This week, we’re joined by poet JeFF Stumpo, author of these are the waterfalls in my head, winner of the 2026 Granite State Poetry Prize and published this spring by Yas Press.
JeFF has had one of those wonderfully winding writing lives: slam poet and organizer, bookstore owner, adjunct professor, the author of five chapbooks, a spoken-word album, and a growing body of poems that seem equally at home on the page and in the air.
His poem “prayer is a whirring in the spacetime fabric”was selected for a Quippy Choice Award in our inaugural Ps & Qs Audio Poem Contest.
We talk about JeFF’s path through poetry, performance, and the playful hard work of continuing to make things. We discuss showing up through nervousness, unique forms and poems that push boundaries, and what effects performance can have upon the unexpecting. (hint: check out “Two Poems” he published with The Rumpus, for an example of a poem within a sudoku grid)
In the last ten minutes, JeFF flips the script on me, and conducts a mini-interview of the host (me!) I hadn’t intended to talk about myself, Quibble, or the podcast as much... but JeFF’s a good interviewer! His interest and questions were open, and it was nice to share and reflect together on what this path through 2026 has looked like.
JeFF immediately impressed me as a deeply intelligent and deeply caring person. I found a lot of kinship between us - it seems our approach on projects is somewhat similar - as well as a lot to aspire for, in his gentleness, generosity, and persistence of spirit.
Watch the episode meet and this great poet — listen wherever you get your podcasts, and follow JeFF to stay connected to his poetry!
More from JeFF
* Website: https://jeffstumpo.com/
* Two Poems — The Rumpus:https://therumpus.net/2026/05/15/two-poems-8/
* “Stormchaser” — Rattle:https://rattle.com/stormchaser-by-jeFF-stumpo/
* “Whalesong” — Rattle:https://rattle.com/whalesong-by-jeFF-stumpo/
* “Da Mystery of Supercooled Liquids” — Rattle:https://rattle.com/da-mystery-of-supercooled-liquids-by-jeFF-stumpo/
Author Up is Quibble Lit’sIndie Lit Podcast, with free episodes releasing weekly on Sundays.
Built for writers seeking community and the people of independent publishing, each week, host and Quibble Lit EIC Garrett Souliere invites on a literary friend (authors, editors, & publishers) to learn more about their way with words.
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