Shows
The Line Breakpoetry against the infectionThe Line Break is back! As the poet says, it's been a long time / shouldn't have left you. We didn't mean to, we just had readings to do. Now we're back, reading in your ears. Bob reads "Everything's a Fake" by Fanny Howe, Chris reads"Lupine Nocturne" by Elise Paschen, and then the dudes pine for a Jokic-Giannis Finals in 2026.
2025-07-291h 01The Line BreakAWP 2025 AND BOB'S BOOK CAME OUTAnother AWP in the books! We didn't have the energy for guerilla poetry again this year, but we also have something to celebrate: the release of UTOPIANS IN LOVE! Bob's book dropped just before AWP started, and you should both request it at your local library and order it from Game Over Books. On top of all that, the lads discuss conference panels, offsite reading, and street food.
Apologies for the weird audio, recording in hotel rooms is not something we do all the time.
Buy Bob's book: https://www.gameoverbooks.com/store/p/utopians-in-love
Read Bob's blog: https://bobsykora...
2025-04-0638 minThe Line Breakpublishing books takes a long time with Sandra MarchettiSpring training is here, and we've brought Sandra Marchetti back! Sandy reads from her forthcoming book, DIORAMA, the three talk about manuscript structure and the vacuum cleaner of Lake Shore Drive, and then Sandy leads the dudes into a discussion of aesthetics in sports.
SANDRA MARCHETTI is the 2023 winner of The Twin Bill Book Prize for Best Baseball Poetry Book of the Year. She is the author of Aisle 228 (SFA Press, 2023), and Confluence (Sundress Publications, 2015). Sandy is also the author of four chapbooks of poetry and lyric essays. Her poetry and essays appear widely in Mid-American Review, Blackbird, Ecotone, Southwest...
2025-03-111h 16The Line Breakraise Hell praise Dale with Justin CarterThe hits keep rolling with these guest interviews! Today, Bob and Chris are joined by Justin Carter, author of BRAZOS. Justin reads "Facet" by Dean Young and his own poem "Watching the 2001 Daytona 500 With My Father," and then the guys talk about Justin's writing on the WNBA and college basketball.
Justin Carter is a writer living in Des Moines, Iowa. His first poetry collection, Brazos, was published in 2024 Belle Point Press. Originally from the Texas Gulf Coast, Justin holds degrees from the University of Houston, Bowling Green State University and the University of North Texas, where he graduated in 2019 with...
2025-02-2450 minThe Line Breakpoetry that breathes fortification into your body (feat. Melissa Ferrer Civil)The Line Break podcast: the place where Poet Laureates go. This month, Bob and Chris are thrilled to welcome Melissa Ferrer Civil, inaugural Poet Laureate of Kansas City, MO! Melissa reads Angel Nafis's "Ghazal For Becoming Your Own Country" as well as their own poem, "Alambrista," from the book 'Steno Pad.'
Find more Melissa: https://melissaferrerand.com/
Melissa Ferrer Civil (&), (she/they), formerly known as Missy T. Ferrari, is a poet, performer, organizer, and educator living on unceded Kaw, Kansa, Kickapoo, and Oceti Sakowin lands (KCMO). Rooted in the practical and the possible, their spoken word poems and songs...
2025-02-101h 05The Line Breaka midwinter's reading of MIDWINTER DAYThe winter solstice is approaching—the shortest day of the year—which means it's a great time to read one of the longest poems ever written, Bernadette Mayer's 'Midwinter Day.' Bob and Chris each read sections of the poem, talk about the lore behind the writing, and reflect on other "story takes place in a day" books.
2024-12-1754 minThe Line Breaktaking things as they areAfter August in September, it's November in December! Arriving late—tucking their shits in and trying to muss down their hair—the dudes are finally ready to bring some poems to your ears. Bob reads "Love Song to the Alpacas of Solomon Lane" by Kenzie Allen, Chris reads a three-line collaborative poem by Joshua Beckman and Matthew Rohrer, and then the dudes talk intriguing NBA stories so far.
2024-12-101h 06The Line BreakPresenting The 2024 Garden Party Collective Chapbook SeriesIt's year two for Garden Party Collective, and the winners of the 2024 chapbook contest are here! In this episode, Bob interviews (and Chris reacts to) Ashley Elizabeth (red line), Jacob Jardel (Full-Blooded CHamaole), Kenny Bradley (Night Science), and Maya Williams (What's So Wrong With A Pity Party Anyway?).
