By Aaron Smith and James Allen Hall

The queens boil down the essence of some favorite poems and poets in this game that decides what poetry is *really* about. Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. NOTES: Read the NY Times review of Mic…

If you're looking to submit, the queens have some advice for you! Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. NOTES: Check out On the Seawall: a community gallery of new writing, art and commentary hosted …

The ladies ask AI to write poems about Brad Pitt's butt. It’s not so bad Brad, sad Brad, is it? Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. NOTES: Aaron's "Brad Pitt" appeared in his first book, Blue on Bl…

The queens discuss and revise a recent list of "best poetry," adding other tops (& bottoms & verses & sides, you get the point, miss thing). Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. NOTES: For a few lis…

The queens dish this year’s AWP Conference! Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. Notes: The Association of Writers and Writing Programs can be found online at www.awpwriter.org Marcela Fuentes is th…

Get in, gurl, we're reading poetry at your unfriendly neighborhood leather bar. Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. NOTES: Learn more about Tom of Finland, the artist name of Finnish Touko Laaksone…

The queens super-gay it up with Stephanie Burt, the editor of the new poetry anthology, SUPER GAY POEMS. Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. NOTES: Check out SUPER GAY POEMS: LGBTQIA+ Poetry after …

We're talking resistance, joy, and queer communities with Brenda Shaughnessy! Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. NOTES: Click here for Brenda’s Queer Resistance Playlist 2025 (Spotify). Check out …

The queens get to the poetic essence with the help of erasure and re-envisioning. Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. NOTES: The Nicole Sealey poem we read at the end of the episode comes from the …

Join the thirsty queens for a gin & Sextonic, in this tribute to the iconic work of Anne Sexton. Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. NOTES: Click here for a pdf from the Poetry Society that include…

The queens talk with gay literary icon Edmund White about his new book, The Loves of My Life: A Sex Memoir. (Miguel Murphy joins in the fun, too!) Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. Miguel's SHORE…

The queens prove that it's not the size of the ship but the motion etc etc in this episode devoted to short poems. Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Pretty Please with Aaron's cherry on top..... Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from F…

Get out your UV lights & swabs--the queens play a game that fuses poems, then guess the poetic DNA samples. Then we spark up a fusion of a different strain! Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Pretty Please.....Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is av…

The queens get sassy and sissify toxic cisheteronormative gender ideas about poetry. Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Pretty Please.....Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. The site in such desperate need of sissific…

The queens discuss gay icon status with Brenda Hillman--and then launch in to a revisit of several of her poems, including her fabulous "Male Nipples." Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Pretty Please.....Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is availab…

Candle-extinguishing butts, 3am afterparties, collections of seamen (and semen)--this dishy tour of Langston Hughes's love life will leave you gagging with the gays. Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Pretty Please.....Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COM…

Whet your appetite with half a poem from 3 fabulous poets and choose your own poetic fulfillment! Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Pretty Please.....Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. SHOW NOTES: Read Catherine Bow…

The queens go in (and out) on poetry trends for 2025, all while doing their Kegel exercises. Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Pretty Please.....Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. SHOW NOTES: Watch Marie Howe in con…

A special encore presentation of our World AIDS Day episode from last year, featuring work by writers we've lost to AIDS. Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Pretty Please.....Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. SHOW N…

The queens play a round of Step Your Poetry Up before poet-voicing porn dialogue. Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Pretty Please.....Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. SHOW NOTES: Here are links to some of the poem…

If they wanted only to hold you, the queens could hold you prisoner in this tribute to America's most recent Nobel Laureate. Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Pretty Please.....Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. SHO…

The queens get Bossy Rossy before they compare thee to a summer's eve. Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Pretty Please.....Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. SHOW NOTES: Ross Gay is a Leo who has authored four books…

The queens talk bisexual poetics and genius with Nicky Beer, before getting all dolled up in a game of real vs fake Dolly. Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. SHOW NOTES: Visit Nicky Beer’s…

The queens have one thing to say: you better werk! Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. SHOW NOTES: Click here to read Philip Levine's "What Work Is" Read more about Philip Levine Read Ada L…

Snap INTO it, girlarina! The queens re-cast Cher movies with poets. Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. SHOW NOTES: Read Patricia Smith's "Incendiary Art." Here's Cher's cover of “Shoop Sho…

