William Shakespeare has us ‘Would-I-Was Shook-Speared’; talking queerness and The Bard with Avery Selk

‘a vast universe where Up and Down are relevant’; part 2 of talking Greek poetry and identity with Eleftheria Papanikolaou

“But for practicality and to save time, in the vast universe, they put tiny elevators in every apartment building, and now, in my wheelchair, there is no room for me to go up, no room for me to go down, there is not room for me to live in the vast universe, where Up and Down are relevant” (Αρτέμης Μαυρομμάτης / Artemis Mavrommatis). In today’s episode Mars Tarassenko is joined again by Eleftheria Papanikolaou to discuss writing projects related to Sappho and the Iliad, the troubles of translation, and modern Greek poetry relating to disability and queerness. The notion of labels as a constricting element of life is explored, and how language doesn’t have the capacity to fully describe the essence of someone – and how not being married to a label doesn’t negate your existence and challenges.

William Shakespeare has us ‘Would-I-Was Shook-Speared’; talking queerness and The Bard with Avery Selk

One day, Avery Selk was working at their local bookstore when Will Tosh, the head researcher of the Shakespeare Globe and author of Straight Acting: The Hidden Queer Lives of William Shakespeare, moseyed on in. Naturally they had to get their hands on a copy (a signed one at that!). In today’s episode, Mars Tarassenko and Avery Selk explore the nature of homosexuality along with the metatheories of homosexuality within Shakespeare’s works.

haunted by antiquity; part 1 of talking modern Greek identity with Eleftheria Papanikolaou

Ever feel like you're living in the shadow of a thousand-year-old statue? In today’s episode, Mars Tarassenko sits down with Eleftheria Papanikolaou to talk about Greek queer identity, tradition, and the weight of legacy. We lay the groundwork for a bigger conversation on Greek queer poetry—digging into how Ancient Greece still shapes the present, how national identity is built around the past, and what it means to navigate all that as a modern queer artist. We didn’t quite make it to the poetry itself… but don’t worry, that’s coming in part 2!

we’re starting a roomie book club; talking Queer Latine poetry with Renata Pérez-Hernández

No voice is unwanted, representation is key to self discovery. In today’s episode of QPS, Mars Tarassenko is joined by Renata Pérez-Hernández in exploring the intersectionality of Latine and Queer identities in poetry and literature. Join us as we pad the reading list for our roomie book club and share stories of our personal experiences with recognizing ourselves in the works we read. We discuss Benjamin Alire Saenz’s novel Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of The Universe along with his poem To The Desert.

everything but the kitchen sink; talking poetry, politics, and herbalism with Sophia

Poetry doesn’t change the world, poetry changes people, and people change the world. In today’s episode of QPS, Mars and Sophia discuss poetry as a personal and political tool to make the world a better place. Sophia publishes her writing for free on Substack at Thoughts Across Bostonia, and she has an upcoming chapbook, Alchemies, Arrivals, through Quillkeepers Press.