Learn more about Garden Party Collective: https://www.gardenpartycollective.com/
Check out the chapbook series: https://www.gardenpartycollective.com/2024-series
Ashley Elizabeth (she/her) is a winner of the 2024 Garden Party Collective Chapbook Contest. She is a Pushcart-nominated writer and teacher whose work has appeared in SWWIM, Voicemail Poems, Rigorous, and Sage...
2024-10-221h 44The Line BreakAugust in September (feat August J Smith)Summer's over, it's September, so naturally, we've invited our dear friend August J. Smith on the show! The author of VISITORS FROM THE RED STAR and ten chapbooks, as well as the mind behind the band Plum Wooer, August also used to live with Bob. August reads Mary Coons' poem "The Talking Family," his own poem "Viktor Kostrykin," and then the lads tell him about Victor Wembanyama and forget crucial details from SPACE JAM.
Buy August's book: https://shorturl.at/TMFgE
Visit August's website: https://augustsmith.net/
2024-09-171h 23The Line Breakcelebrating the 2024 Ghost City micro-chapbooksSummer is coming to a close, and it's time for the dudes to celebrate one of the most important summer events in a poet's life: the Ghost City Press Micro-Chapbook Summer Series! Bob reads from "Eating Out Anne Sexton" by Elena Sichrovsky and "AI Fever" by Paddy Qiu, Chris reads from "Poems" by Tom Snarsky and "Every Path Leads To The Sea" by Erinola E. Daranijo, and then the guys debate whether Rucker League or Summer League is cooler.
Check out more from Ghost City Press, including every Summer Series micro-chap available as a pay-what-you-want download, here: https://ghostcitypress.com/
2024-08-2756 minThe Line Breakwhat kind of poet are you becoming?How can we continue to interrogate our writing? What new ways can we find to push ourselves as we read deeper? This month, Bob reads "A Romantic Sonnet!" by S. Yarberry, Chris reads "Dear Moses Grandy...Love, the Great Dismal Swamp," and the dudes wonder if they can grasp the concept of time zones clearly enough to watch Olympic basketball.
2024-07-301h 06The Line Breakdo you end up at home?Summer is here, so why not read poems? This month, Bob reads "Time Is Filled with Beginners" by Diana Khoi Nguyen, Chris reads "This is the Barbecue We Had Last Night" by Han VanderHart, and then the guys recap and re-cope the NBA Finals.
2024-06-251h 06The Line Breaktrying to change trajectorieson this month's episode, Bob and Chris confront narratives that feel depressingly inevitable—that war will continue to happen and fatherhood is difficult to get right—and try to see if poetry can help change those narratives. Bob reads "[...]" by Fady Joudah, Chris reads "We Were All Odysseus In Those Days," and even though the guys recorded less than a week ago, their playoff takes are already obsolete.
two McSweeney's articles we might've been referencing:
"An Interactive Guide To Ambiguous Grammar" by Vijith Assar https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/an-interactive-guide-to-ambiguous-grammar
"How To Use The Past Exonerative Tense To Uphold White Supr...
2024-05-2853 minThe Line Breakthus the line break read Homer Writer Of EpicsStrap on your leather armor and sharpen your curved bronze swords, Bob Curator of Calendars and Chris Wrecker of Ships are reading The Iliad! The dudes realized they had both separately decided to storm the gates of Troy (Bob shepherded by Emily Wilson's translation, Chris violently thrown around by Robert Fagles') and figured why not do an episode on it? In this episode, you'll find enthusiastic gushing about the language of epics, parsing of the way the Homeric epics are culturally absorbed, Chris confusing "Antigone" with "Aeschylus," confusion as to way Ajax was basically absent from the 2004 film Troy, and...
2024-04-231h 19
The Line BreakThe Line Break / Of Poetry Crossover EventGather round, damas y caballeros, children of all ages, have we got a treat for you! It's the first but probably not last crossover episode between The Line Break and Of Poetry! That's right, Han VanderHart joins Bob Sykora and Chris Corlew, and the three of them read not merely other people's poetry, but reach into the depths of their notebooks to holler some of their own art-words your way. Han reads their poem "last night I was sexting and reading June Jordan," and "Bottoms" by Jenny Johnson. Bob reads his poem "Utopians In Love" and "What Kids Don't Know"...
2024-03-261h 29
Of Poetry PodcastThe Line Break / Of Poetry Crossover with Chris Corlew and Bob Sykora and Han VanderHartChris Corlew is a writer and musician living in Chicago. His work has appeared in Cotton Xenomorph, Whisk(e)y Tit, Kicking Your Ass, Cracked.com, and elsewhere. With Bob Sykora, he co-hosts The Line Break, a podcast about poetry and basketball. With Brendan Johnson, he is ½ of Lazy & Entitled, the band that writes novels. You can find more Chris on Bluesky @thecorlew, a storiesfromvine.com, or at shipwreckedsailor.substack.com.Bob Sykora is the author of the chapbook I Was Talking About Love–You Are Talking About Geography (Nostrovia! 2016) and the forthcoming collection Utopians in Love (Gam...
2024-03-261h 29
Of Poetry PodcastAmorak Huey and Han VanderHart (River River Books): Of Choosing Abundance, Creating a Small Press Community, and Weathering Manuscript RejectionsRead: Amorak Huey's "Estuary, Delta, Confluence, Mouth" and Han VanderHart's "Larks"(Up the Staircase Quarterly)Purchase: Dad Jokes from Late in the Patriarchy (Sundress, 2021) and What Pecan Light (Bull City Press, 2021)Amorak Huey is author of four books of poems including Dad Jokes from Late in the Patriarchy (Sundress Publications, 2021). Co-author with W. Todd Kaneko of the textbook Poetry: A Writer’s Guide and Anthology (Bloomsbury, 2018) and the chapbook Slash/Slash (Diode, 2021), Huey teaches in the BFA and MFA programs at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. His previous books are Boom Box (Sundress, 2019), Seducing th...
2024-03-181h 24The Line BreakGuerilla Poetry At AWPWhat an episode we have for you this month! Fresh off a weekend at AWP 2024 in Kansas City, Bob and Chris have recruited their most near-them-at-the-time friends to read LIVE POEMS on the show! That's right, we have Stephen J. Furlong, Teo Shannon, Chloe N. Clark, Diannely Antigua, Matt W. Miller, Todd Osborne, Amorak Huey, and Maya Williams! Forget NBA All-Star, this is Line Break All-Star! If you stay until the end, Bob and Chris even read their own poetry for once!
2024-02-2038 minThe Line Breaknew year new line breakIt still counts as the New Year if it's January 30th! Bob and Chris limp into 2024 burdened by complicated schedules but buoyed by the power of poetry. This month, Bob reads “Community Check-In” by Sam Herschel Wein, Chris reads “John Wayne Niles … .--…--.- …/ - --- Ermias Joseph Asghedom” by Mahogany L. Browne, and then the guys talk about the surprisingly fun Los Angeles Clippers.
2024-01-3050 minThe Line BreakAll-Influence Starting 5 (From The Boys)The end of the year is upon us! Reflection time. Having put three guests in a row to the test with this question, Bob and Chris turn the metaphorical camera to themselves and ask: who/what are the five people/things that influence you/your poetics the most? The question is catchier in the episode. Have a great holiday and we'll see you in 2024.
Follow the show:
Instagram: @linebreakpod
Bluesky: @thelinebreak
Twitter: @linebreakpod
2023-12-191h 00The Line BreakGoogle Stuff When You Read Poetry (feat. Isaac Pickell)On this month's episode, Bob and Chris are thrilled to welcome the author of 'It's not over once you figure it out,' Isaac Pickell! Fresh off of a book and pub day, Isaac reads "Nature Walk" by Basie Allen, as well as his own poem, "Uncommissioned Elegy For Joseph Paul Jernigan and The Body of Michael Brown." After that, the dudes talk Detroit Pistons basketball.
Quick CW: from about the one-minute mark until the 10-minute mark, the three of us discuss the war in Gaza, and our desire for a ceasefire. If you would like to not hear that...