The queens get all Brenda on that Brenda, you Brenda? Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. SHOW NOTES: Read more about Brenda Coultas here. Watch Coultas read with Alice Notley here (1 hour)…

Join the Salami Sisters for this episode of The Real Housef*gs of Breaking Form. Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. SHOW NOTES: Soufiane Ababri is the artist we talk about whose series of …

The queens get out their big smooth (crystal) balls to predict the National Book Award shortlist in poetry. Play along! The shortlist is announced Oct. 1. Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books…

Your favorite bridesmaids are (drunk and dis)orderly in this episode about writing for special occasions. Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. SHOW NOTES Here's a cinematic example of an epi…

The queens are all lubed up and waiting for you in the badlands that is Breaking Form. If you'd like to support Breaking Form: Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. SHOW NOTES See Beckian Fritz Goldberg read poems …

Go tell it on the mountain, darlings! Join the queens for a special Breaking Form report on the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference. If you'd like to support Breaking Form: Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. SHOW NOT…

Join the queens for this last poetry salon, where we highlight fabulous poets we haven't discussed much on the show. If you'd like to support Breaking Form: Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books.…

Settle in for this fourth poetry salon, a show as jam-packed with radiant pleasure as a dark room in Rehoboth. If you'd like to support Breaking Form: Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books.…

This Summer Salon has zero tan-lines and a ton of fabulous poetry! If you'd like to support Breaking Form: Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books.By Aaron Smith and James Allen Hall

Who wears short shorts? Celebrate summer with the queens as we read poets we haven't focused on before. If you'd like to support Breaking Form: Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books.…

The Breaking Form girls are taking a little August break, but we still want to brighten your summer with poems!By Aaron Smith and James Allen Hall

Spill all the tea but spill it slant with the Breaking Form queens in this episode dedicated to the art of secrets. If you'd like to support Breaking Form: Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. SHOW NOTES Cougar To…

Aaron and James revisit an iconic poem about queer duty and erasure by Essex Hemphill. If you'd like to support Breaking Form: Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. SHOW NOTES Read Hemphill's biographical sketch on…

Spill all the tea but spill it slant with the Breaking Form queens in this episode dedicated to the art of secrets. If you'd like to support Breaking Form: Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. SHOW NOTES Madonna's…

Knock knock, darlings! Join the queens as we talk about funny poems. If you'd like to support Breaking Form: Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. SHOW NOTES Watch Stacey Waite give a full reading here (at 38:00); …

Celebrating the art of the poetic punch & helping Form Breakers everywhere say "f*ck you" to their nemesissies. If you'd like to support Breaking Form: Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. SHOW NOTES Listen to Tay…

Are you a friend of Dorothy? This episode pays tribute to The Golden Girls, but in the most Breaking Form way possible! If you'd like to support Breaking Form: Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. SHOW NOTES Chris…

On your knees with the queens in the poetry darkroom, poetic pleasures await! Then we wipe off our kneecaps before hitting the Pride Parade. If you'd like to support Breaking Form: Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Bo…

We're snatching wigs in this one! The queens get real about bad poetry. If you'd like to support Breaking Form: Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. NOTES Watch the official lyric video for "But Daddy I Love Him" …

A leading ladies game leads to a tombstone-poetry pop quiz before Monica Farrell reads a poem by Michael Dumanis. Happy Pride Month! Watch Anne Sexton respond to a vile review (published in The Southern Review) of Live or Die. Read "Menstruation at Forty" from Live or Die. Read "Rapunzel" from Sexton's Transformations. On Watch What Happens Live wi…

The queens revisit some early, inspiring books of poetry that still slap! Come nerd out with us. If you'd like to support Breaking Form: Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. Read Linda Gregg's "Part of Me Wanting …

Break out the croquet for a game of poets named Heather before the queens talk poetry inspired by the movie Heathers. No, Heather, it's Heather's turn! Please support Breaking Form: Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way B…

The queens blur the boundaries between Dylan Thomas James, then become shady ladies about Broetry. If you'd like to support Breaking Form: Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. Read Dylan Thomas's incredible villan…

The art of losing isn't hard to master in this episode devoted to the loves and losses of Elizabeth Bishop's life. If you'd like to support Breaking Form: Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Buy our books: Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. Read Bishop's villane…