Reviews of Book of Entangled Souls
Rick’s newest poetry collection has received generous and insightful reviews in the following media outlets:
- Vox Populi: A Public Sphere for Poetry, Politics, and Nature (August 5, 2022). Click here to read the review by Angele Ellis.
- The Hollins Critic (February 2023 issue). Click here to read a digital version of the review by Robert Fillman.
- Pittsburgh Magazine (February 2023 issue). Click here to read the review by Kristofer Collins.
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (February 26, 2023) Click here to read the review by Fred Shaw.
Reformed Journal (May 2, 2023 issue) Two of Rick’s new poems were recently published in Reformed Journal.
- Click here for “The Deed, the Word”
- Click here for “Jobless Too Long: Variations on a Theme by Milton.”
Pittsburgh Live/Ability Project — interview plus audio & ebook links
From November 2020 through September 2022, Rick collaborated with Mark Steidl as part of Pittsburgh Live/Ability: Encounters in Poetry and Prose — a project that connected 11 multilingual, multiply disabled and multiply abled Pittsburgh writers and 11 Pittsburghers with disabilities. The hybrid-genre piece that they created, “Freaky Fire Guy,” attempts to communicate some of Mark’s experience as an individual living with cerebral palsy. Click HERE to read about their collaboration in an article published in the online magazine Sampsonia Way. Their piece is included in the Pittsburgh Live/Ability anthology which is available free in both audio and e-book formats. Or you can go directly to the 23-minute audio version of “Freaky Fire Guy” by clicking HERE.
Hemingway’s Summer Poetry Series, hosted by White Whale Bookstore — July 12, 2022
Rick read three poems from Book of Entangled Souls (“Carthage,” “The Tao to Disneyland” and “Revisiting.”) Click here to watch.
Broadstone Reading Stage online event — June 25, 2022
At this online event, hosted by the publisher, Broadstone Books, Rick read ten poems from his recently published collection, Book of Entangled Souls. Link to his 30 minute video will follow soon.
Vox Populi — May 2022
Click here to read Rick’s new poem “The Tao to Disneyland” in Vox Populi: A Public Sphere for Poetry, Politics, and Nature. The poem will also appear in his new collection Book of Entangled Souls.
Pittsburgh Quarterly — Winter 2022 issue
Rick’s poem “Even So” was published online in December 2021 by Pittsburgh Quarterly for its Winter 2022 issue. Click here to read the poem.
Online Reading on March 19, 2021
Rick read two of his own poems — “All Saints Eve” and “On Being Asked for a Poem That Embodies Non-Anthropocentric Spirituality” — as part of a reading with Joan E. Bauer, Celeste Gainey, and Arlene Weiner, in celebration of Joan’s new book The Camera Artist.
His reading starts at roughly 26:00 and runs through 34:46. Click here or on the image below. Then fast forward to 26:00 to see Richard’s reading.
Online Reading Hosted by White Whale Bookstore – October, 2020:
Rick read with poets Joan E. Bauer, Philip Terman and Michael Simms, in celebration of Michael’s new book American Ash.
Listen to the entire event at this link. Rick’s portion of the event begins at about 7:20 and ends around 22:00.
The Weekly Hubris – February, 2020:
Rick’s poems “Insurgent,” “Pavlov’s Dogs” and “Hecatomb” were selected by poet Claire Bateman for a themed issue of The Weekly Hubris focused on “animals.” Click here to read Rick’s poems. (This thoughtful online journal has shifted from “weekly” to “monthly,” though it retains its original name.)
Hemingway’s Cafe Poetry Series, July 2019:
On July 9, 2019, Rick read at Pittsburgh’s long-standing Hemingway’s Cafe Poetry Series. Click here to hear Rick read four poems, including one of the most beautiful in the English language. Rick’s introduction includes a brief personal reference to Jimmy Cvetic, founder of the reading series who died in 2018.
WQED-FM, June 2019:
Rick was interviewed on WQED-fm radio’s “Voices of the Arts” series, along with poet Samuel Hazo, in advance of a July 9, 2019 reading. Both shared several poems as part of the conversation. Click here to hear the interview.
Vox Populi, 2019:
Click here to read Rick’s new poem “The Chorus” which appeared in Vox Populi: A Public Sphere for Poetry, Politics, and Nature. The poem, in a revised version, appears in his new collection, Book of Entangled Souls.
Hemingway’s Cafe Summer Reading Series
On June 7, 2016, Rick read at the long-standing Hemingway’s Cafe Summer Reading Series. Click here to hear him read a new poem, “Hecatomb”, plus “A Blessing in Baltimore” from Each Perfected Name, and “Annunciations” from The Pure Inconstancy of Grace.
On May 19, 2015, Rick read two short summer poems plus “I Write to the G-20 Leaders in Advance of Their Pittsburgh Summit” at this long-standing reading series hosted by Joan Bauer and Jimmy Cvetic. Click here to listen.
Pittsburgh City Paper review of Each Perfected Name.
On May 13, 2015, Pittsburgh City Paper’s Fred Shaw wrote, “What makes the collection a success is honest empathy.” Click here to read the full review
Robert Morris University “Literature Out Loud” Conversation & Reading
In March 2015, Rick spoke with Robert Morris University professor and host, John Lawson, along with poet Jay Carson, for broadcast on the university’s radio station. The conversation includes Rick reading four poems from Each Perfected Name, Jay Carson reading two poems, plus an informal discussion about religions as symbol systems. Click here to hear a podcast.
Poetry Daily Features ‘The Garden Will Come to You’ / A Conversation
Poetry Daily featured Rick’s poem in its national poem-a day distribution on Friday, March 13, 2015. Click here to read the poem.
WESA-FM Prosody Interview & Reading
Rick talks with poet/host Jan Beatty and reads poems from Each Perfected Name
in a 30-minute conversation that first aired March 7, 2015 on WESA-FM. Click here to listen.
Poet Lore Review of The Pure Inconstancy of Grace
Lynn Pedersen’s extended review of Rick’s first full-length poetry collection appeared in the Spring/Summer 2007 issue of Poet Lore, the nation’s oldest poetry journal. Click here to read a pdf of the review.
Lessons Learned from Conversations for Common Wealth
During 2002-2005, Rick initiated and coordinated an arts-based civic engagement program called Conversations for Common Wealth, as a project of the Community House Learning Center. Though different in many ways, the project served as a prototype for Conversations That Matter. Click here to read a pdf of the summary report on this previous initiative.
(photo by Jan Leo)