2023-11-141h 15The Line BreakAn Episode For All of Our Dads With Sandra MarchettiPoetry asks us not to be sentimental, but how can you not be sentimental about baseball? On this episode of The Line Break, Bob and Chris are thrilled to welcome poet and (this is for all our dads) Baseball Prospects writer Sandra Marchetti!. Poems and sports combine as they rarely have on this poetry podcast that already talks about sports too much. Sandra reads "Eating Alone" by Li-Young Lee as well as her own poem, “Against Seven-Inning Doubleheaders and Starting Runners on Second Base
in Extra Innings in Major League Baseball.”
You can find more Sandra on most social media site...
2023-10-171h 18The Line BreakOn The Obscenity of Lanyards w/ Alina PleskovaWho's ready for some long poems? Oh, it's a good month on The Line Break. This month, Bob and Chris welcome Alina Pleskova, author of 'Toska,' for a talk about the crossover between the poetry and punk scenes, the massive debt we all owe translators, and writing poems in your mid-30s. Alina reads "Without" by Stephane Bouqet (translated by Lindsay Turner) as well as her own poem, "Vulnerability Engine." Plus, we gush about the city of Philadelphia.
Buy Toska here: https://store.deepvellum.org/products/toska
Follow Alina on Twitter/Bluesky: @nahhhlina / @alinapleskova
Follow us on Twitter/Bluesky...
2023-09-261h 16The Line BreakI'm getting at something I'm struggling to nameClimb aboard a clean, affordable public train and travel with Bob and Chris from the city to the shore. This week, it's all about short poems that take us places. Bob reads "Elegy For Soft Things" by Wendy Xu, Chris reads "If I Wanted A Boat" by Mary Oliver, and then the guys get wistful about—what else? The 1999 New York Knicks.
2023-08-1559 minThe Line Breakline break LIVE (kinda)For the first time since before the show even started, Bob and Chris are recording in the same room! Bob came to Chicago to read "Dura" by Alina Pleskova, Chris's cat won't let him read "Up Nursing" by Hoa Nguyen in peace, and are the guys too old to follow sports?
2023-07-1858 minThe Line Breakan interview with José OlivarezToday, Bob and Chris are thrilled to welcome José Olivarez! Shockingly, this is not a Jimmy Butler podcast. Not entirely. Three discuss writing to procrastinate on writing, "nostalgia with rigor," and food and humor in poems. José reads "Family Portrait With Enchiladas and A Movie" by Analicia Sotelo and then his own poem, "Ode to Tortillas." Then, well, yeah, it becomes a Chicago Bulls podcast.
José Olivarez is the son of Mexican immigrants. His debut book of poems, Citizen Illegal, was a finalist for the PEN/ Jean Stein Award and a winner of the 2018 Chicago Review of Books Poetry Prize. It...
2023-06-131h 01The Line Breakan interview with Maya WilliamsOn today's episode, Bob and Chris are thrilled welcome Maya Williams! The three discuss the upcoming release of Maya's book, 'Judas & Suicide,' forthcoming from Game Over Books in May 2023. Then, Maya reads "Bashert" by Jeremy Radin, eir own poem "The Devil is Concerned with More Pressing Matters Than My Mental Health Issues," and then the three use basketball as an excuse to gush about Ross Gay.
Maya Williams (ey/they/she) is a religious Black multiracial nonbinary suicide survivor who is currently the seventh poet laureate of Portland, Maine. May 2023 marks the release of their debut poetry collection, Judas...
2023-05-1652 minThe Line Breakreceived? formsDoes poetry require form? Does poetry require basis in observable reality? These are question we'd try to address if we were a more boring podcast. Instead, Bob reads "Sestina" by Elizabeth Bishop, Chris reads "The Wine-Dark Sea" by Mathias Svalina, and the dudes mostly talk about how rad it all is. Plus: is Hakeem Olajuwon a formalist or a surrealist?
2023-04-251h 01The Line Breaklimited vocabulariesIs there such thing as a perfect poem? If there is, will it unsettle us on purpose? This week, Bob reads an untitled letter to Lorca by Jack Spicer, Chris reads "Mansion" by Julie Doxsee, and everyone has a brief chuckle about the word "alas."
2023-03-2854 minThe Line Breakeverything is ghosted through with something you can barely noticeIt's the All-Star Break here at The Line Break! Two banger poems this month: Bob reads "Remembrance" by A. Van Jordan, "Chris reads an excerpt from Claudia Rankine's 'Citizen,' and then the guys talk about NBA memories they wish they had.
2023-02-211h 09The Line Breakthe promise of communicationOn this week's episode, Bob and Chris are talking about what poetry does, the joys of discovering poetry around the world, and just what in the heck we get out it this stuff, anyway. Bob reads "The Way To Keep Going In Antarctica" by Bernadette Mayer, Chris reads "Jiikimaadizi / A Joyful Life" by Margaret Noodin, and then the dudes talk about just what in the heck we get out of basketball, anyway.
2023-01-2454 minThe Line Breaklegacies and futuresThe end of the year leads the dudes to do some reflecting on life, death, authorial legacy, and what the future should look like. Bob reads from Diane Seuss's 'frank: sonnets,' Chris reads "Leah Gilliam, 'Sapphire and the Slave Girl,' 1995, 18:20" by Anaïs Duplan, and the lads wonder what 6'9" NBA players are supposed to do.
Note: for further reading on the "what are we all doing here" question of writing, please check out Kathy Fish's blog post on her The Art of Flash Fiction Substack, "On Literary 'Success.'" The question Kathy asked on Twitter and begins t...
2022-12-201h 07The Line Breakline break backAfter too long away, Bob and Chris are BACK reading poetry. Bob reads "Broken Light Bulb Flickering Away" by Noor Hindi, Chris reads an excerpt from Joshua Marie Wilkinson's book length poem "Meadow Slasher," and then the guys ask who's having a better NBA season: Ezra Pound or Billy Collins?
2022-11-1550 minThe Line Breakreading in the catastrophe of our ageOn today's episode, what begins as a gentle "what have you been reading lately" morphs into Bob and Chris gushing about how rad poetry is even when the world is difficult. Bob reads "Snow Theory" by Ocean Vuong, Chris reads "Ethos, Pathos" by Sebastian Castillo, and then Bob says nice things about the Boston Celtics.
2022-06-0737 minThe Line Breakthe poets are asking forgiveness (for taking over the Waffle House)Guest time! Today, Bob and Chris welcome Hannah Cohen to the show! The three talk about everything from manuscript length to wrestling with abstractions to Tommy Wiseau. Hannah reads "Under One Small Star" by Wislawa Szymborska, as well as her poem "Some Covenant." Then the three plot to become Poet Laureate of Waffle House.
Hannah Cohen bio and publications: https://hannahcohen.carrd.co/
2022-05-241h 01The Line Breakpoems with the perfect imageIf poems are made of music, metaphor, and image, well, we're certainly talking about one of those today. What makes an image in a poem *just* the right one? Bob reads "Quabban Reservoir" James Tate, Chris reads "revaluation" by MJ Santiago, and then the guys talk about how basketball looks cool.
2022-05-1746 minThe Line Breakshort poemsIf brevity is the soul of wit, what's an hourlong podcast? Today, Bob and Chris are exploring short poems. Bob reads "Invisible Fish" by Joy Harjo, Chris reads "Ghosting" by Andrea Cohen, and then the guys celebrate NBA players under six feet tall.
2022-05-1058 minThe Line Breakpoets you've been meaning to readThe poets are back! This week, Bob and Chris discuss poets they just haven't gotten around to yet. Bob reads "Rodedendrons" by Larry Levins, then Chris reads "MOTHERFUCKER I'M ILL" by Beyza Ozer.
2022-05-031h 07The Line Breakwinter pastoralThe poets are back, and they need coats, hats, and gloves. It's cold outside, and we're breaking lines over it. Bob reads "Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden, Chris reads "In Winter" by Michael Ryan, and then the guys discuss watching full days of basketball.
2021-12-211h 07The Line Breakfamily poemsFamily! Everyone has one, everyone feels differently about them. So let's do some poetry! Bob reads "enough food and a mom" by francine j. harris, Chris reads "In The Hospital" by Chen Chen, and then the guys talk about familial duos in basketball.
2021-12-141h 00The Line Breakthe poets have missed youAt long last, Bob and Chris are back for Season 3! The guys have returned to catch up read a few words. Bob reads "Miss You" by Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Chris reads an excerpt from "Scarliotti and the Sinkhole" by Padget Powell, and then they talk about how the Bulls are winning the NBA championship this year.
