Michael SimmsOct 6, 20232 minLiterary CriticismRhythm Benders | The Musicality of American PoetryA poem is rooted in the rhythms of pulse, breath and movement. Why some patterns of sounds are more pleasing than others is a mystery, yet
Michael SimmsMay 6, 202311 minLiterary CriticismOrpheus in HollywoodShould literary authors take genre fiction more seriously? Michael Chabon thinks so. My friend RJ, a wonderful poet and an extraordinarily
Michael SimmsMar 14, 20218 minPersonal EssaysThe Trojan WomenToday on the Classic Cars website, I saw an ad for a fully restored 1965 GMC pickup with a hard-shell camper hood, and I thought of Henry
Michael SimmsNov 28, 20205 minPersonal EssaysBlue NotesFrom a neighbor’s window, I hear Billy Joel’s carpe diem Only the Good Die Young in which he tries to convince a good Catholic girl