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SLEERICKETS

SLEERICKETS

By: Matthew Buckley Smith
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Summary

Welcome to SLEERICKETS, a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems.

© 2021 Matthew Buckley Smith Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • Ep 244: Possible Horrible Truth, Pt. 1

    Ep 244: Possible Horrible Truth, Pt. 1
    May 3 2026
    NB: Sideways was actually co-written by Jim Taylor and Alexander Payne.SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible)For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW!Leave the show a rating here!SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube!For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS, subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] comSome of the topics mentioned in this episode:– Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so good!Now give Brian’s book a 5-star review!– My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now!– Poems Beautiful and Useful, ed. Victoria Moul– To Lucasta, Going to the Wars by Richard Lovelace– Greater Metropolitan Shatador, ft. Victoria Moul– The Matrix (1999)– Jenny, the Halloween Spy by Lillie Patterson– The Statue of Responsibility (the one about Man’s Search for Meaning) – The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker– Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace– The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham– The Optimists by Brian Platzer– The Mattering Instinct by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein– The Last Messiah by Peter Zapffe– The Conspiracy Against the Human Race by Thomas Ligotti– Inferno I, 32 by Jorge Luis Borges– Sideways (2004)– The Gay Science by Friedrich Nietzsche– Big in Romania, ft. Versecraft (the one where Elijah talks with Alice about The Denial of Death)– St. Judas by James Wright– The Mountain Pass, ft. Philip Metres, Part 1 & Part 2– Tichborne’s Elegy by Chidiock Tichborne– Happy were he could finish forth his fate by Robert Devereaux– Ode on Solitude by Alexander Pope– Ars Poetica by Horace– Epode ii by Horace– The Fall of Rome by W. H. Auden– Riddley Walker by Russell HobanFrequently mentioned names:– Joshua Mehigan– Shane McCrae– A. E. Stallings– Ryan Wilson– Morri Creech– Austin Allen– Jonathan Farmer– Zara Raab– Amit Majmudar– Ethan McGuire– Coleman Glenn– Chris Childers– Alexis Sears– JP Gritton– Alex Pepple– Ernie Hilbert– Joanna Pearson– Matt Wall– Steve Knepper – Helena Feder– David Yezzi– Victoria Moul– Katie Dozier & Tim Green– George David Clark– Tristram Fane Saunders– Philip MetresOther Ratbag Poetry Pods:Poetry Says by Alice AllanI Hate Matt Wall by Matt WallVersecraft by Elijah Perseus BlumovAdvice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan FarmerRatbag Poetics By David Jalal MotamedAlice: In Future PostsBrian: @BPlatzerCameron: Minor TiresiasMatthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] comMusic by ETRNLArt by Daniel Alexander Smith
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    1 hr and 33 mins
  • Ep 243: Literary Matters 18.2

    Ep 243: Literary Matters 18.2
    Apr 26 2026
    SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible)For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW!Leave the show a rating here!SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube!For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS, subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 32 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] comSome of the topics mentioned in this episode:– Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so good!Now give Brian’s book a 5-star review!– My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now!– On Marriage by Victoria Moul– Literary Matters 18.2– Not the Greatest Time to Be a Poet, ft. Horace & Friends, Part 1 & Part 2– Handbook for the Recently Deceased Poet– A dolphin for the Dutch; or, is there any verse culture without occasional poems? by Victoria Moul– Merrily We Roll Along by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth– The Lower Depths by Maxim Gorky– Rachel Getting Married (2008)– Glee (2009–2015)– Sinners (2025)Frequently mentioned names:– Joshua Mehigan– Shane McCrae– A. E. Stallings– Ryan Wilson– Morri Creech– Austin Allen– Jonathan Farmer– Zara Raab– Amit Majmudar– Ethan McGuire– Coleman Glenn– Chris Childers– Alexis Sears– JP Gritton– Alex Pepple– Ernie Hilbert– Joanna Pearson– Matt Wall– Steve Knepper – Helena Feder– David Yezzi– Victoria Moul– Katie Dozier & Tim Green– George David Clark– Tristram Fane Saunders– Philip MetresOther Ratbag Poetry Pods:Poetry Says by Alice AllanI Hate Matt Wall by Matt WallVersecraft by Elijah Perseus BlumovAdvice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan FarmerRatbag Poetics By David Jalal MotamedAlice: In Future PostsBrian: @BPlatzerCameron: Minor TiresiasMatthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] comMusic by ETRNLArt by Daniel Alexander Smith
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    1 hr and 28 mins
  • Ep 242: Not the Greatest Time to Be a Poet, ft. Horace & Friends, Pt. 1

    Ep 242: Not the Greatest Time to Be a Poet, ft. Horace & Friends, Pt. 1
    Apr 19 2026
    SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible)For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW!Leave the show a rating here!SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube!For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS, subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 25 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] comSome of the topics mentioned in this episode:– Order Brian’s book The Optimists! It’s so good!Now give Brian’s book a 5-star review!– My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now!– I’ll be doing the Rattlecast this Monday, April 13, at 8:00 p.m. US Eastern! Check it out!– Kronos by Joshua Mehigan– Does it help to be religious? by Victoria Moul– Horace & Friends by Victoria Moul– Poems Beautiful and Useful, ed. Victoria Moul– Poetry, Poetics, Poesia by Tamarah Rockwood– The Rattlecast went well, I think!– Church Going by Philip Larkin– Ep 241: A Serious House– The Poet’s Vision by Ryan Wilson– As I Prefer Them Well Cooked Through (from the French of Valérie Rouzeau) trans. Victoria Moul– A Deer Comes to Mind by Simon Armitage– The Birth of the Sonnet (from the French of Nicolas Boileau) trans. Elijah Perseus Blumov– Ken Gordon– My chapbook’s hatred-filled Goodreads pageFrequently mentioned names:– Joshua Mehigan– Shane McCrae– A. E. Stallings– Ryan Wilson– Morri Creech– Austin Allen– Jonathan Farmer– Zara Raab– Amit Majmudar– Ethan McGuire– Coleman Glenn– Chris Childers– Alexis Sears– JP Gritton– Alex Pepple– Ernie Hilbert– Joanna Pearson– Matt Wall– Steve Knepper – Helena Feder– David Yezzi– Victoria Moul– Katie Dozier & Tim Green– George David Clark– Tristram Fane Saunders– Philip MetresOther Ratbag Poetry Pods:Poetry Says by Alice AllanI Hate Matt Wall by Matt WallVersecraft by Elijah Perseus BlumovAdvice from an Unknown Poet by Alice Allan & Jonathan FarmerRatbag Poetics By David Jalal MotamedAlice: In Future PostsBrian: @BPlatzerCameron: Minor TiresiasMatthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] comMusic by ETRNLArt by Daniel Alexander Smith
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    55 mins
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