Should immigration and customs enforcement be dissolved? It’s not just democratic socialists asking, it’s some of the agents themselves, we’ll explore. Also grumblings south of the border as Mexico prepares to go to the polls and pick a new president. And polls point to a victory for a man described as a Trump of the Mexican left. We’ll have an update of these final hours before balloting begins. And Texas Senator Ted cruz accused Facebook’s CEO of liberal bias. Now reports say social media honchos have been huddling in secret with GOP leaders. We’ll hear what’s on their agenda. Plus the week in Texas politics and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
poetry
Weeds
The nemesis of every gardener was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Sam Sax
Poet Sam Sax talks with poet and novelist Carrie Fountain about poetry as biography, the history of medician, poetry as performance, and so much more.
He also reads his poem “#Hypocondria” from his book Madness, and shares one of his favorite poems, “Katherine With The Lazy Eye. Short. And Not a Good Poet.” by Francine J. Harris.
Rainbow Car Wash Soap
Getting your car clean feels great: not just because it looks nice, or even because the car wash is cool on a summer day. Sometimes, the very act of entering a sudsy, rainbow-colored space is its own reward. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Texas Standard: June 22, 2018
Texas plastic bag bans get sacked in a unanimous ruling by the Texas Supreme Court. We’ll take a look at the ruling, the reasoning and the impact. And: Warehousing migrants is big business, and right now business is good for those companies. Manny Fernandez of The New York Times joins us. Plus: The president’s proposed a sixth military branch, the space force. Though its not quite ready for liftoff. Science fiction or defense necessity? Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Roger Reeves
“[Poetry] is the only place that I can defy the world,” said poet Roger Reeves when he spoke to poet Carrie Fountain and producer Rebecca McInroy for this edition of This is Just To Say. Thinking of poetry as a place and a practice, rather than the attempt to create the “perfect poem” was just one of the many revelations in their conversation.
Reeves also generously debuted his poem “Children, Listen” now available at poets.org, and he shared one of his favorite poems “Preliminary Question” by Aimé Césaire, from his book Solar Throat Slashed.
Swarms of Daddy Long Legs
Did you ever reach up onto a shelf in a back yard storage shed, or get too close to the eaves of the house while standing on a ladder? Chances are you’ve met a few daddy long legs. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Texas Standard: June 8, 2018
Never before has help been more readily available and yet suicide numbers continue rise. What’s going on? We’ll explore. Also, the disappearance of 43 Mexican college students in 2014 is considered an international scandal. Now a court has ordered a new impartial investigation and a truth commission to get to the bottom of it. It’s a move some are calling historic, we’ll hear why. Also, remember the lore of lopping off a rattlers head to kill it? That wasn’t enough for a Texas man, who barely survived getting bitten by the snakehead. What you’re really supposed to do in the event of a snake encounter. Plus actor musician Kevin Bacon and his brother Michael stop by the studios, the week in Texas politics and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Ramadan in Texas
Hundreds of thousands of Texans have been fasting this month in honor of Ramadan. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Texas Standard: June 1, 2018
Governor Abbots plan to fight gun violence includes a proposal from a Texas Democrat. Could a Red Flag Law stop a school shooter? We’ll explore. And gimme a T for Texas, T for tariffs too. How new White House duties on imports could help or hurt matters in our own backyard. Plus, hello hurricane season! Are we better prepared than we were this time last year? Three Harvey survivors look back on their experiences and lessons learned from last years storm. Also the story of the Abilene High football team that went all the way to state and on to Hollywood. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Tubing Down A River
The temperatures are hot in Texas — time to jump into a cold body of water. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Texas Standard: May 25, 2018
The Lt. Governor mocked after the Santa Fe shooting for claiming Texas schools have too many entrances and exits, but is he right? After the Sandy Hook school massacre, the old building was raised and a new more secure building built in its place. One of the experts involved says Texas schools should reconsider their architecture too. And another year another season of glitches for Texas’ standardized public school testing scheme. Now penalties for the company behind the tests, and a reprieve for many students who didn’t pass, we’ll take a look. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Things Shaped Like Texas
Texans tend to love the shape of Texas — and to buy items, including food, in that shape. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Emmy Pérez
Poet Emmy Pérez reads her poem “Green Light Go” and talks with poet and novelist Carrie Fountain about living on the border as an act of resistance, the beauty of writing from anger, the healing power of the natural world, and much more.
Big Bend
It’s feeling like summer — time for a Texas road trip. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Texas Standard: May 18, 2018
A shooter situation at a school in Galveston county. Santa Fe High School goes on lockdown, we’ll have the latest from our reporting partners. Also, what could be an important moment in U.S. Mexico relations: a televised debate in the contest for the presidency of Mexico. The front runner? One way to think of him is as a Trump of the left. And a wildfire in the panhandle spawns a rare phenomenon that creates more fires from above the story behind an unusual pyro cumulus cloud formation. Also, they called him the Tex Mex Elvis, now Freddy Fender’s daughter is fighting to preserve her father’s legacy. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Marie Howe
Poet Marie Howe reads and discusses her poem “One Day” with host poet and novelist Carrie Fountain. They talk about poetry as a spiritual practice, their time together at The Michener Center, and Lucie Brock-Broido‘s poem, “The American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act.”
Theatre Kids
This Typewriter Rodeo poem was requested in memory of a school theatre teacher.
Diane Seuss
Poet Diane Seuss talks with poet and novelist Carrie Fountain about how writing her poem “Song in My Heart” gave her strength after a devastating divorce.
Texas Standard: May 4, 2018
Smuggling across the border with Mexico. You might be surprised what’s in that duffel bag, border agents certainly were. We’ll have the latest. Also, do you remember Jade Helm? A U.S. military operation that was seen by many on the right as a kind of blueprint for a Federal takeover? Now hear this: an allegation that Jade Helm was really a beta test for Russia messing with the 2016 elections. We’ll hear more. Also, in what is arguably the gun-friendliest state in the union, a weekend long celebration of gun rights as the NRA holds its annual convention in Dallas. We’ll have a view from the ground zero. Plus the week in Texas politics and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard: