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Poet Todd Boss hosts There’s a Poem in That, Asheville! — a live-taped Moth-style matchup challenge. Anyone who thinks there’s an unwritten poem in their lives can take the mic and tell our audience why in three minutes or less. Convince us, and we’ll match you with a local poet, setting you both up to guest on Todd’s podcast, There’s a Poem in That. Four winning matches will be made in this evening of poetry, stories, matchmaking, cross-genre chaos, and fun!
Meet the Poets:
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Mildred Kiconco Barya is a North Carolina-based writer and poet of East African descent. She teaches and lectures globally, and is the author of four full-length poetry collections, most recently The Animals of My Earth School published by Terrapin Books, 2023. Her prose, hybrids, and poems have appeared in New England Review, Shenandoah, Joyland, The Cincinnati Review, Tin House, Forge, and elsewhere. She serves on the boards of African Writers Trust, Story Parlor, and coordinates the Poetrio Reading events at Malaprop’s Independent Bookstore/Café. She blogs at www.mildredbarya.com.
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Michael Hettich’s most recent book of poetry, The Halo of Bees: New and Selected Poems, 1990-2022 was published in May, 2023 by Press 53. His poetry, essays, and reviews have appeared widely in many journals and anthologies, and he has published more than a dozen books of poetry across four decades. His honors include several Individual Artist Fellowships from the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, The Tampa Review Prize in Poetry, the David Martinson/Meadowhawk Prize, a Florida Book Award, and the Lena M. Shull Book Award from the North Carolina Poetry Society. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Miami and taught for many years at Miami Dade College where he was awarded an Endowed Teaching Chair. His website is michaelhettich.com
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Niina Pollari is a poet and Finnish translator currently located in Western North Carolina. She is the author of Dead Horse (Birds, LLC 2015) and the poetry collection Path of Totality (Soft Skull, 2022), which was listed by the New York Times as one of their favorite poetry books of the year. She co-authored the split chapbook Total Mood Killer (Tiger Bee Press 2017). Her work has appeared in Granta, Poetry Magazine, Sporklet, Catapult, and elsewhere. She lives in Marshall, NC with her family. For more, visit https://www.niinapollari.com.
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Tony Robles was born and raised in San Francisco. He now lives in Hendersonville and is the author of the poetry collection, Thrift Store Metamorphosis, published by Red Hawk Publications. He was named Carl Sandburg Writer in Residence by the Carl Sandburg Historic Home in Flat Rock in 2020, and was nominated for Poet Laureate of San Francisco in 2017. He earned his MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2023 and is working on his first novel. He co-hosts a radio program on Asheville Station WPVM Fm, "Listen and Be Heard."
Think there’s a poem in your story? Here’s how to qualify: Leave a voicemail at 808-300-0449 and tell us why. If selected, you’ll be invited to share your story onstage for a chance to be matched with a poet and get a TAPIT podcast episode of your very own! Limit 1 voicemail per applicant, please.
Meet Your Host!
Todd Boss’s most recent poetry collection is SOMEDAY THE PLAN OF A TOWN (Norton, 2023). His poems have appeared in THE NEW YORKER, AMERICAN POETRY REVIEW, POETRY, and NPR. His first children’s book, THE BOY WHO SAID WOW, is due in April 2024 from Simon & Schuster’s Beach Lane imprint. He hosts the podcast THERE’S A POEM IN THAT, and he’s the founding producer behind Motionpoems, which turns contemporary poems into short films.