2021-12-071h 16The Line Breakthe poets are sleepyIn this week's episode, Bob and Chris read poems dealing with sleep. Bob talks anxiety while reading "Dream Song #17" by Daniel Borzutzky, Chris talks childcare while reading "Chicago is a chorus of barking dogs" by Eve Ewing. Then the two reminiscence on NBA teams worth staying up for.
2021-06-081h 00The Line Breakwhat have you been reading lately 4On this week's episode, Bob and Chris are back for another installment of "what have you been reading." Bob reads "(Earth), The" by Natalie Eilbert, Chris reads an excerpt from "They All Seemed Asleep" by Matthew Rohrer, and there's plenty of lighthearted discussion about climate change and antifascism.
2021-06-011h 18The Line Breakleadbelly by tyehimba jess part twoThis week, Bob and Chris continue their discussion of Tyehimba Jess's leadbelly. They talk how hard living and difficult conditions affects more than just the person doing the hard living, how exploitative academic study can be, and great moments in NBA labor history.
2021-05-251h 00The Line Breakleadbelly by tyehimba jess part oneThis week, Bob and Chris break down Tyehimba Jess's book "leadbelly," a poetic biography of the legendary bluesman. Bob reads "fanin street signifies" and "brownie and leadbelly: stipulations and apprenticeship," and the guys mispronounce the word "contrapuntal" a whole bunch.
2021-05-1848 minThe Line Breakbe holding by ross gay part 2This week, Bob and Chris continue their discussion of Ross Gay's book-length poem, Be Holding. The dudes cover how repetition can be an effective writer's tool, the dogwhistling early aughts sports writers did when talking about Allen Iverson, and the importance of being good to one another.
2021-05-1147 minThe Line Breakbe holding by ross gay part oneThis week, Bob and Chris do a deep dive on Ross Gay's book-length poem, Be Holding. They discuss how Julius Erving is mystical, how being good is a daily practice, and which dunks we'd write book-length poems about.
2021-05-041h 09The Line Breakline-to-line turns and the power of imagery (feat. stephen j furlong)This week, Bob and Chris are ecstatic to welcome Stephen J. Furlong to the show. Stephen reads "Delphiniums In A Window Box" by Dean Young, as well as his own poem "Most Days I Long To Be An Ampersand." Then the guys talk about how cool Keyon Dooling is and basketball players who have gone on to be writers and activists.
Stephen's twitter: https://twitter.com/StephenJFurlong
2021-04-271h 05The Line Breakthe poets are embracing the writing life (feat lyd havens)This week, Bob and Chris are thrilled to welcome Lyd Havens! The three discuss experimenting with form and the writing life. Lyd reads “Homewrecker” by Ocean Voung and their own poem “ChokeCherry." Plus, an exciting announcement!
Lyd's website: https://www.lydhavens.com/
Lyd's twitter: https://twitter.com/lydhavens
2021-04-201h 10The Line Breakthe poets are using the forbidden words (feat laura villareal)This week, Bob and Chris welcome Laura Villareal! Laura reads "After Love" by Miguel Hernandez, and the poets discuss words "not allowed" in poetry. Then they tackle the thorny nature of love-hate relationships in sports and arts.
Laura's website: https://www.lauravillareal.com
Laura's chapbook: http://www.nostroviatowriting.com/uploads/9/0/3/8/9038323/cartography-of-sleep__online_pdf_.pdf
Laura's twitter: https://twitter.com/earthandstars
2021-04-1352 minThe Line Breakthe poets are experiencing connectedness (feat Diannely Antigua)On today's episode, Bob and Chris are thrilled to welcome Diannely Antigua! The three explore how poetry can connect disparate things, Diannely reads "Elegy" by Aracelis Girmay, and then the three talk about how rad Jaylen Brown is.
Diannely's book: https://www.yesyesbooks.com/product-page/ugly-music-by-diannely-antigua
Diannely's website: https://diannelyantigua.com/
Diannely's twitter: https://twitter.com/nellfell13
2021-04-0657 minThe Line Breakthe poets are making self portraitsOn this week's episode, Bob and Chris ask why so many poets refer to their poems as self portraits. Bob reads "Self Portrait, 1969" by Frank Bidart, Chris reads by "Elegy for the Self Portrait" by Adam Clay, and then the dudes talk about getting dunked on.
