What Is PopPoetry?
PopPoetry is a place for anyone interested in pop culture, writing, and the creative life. My mission is to bring poetry out of the ivory tower and into your living rooms and your hearts. I study the intersection of poetry and poets with pop culture, including TV, film, music, and more with a scholar’s eye and a comedian’s sense of humor to see what they can tell us about creativity, art, and ourselves. Here are some of the kinds of posts you can expect to read:
Explainers about poets and poems referenced in pop culture
Poets Watching TV: learn to watch TV like a writer and engage with writing prompts to glean surprising insights into the creative life
Analyses of poetry tropes and stereotypes in pop culture
Poets Go Pop: Interviews with poets whose work engages pop culture elements or who have had their work appear in TV shows, films, songs, and more
All That Glitters: (Re)appraisals of musicians, actors, and other culture-makers who have written and/or published poetry.
…and more!
Subscriptions
You can continue to receive this newsletter weekly in addition to some awesome new perks by becoming a subscriber. For $7 per month or a discounted $70 annually* you’ll receive:
Full posts on Wednesdays
PopPoetry Postscripts on Fridays
Full access to the archive
Monthly subscriber-only writing prompts
Access to a curated, continually updated companion playlist
Founding Members
If you’re a big fan of the newsletter and have the means and desire to support my work in a big way, consider becoming a founding member. You can set your price at a higher amount than the annual subscription. You’ll receive all of the above perks plus:
A personal post request and shoutout
A one-on-one Zoom with me
Non-Paying Subscribers
If you can’t or don’t want to pay for a subscription, that’s ok. You’ll still continue to receive occasional free posts and can subscribe at any time.
Who Are You?
PopPoetry is written and curated by me, Caitlin Cowan. I’m a working poet and writer living on the west coast of Michigan.
I have a Ph.D. in English, a background in journalism, and a tendency to take pop culture just as seriously as academic subjects. But don’t let the degree freak you out: I’m all about democratizing and demystifying the realm of poetry to show that it’s an art form for everyone. You can learn more about my work here.
Why Read PopPoetry?
My readers respond to the high-quality content I offer on creativity, pop culture, and poetry’s weird little place in the world.
“Some of the most thorough, well-sourced, and substantiated work I’ve seen.”
—Cole Noble, Writer
In recent years, we’ve seen poetry emerge as an increasingly accessible art form: Beyoncé and her cold glass of Lemonade helped Warsan Shire sell out on Amazon. Maggie Smith’s poem, “Good Bones” went viral and ended up in an episode of Madam Secretary. Walter White was treated to some choice Walt Whitman on more than one occasion. I write about the intersections of poetry and popular culture because I’m interested in what they tell us about art, entertainment, and ourselves.
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The world is a weird and mainly horrible place right now, and we’ve all been reminded of the central role that art plays in our lives as we quarantined and attempted to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Subscribing to this newsletter supports my writing and the accessibility of high-quality inspirational and educational arts content on the web.
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