First episode we ever recorded takes us into the avante garden of Sergei Parajanov for The Colour of Pomegranates recorded together on one microphone inside Renzo's apartment. Orginally titled Sayat-Nova, after the 18th century poet of the same name, this flick is a sight to behold!

Thank you to all who have supported this podcast so far. Please like subscribe and comment on our page along with this and older episodes. We strive to keep it reel and are always open to respectful conversations with our fans and connecting on any of the poems or stories shared on our show. Message us at ReelPoets@gmail.com or @ReelPoetspod on Instagram.

Please consider supporting any of our wonderful past guests or our illustrious hosts by attending their events, purchasing their books or by simply engaging with them and their work here or online.

There are said to be 613 seeds in a pomegranate corresponding to the number of mitzvot in the Torah.

The only way to truly palm a granite would be shrouding your phone in a brittle , weighty case of quartz, and mica.

Rich in antioxidants, vitamin A, C and K these seeded apples might get the doctor to come your way- as they are sometimes seen as symbols of fertility. They are also associated with good heath and good luck.

Whereas Renzo's poem is more straightforward speaking directly to the movie's incredible art and use of tableaus, my poem came out of a writer's conference near Syracuse, NY held at Colgate University I hope to return to one day. Long before I had published much of anything, I found some of the workshops quite intimidating and have always viewed many aspects of academia claustrophobic in their approach, but as I look back on it now I recall being heavily influenced by two wonderful professors during my visit- Peter Balakian known for his riveting talks and works surrounding the Armenian Genocide along with J Robert Lennon whose book - Pieces for the Left Hand indirectly inspired Stay At Poem Dad as I remember him saying (back in 2008 or so) how he was still able to write, while holding his newborn baby in his other hand. He was also very kind during an evening open-mic during an off the cuff performance of my poem Bored of Education.

I'd like a pomegranate tree. Or a bush. Yeah, a bush would be quite all right with me. Keep it Reel.

The POETS on FILM learn to Keep it Reel in one of our earliest recorded episodes crooning and full mooning over HOWL. Favorite Ginsberg line or collection?

Apologies if the audio isn't up to snuff, but new mics are bought and after a few more backlogged recordings all future episodes will be most pristine.

The annual east village HOWL FEST in NYC stopped operating in 2013-2014. Let's start one up in Miami!

For pictures of Dalai Llama rides by Dentz Design see Instagram or Facebook and contact Reel Poets if you were ever involved with a Howl Fest, took one of these rides or were ever affiliated with SLAMCHOPS to appear on a future episode ( BEN. JUSTIN. Michelle. St. Pat, DMD)

5 quick Parodies of HOWL

"I saw the best felines of my generation destroyed by catnip"- from Pets are Poets with the O by Mayhem Poets

"I saw the best AI minds of the future generation destroy the mad ones..." from the STILL I RISE OF THE MACHINES by Scottt Raven

"I saw the best blinds of my generation annoy a bunch of cats" - Anonymous

" I saw the best bird brains of my generation..." stick around to hear the poem after the credits.

Check out Alan Kaufman’s anthology of counter cultural voices: The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry. A key early performance poet.

And also check out BOB Kaufman the Beat Poet who took a vow of silence following the assassination of JFK.

Some Movies mentioned in this episode: Trainspotting now in its 30th anniversary

Books mentioned- Batman: The Ultimate Evil;

A Pun Also Rises —

,Define: Odnoznachnost single meaningness an opposite of Glasnost or free speech.

TV shows mentioned. Black Mirror Prime Minister

Other Poems Mentioned:

LINSANITY

HOWL

Batman Haiku by Andrew Vachss

The Chicken Poem; AKA The Other Side.

Ginsbird

Reel Poets go 1st and 10 things touching down on all that is Flor Ana: singer, writer, editor and their co-publisher extraordinaire behind Indie Earth Publishing. Author of seven poetry collections, Flor vocalizes with Leather and Lace and intuitively typewrites her way round Miami. She can be found all about town and @littleearthflower and @indieearthbooks.

The two gents and the spring Flor free Stiles in their poetic Ledger to discuss how love, language and teen rebellion collide with Shakespearean Wit waxing their way through 10 Things I Hate About You.

You got a favorite Shakespearean Film Adaptation? What should we tackle next? Hamnet?