2021-03-301h 06The Line Breaks2e1Bob and Chris are back for Season 2! In this week's episode, Bob reads "All My Life Has Been a Costume Party" by Jessica Abughattas, Chris reads "Story In A White Diction" by Jaswinder Bolina, and then they talk about how weird watching basketball during a pandemic is.
2021-03-2348 minThe Line Breakthe poets are leaving the party feat. Adrian SobolOn this week's episode, Bob and Chris are joined by longtime friend Adrian Sobol to discuss his book, *The Life of the Party is Harder To Find Until You're the Last One Around*, how jokes and poetry work in concert, and the later work of James Tate.
2020-11-1951 minThe Line Breakwhat have you been reading 3On this week's episode of The Line Break, Bob and Chris do another reading check-in. Bob reads "Anniversary" by Diannely Antigua, Chris reads the "September 5, 1996" entry from Joe Wenderoth's Letters To Wendy's collection, and then the guys discuss favorite and least favorite alternate NBA jerseys.
2020-11-1249 minThe Line Breakwhat have you been reading part 2On this week's episode, Bob and Chris catch each other up on what they've been reading lately. Bob reads "Pokedex Entry #778: Mimikyu" by Marlin M. Jenkins, Chris reads "Petition To Get All White Girls To Stop Wearing Hoop Earrings" by Melissa Lozada-Oliva, and then the dudes talk about how basketball players evolve like Pokemon.
2020-11-0550 minThe Line Breakreligion in poetry (feat. Brendan Johnson)Today, Bob and Chris are joined by Brendan Johnson to discuss how religion and poetry intersect. The dudes talk about the difference between growing up Protestant in the Bible Belt vs. Catholic on the Left Coast, just how damn sad Job is Brendan reads an excerpt from "Sinners In the Hands Of An Angry God" by Jonathan Edwards, and which NBA player is the most cursed.
2020-10-2949 minThe Line Breakthe poets are magicIn perhaps the least spooky (but still bone-chilling) episode of Monster Month, Bob and Chris are talking magic! Bob reads "Song" by Brigit Pegeen Kelly, Chris reads “White Godiva Melts In a Mouthful of Blood: Prayer For My Unborn Daughter” by Alysia Nicole Harris, and then the dudes talk Hot Sauce and how weird it'd be to give Grant Hill a nickname.
2020-10-2254 minThe Line Breakekphrasis and genre (but make it spooky)On this week's episode, Bob and Chris are talking about art talking about art! How does thinking about other pieces of art help us write? How do different mediums inform each other? We'll talk movies, music, fiction, visual art, and of course poetry. Bob reads Chase Berggrun's "Chapter XII" (an erasure of Dracula), Chris reads Elizabeth Willis's "The Wolfman," and then the dudes discuss how monstrously inadequate their basketball games are.
2020-10-1544 minThe Line Breakthe poets are monsters (feat. Chloe N. Clark)Continuing October's series of spooky talks, Bob and Chris welcome Chloe N. Clark, author, co-EIC of Cotton Xenomorph, and professional Monster Theorist to discuss what makes a monster, monsters that deserve more representation, monsters we wouldn't mind turning into, and then the dudes clear out to the weakside and let Chloe talk about Rasheed Wallace.
2020-10-0827 minThe Line Breakspoooooooky poemsIt's October! This month Bob and Chris are talking all about friiiightfully scaaaarrrryyy poems. On today's episode, Bob reads "Ghost School" by Kim Hyesoon (translated from Korean by Don Mee Choi), Chris reads "What Would Kill Me" by Zachary Schomburg, and then the dudes talk about the possibility of getting dunked on by Shaq.
2020-10-0150 minThe Line Breakpoems that deserve to be canonAs a sequel to last week's episode, Bob and Chris discuss poems they think should be added to THE CANON. Bob reads "American Sonnet 66" by Wanda Coleman, Chris reads "The Singing Knives" by Frank Stanford, and then the dudes discuss Arvydas Sabonis and what the future would look like if the Shaq/Kobe Lakers only won one title.
