The PBS television show Poetry in America aims to prove that American poetry is rooted both in tradition and experiment; that it is for both the poets and the people; and that, contrary to popular belief, it still plays an important role in many lives.

Wiman has always been a seeker. Survival Is a Style makes this search into song, and it could not have arrived at a better moment.

An appropriate lament for a state that she once called home. “For a place I hate, I invoke you often”: Alyan captures the terrible millstone of memory.

Poetry is not the only genre that requires resident apologists, but poetry's form and function inherently require defense. Simply put, prose is our default mode. Poetry is a process of selection, of white space and rhythm. If prose is prayer, poetry is hymn.

What, if anything, do you think poetry can do for us in these difficult times?

My feet were planted in unfamiliar terrain, only to discover a fresh vitality, and growing enjoyment of verse and rhyme.