Creech– Austin Allen– Jonathan Farmer– Zara Raab– Amit Majmudar– Ethan McGuire– Coleman Glenn– Chris Childers– Alexis Sears– JP Gritton– Alex Pepple– Ernie Hilbert– Joanna Pearson– Matt Wall– Steve Knepper – Helena Feder– David YezziOther Ratbag Poetry Pods:Poetry Says by Alice AllanI Hate Matt Wall by Matt WallVersecraft by Elijah Perseus BlumovRatbag Poetics By David Jalal MotamedAlice: In Future PostsBrian: @BPlatzerCameron: Minor TiresiasMatthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] comMusic by ETRNLArt by Daniel Alexander Smith
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    1 hr
  • Ep 228: Bad Poet Fight

    Ep 228: Bad Poet Fight
    Jan 5 2026
    NB: At one point, I say that by January 10, 2018, Massey’s book A New Silence had been pulled from Wesleyan University Press, but this is incorrect. It was “indefinitely delayed” by Wesleyan University Press in March, and he withdrew it later that month. Also, to clarify, I am a notably-not-altogether-embarrassing chess player only in the 10-minute time control. In other time controls I’m unequivocally, straightforwardly pathetic.SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. My book Midlife now exists. Buy it here, or leave it a rating here or hereFor more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW, join the group chat, and send me a poem for Listener Crit!Leave the show a rating here (actually, just do it on your phone, it’s easier). Thanks!Wear SLEERICKETS t-shirts and hoodies. They look good!SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube!For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS, subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 25 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode:– Pre-order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so good!– Let me know if you’d like a review copy of my forthcoming chapbook The Soft Black Stars: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com– Silliman’s Blog: Friday, September 20, 2002– Precise Instability: Introducing Joseph Massey by Rae Armantrout– The Poet Joseph Massey Is an Abuser– Poet Massey Withdraws Book from Wesleyan UP After Allegations Surface by Emmet Teran, Hannah Reale, and Molly Schiff– The Poet Joseph Massey’s Disturbing History of Abuse by Rebekah Kirkman– A MeToo Mob Tried to Destroy My Life as a Poet. This Is How I Survived by Joseph Massey– Joseph Massey, the Unofficial Poet Laureate of Trump’s America by Peter Savodnik– Jina Huh’s Kate Schapira Thread– Praise Song for the Day by Elizabeth Alexander– One Today by Richard Blanco– America Is the Poem by Joseph Massey– There’s so much else. So much more stuff. Good Lord.– Chess.com (here’s me)– Lichess.orgFrequently mentioned names:– Joshua Mehigan– Shane McCrae– A. E. Stallings– Ryan Wilson– Morri Creech– Austin Allen– Jonathan Farmer– Zara Raab– Amit Majmudar– Ethan McGuire– Coleman Glenn– Chris Childers– Alexis Sears– JP Gritton– Alex Pepple– Ernie Hilbert– Joanna Pearson– Matt Wall– Steve Knepper – Helena Feder– David YezziOther Ratbag Poetry Pods:Poetry Says by Alice AllanI Hate Matt Wall by Matt WallVersecraft by Elijah Perseus BlumovRatbag Poetics By David Jalal MotamedAlice: In Future PostsBrian: @BPlatzerCameron: Minor TiresiasMatthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] comMusic by ETRNLArt by Daniel Alexander Smith
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    1 hr and 27 mins
  • Ep 227: A Particularly Scottish Conversation, ft. Niall Campbell

    Ep 227: A Particularly Scottish Conversation, ft. Niall Campbell
    Dec 29 2025
    SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. My book Midlife now exists. Buy it here, or leave it a rating here or hereFor more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW, join the group chat, and send me a poem for Listener Crit!Leave the show a rating here (actually, just do it on your phone, it’s easier). Thanks!Wear SLEERICKETS t-shirts and hoodies. They look good!SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube!For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS, subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 25 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode:– Pre-order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so good!– Let me know if you’d like a review copy of my forthcoming chapbook The Soft Black Stars: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com– The Island in the Sound by Niall Campbell– What if it’s not writer’s block? by Niall Campbell– Is poetry a career? by the North Sea Poets– Poetry London– North Sea Poets– The long game by Don Paterson– Don Paterson– Douglas Dunn– Roddy Lumsden– Michael Longley– John Burnside– The Lighthouse (2019)– Kiss of the Spider Woman by Manuel Puig– Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)– Poetry Should Be a Great Deal of Trouble: Don Paterson interviewed by Caitlin DoyleFrequently mentioned names:– Joshua Mehigan– Shane McCrae– A. E. Stallings– Ryan Wilson– Morri Creech– Austin Allen– Jonathan Farmer– Zara Raab– Amit Majmudar– Ethan McGuire– Coleman Glenn– Chris Childers– Alexis Sears– JP Gritton– Alex Pepple– Ernie Hilbert– Joanna Pearson– Matt Wall– Steve Knepper – Helena Feder– David YezziOther Ratbag Poetry Pods:Poetry Says by Alice AllanI Hate Matt Wall by Matt WallVersecraft by Elijah Perseus BlumovRatbag Poetics By David Jalal MotamedAlice: In Future PostsBrian: @BPlatzerCameron: Minor TiresiasMatthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] comMusic by ETRNLArt by Daniel Alexander Smith
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    1 hr and 7 mins
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