2020-09-241h 01The Line BreakCANONFIREThis week, Bob and Chris dive into the Western poetry canon. Is it worth reading? We try to answer that question as vaguely as possible! Bob reads "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell, Chris reads a section of "Rime of The Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and then the dudes discuss which pre-NBA/ABA merger players they wish they could see more of
2020-09-1757 minThe Line Breakthe poets have been readingThis week we check in on our reading habits. Bob reads “Thoughts While Taking Out the Trash” by Ariel Fransisco, Chris reads “How To Leave A Party” by Adrian Sobol, and then Chris has a reckoning with Jimmy Butler before the dudes wish Lamar Odom well.
2020-09-1053 minThe Line Breakthe poem is always politicalPolitics! That's right, we're breaking the third rail. Can poetry affect political imagination? We think so! Bob reads “The Master’s House” by Solmaz Sharif, Chris reads “I Walk Into Every Room and Yell Where The Mexicans At” by Jose Olivarez, and then the dudes celebrate the Milwaukee Bucks-led wildcat and the importance of specificity in language.
2020-09-0358 minThe Line Breakbasketball is / my favorite / sport / i love the way / they dribble / up and down / the courtBasketball! On this week’s episode, Bob and Chris lean fully into their absurd love of basketball by reading poems about hoops. Bob reads “Mixology” by Adrian Matejka, Chris reads “windmill” by Kevin Coval and Idris Goodwin, and then the dudes discuss teams they’re excited about in the NBA playoffs (spoiler: it’s the Clippers). Special shoutouts: Natalie Diaz, Marissa Crane, Chris's dad, Charles Gabel, Kevin Weidner.
2020-08-271h 05The Line Breakthe poets are from ChicagoOn this week’s episode, Bob and Chris scratch the gritty, dreamlike surface of Chicago’s literary tradition. Bob reads “Declaration” by Philip B. Williams, Chris reads “I Wasn’t in Grant Park when Obama Was elected” by Kevin Coval, then the dudes share some memories of hoops in Chicago while saluting the recently-departed Guthrie’s Tavern.
2020-08-2041 minThe Line Breakmake a joyful noise to the poetOn this week’s episode, Bob and Chris celebrate all that is joyous about writing and reading. Is writing fun? Sometimes! Bob reads “Patience” by Ross Gay, Chris reads “I Won’t Lie This Plague of Gratitude” by Kaveh Akbar, and then the dudes talk about why basketball is very joyous, except when refs call 3 seconds on 11-year-olds.
2020-08-1350 minThe Line Breakpoems in isolationOn this week's episode, Bob and Chris discuss poetry in isolation. Bob reads "I Don't Miss It" by Tracy K. Smith, Chris reads an excerpt from Claudia Rankine's "Don't Let Me Be Lonely," and then they debate whether or not Blake Griffin counts as an iso-ball guy.
2020-08-0651 minThe Line BreakProse Before PoemsIn episode four, Bob and Chris discuss prose poems! Bob reads “Even The Gods” by Nicole Sealey, Chris reads “The Monster Hour” by Zachary Schomburg. Later, the guys talk genre-bending NBA weirdos, including Joakim Noah, Brad Miller, and P.J. Tucker.
2020-07-3039 minThe Line Breaklove and other poemsIn episode three of The Line Break, Bob and Chris discuss that most poetic of topics: love. What is it, anyway? Do poets fall in love? We'll find out. Bob reads “Winter” by Chen Chen, Chris reads “Steps” by Frank O’Hara, and then they talk about basketball players they irrationally love, including John Stockton and Ray Allen, before Chris asserts that Karl Malone "signed with the Jazz in 2003."
2020-07-2340 minThe Line Breakthe last poem you read in the decadeOn this episode of The Line Break, Chris and Bob talk about the last poems they read in the 2010s. Bob reads "To Live" by Ilya Kaminsky, Chris reads Eve Ewing's "Haibun for July 30," and then they make starting 5s of their favorite NBA players from the 2010s.
2020-07-1643 min
The Line BreakHaving a Coke With Bob and ChrisWelcome to The Line Break podcast. Each week, Bob and Chris will read you poems and talk about basketball. We hope you enjoy.
Music: Brendan Johnson
Art: A.M. Strickland
2020-07-0537 min