Ekphrastic Poetry

20 Oct 2025 • 32 min • EN
32 min
00:00
32:11
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The queens put the SIS in ekphrasis! Please Support Breaking Form! Review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Aaron"s STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series. James"s ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books. Show Notes: The Greek word ekphrasis (ἔκφρασις) is derived from the Greek prefix ek- ("out") and the verb phrazein ("to speak," "to explain," or "to show"). The combination translates to "to speak out," "to speak clearly and completely," or "to show clearly."  In the movie Showgirls, Kyle MacLachlan"s character, Zack Carey, corrects Nomi Malone (played by Elizabeth Berkley) when she mispronounces "Versace" as "Ver-sayce." Watch the iconic scene here. "Faithfully" is a song by American rock band Journey, released in 1983 as the second single from their album Frontiers. Go behind the music with some more info about the song"s origin story. The receipts about Karl Lagerfeld"s hateful (racist, fat phobic) ass are here. Some of the poems and poets we mention include: Jorie Graham, San Sepolcro Paul Tran, Like Judith Slaying Holofernes -- and listen to Tran talk about their inspiration for this poem. Rainer Maria Rilke, "Archaic Torso of Apollo" Tommye Blount, "Karl Lagerfeld’s line of beauty" Amy Gerstler, "Dear Boy George" Anne Sexton, "Starry Night"  David Trinidad"s "Peyton Place: A Haiku Soap Opera" (excerpt) Walta Borawski, "Watching Sting on Saturday Night Live." Check out this review of Borawski"s Collected Poems.   

From "Breaking Form: a Poetry and Culture Podcast"

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