In this episode of The Asterisk*, 2014 AWBA poetry winner Adrian Matejka reflects on the life and legacy of boxer Jack Johnson, the subject of his award-winning collection, “The Big Smoke.”
In conversation with former Program Director Karen R. Long, Matejka explores how poetry can illuminate history, reclaim overlooked stories and reveal emotional truths that facts alone cannot capture.
The discussion also traces Matejka’s journey from discovering poetry as a young reader to leading Poetry magazine. Along the way, he shares insights on creativity, mentorship and his latest collection, which is available now, “Be Easy: New and Selected Poems.”
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