Poetry is, by nature, a personal art. There is no need to share it with anyone if one doesn’t want to. But I’ve always wanted to. Throughout my life I’ve found myself drawn to other poets. I joined reading clubs, school magazines, entered contests and participated in open mics- anything to get me closer to my lifeblood. This is a desire that continued into adulthood, and by 2020 I had joined multiple local creative workshops, open mics, and writing groups.

When the pandemic hit, I was no longer able to participate with my poetic community in the same way. I had to adapt to a huge change in lifestyle.  I now had to reimagine my concept of community, because going without one was more than isolating; it was crushing. My focus had to pivot from the tangible to the virtual.

In September 2020 I began writing reviews of poetry books on my website, hannahrousselot.com. This project was a way to engage with contemporary poets’ work, yes; but more than that, it was a way for me to get to know my peers, to forge connections between myself and those a continent away. During the pandemic, I was privileged enough to find myself with an incredible amount of time on my hands. I don’t have any children and now that I was stuck at home, I began brainstorming ways I could fill my days. I started to wonder: how can I engage with poetry authentically if I cannot see poets in person? What does it mean to foster a poetic community over the internet?

Asking these questions and pondering their answers is how I came up with the concept for my podcast, Poetry Aloud. On Poetry Aloud, I feature one contemporary poet and their work. I email back and forth with the poet to ask them what is their favorite poem they have written and why. Then I pick one of my favorite poems from their work and read both on air, with my own thoughts and discussion following each poem. I close out the podcast by reading one of my own poems.

When I first started this project, I had no idea how much it would resonate with both myself and others. There is a power to reading poems out loud, especially those written by others. It gives them a texture, a flavor that lingers on the tongue and  breathes a whole new dimension into them. Before I record my podcast, I choose which poem I’m going to read from the featured poet’s collection. Then I highlight or circle the images that speak to me and write a couple of words in the margins about the overall feelings or themes the poems communicate to me. With no other preamble, I record. Often while recording I find myself lost in the poet’s words, ideas and connections forming after reading the poem aloud that didn’t exist while reading it within my own mind. This is by design; I do not read the poems aloud until I am recording so that the listener can receive my genuine reaction to the poem itself.

The results were incredible. Not only was I meeting new, astoundingly talented poets but I was also forging a genuine and personal relationship with current poetry from across the country. Now I have connections with poets who are eager to join a virtual poetic reading or review each other’s work. I have a poetic community no matter where I live, one that I built via participating in Facebook groups, providing reviews, and Poetry Aloud. This is something that will nurture me long after the pandemic ends. This is constant, strong, and loving. I’m eager to see what the future holds for me.

Poetry Aloud is a podcast that features a different contemporary poet every episode. I read two poems from their published collection: one that is the poet’s favorite and one that is my favorite. After each poem, I provide some insight on how both the poet and myself choose this poem and why they spoke to us so deeply. At the end of the podcast, I read one of my own published poems.

Listen anywhere you listen to your podcasts!

Hannah Rousselot (she/her) is a queer French-American poet, writer, and educator. Her work revolves around her experiences with mental illness, love, loss, and her connection to the world. Her poetry has appeared in many publications, including Parentheses Magazine, The McNeese Review, The Blue Nib, and The Broadkill Review. She has published two long words, Fragments of You (Kelsay Press) and Ocean Currents (forthcoming from Finishing Line Press). You can follow her work on facebook.com/hmrpoetry or @hannahrousselot.

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