Who's the most Shakespearean modern Playwright/Filmmaker/TV Writer of today?

Form or formless? Does Iambic Pentameter stress you out or ease those anxieties?

Engage with the conversation, stick around for the poems, support Flor in one or more of her incredible endeavors and please oh please, Keep It Reel!

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Dowload and look out for the poems in upcoming collections:

10 Things

Not My Son

10 Things I Hate About Ewes

The Untamed Shrew

The primary focus of this podcast episode centers on the exploration of the film "10 Things I Hate About You," a cinematic adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew." Our esteemed guest, Flor Ana, a multifaceted poet and writer, shares her deeply personal connection to the film, elucidating its themes of love, authenticity, and familial relationships. The conversation delves into the intricate dynamics of sibling bonds and the societal pressures faced by young women, paralleling the film's narrative with Flor's own experiences. This episode serves not only as an analysis of a beloved classic but also as a testament to the enduring power of poetry and its ability to resonate across generations.

Renzo kicks us off with an amuse bouche before the Jarmusch as it's Patterson not Paddington in Peru for your perusal then we keep it Reel as per usual -but I hope its as nice for you as it was for us to meet a Reel Chris the Poet in this introspective ep that kept us revving and reeling from start to spinach. Prepare for popped eyes and ears aflame in this dynamite episode that moves fast and furiously past shuffle-boarders and surfers to recast Paul and Jimmy Walkers to reel in Adam Driver.

Shout out William Carlos Williams and poet Ron Padgett plus some Ginsberg, Dante, Frank Ohara and Shunryu Suzuki, but don't sleep on Chris Pineiro AKA Chris the Poet, a high school English teacher who grew into an MFA creative writing student at FIU, armed with a typewriter and voracious appetite for literature and living, savor his words for the first or last dance and take him to the prompt. He's @christhepoet on insta but a man about town throughout Miami.

If you have anything you want to add to the conversation for this or an upcoming episode email us at ReelPoets@gmail.com with your own poem inspired by the film.

Keep it Reel.

What does it mean in today's society to DO the RIGHT thing? What is the "right thing" anyway? And how does one do it? The Reel Poets do the write thing as per usual by responding in verse following a brilliant conversation with a most impressive guest.

After a brief poem from Scottt (who was away celebrating his 3rd anniversary at the time of recording) 1/2 of the dynamic duo interviews poetic powerhouse, Em Simms, a poet, educator, and public servant whose work lives at the intersection of craft, culture, and conscience to serve, bump and volley on SPIKE's, Do The Right Thing.

An Afro-Latina writer with Dominican roots, her voice carries lineage, responsibility, and lived experience into every line.

A Florida State University alum with a bachelor’s degree in writing and a Full Sail University MFA earned magna cum laude, EM brings both rigor and lyricism to the page. She has taught literature at Florida Atlantic University, guiding students through language, history, and the power of story.

Beyond the classroom, she has served the public for over two decades in federal service and is the mother of two young daughters. Her poetry reflects the layered realities of identity, belonging, and inheritance, weaving personal truth with collective memory.

A poet of legacy. A teacher of attention. A voice shaped by history and care. Most Em-pressive indeed.

So please get engulfed and enveloped by @em_simms_writer_and_creator as she joins

@renzodelcastillo.author (with @scotttraven away) for our Do the Right Thing episode, a special Black History Month conversation on race, power, community, and moral urgency.

When done put your pedals to the metal...detectors to grab some funds and support Em's book, Where The Petals Land HERE to

Keep It Reel.

Scottt's Opening Poem; Do The Write Thing

Em's Poem; Same Old Shit

Renzo's Poem; Boombox

*Bonus Poem After Credits, Where's Brookyln At from 2016

It's a Counter Culture Club Random minus the Maher as we Monkey around with not Boy George of the Jungle but founder of the Light in the Dark Fest, a glorious gathering of peace, environmentalism and creative expression, Becca Joseph who admits to Micky Dolenz having been her imaginary friend at age 4.

Opening poem from the Spoken Word Play New Street Poets, co-written by Scott Raven Tarazevits from the on the road warrior poet, Spott whose dad drove a 7up truck.

Music, road trips and how easy is it to be an easy writer.

The Open Road and Open Mics.

Waffle House!

Other movies mentioned: Sisu, Will and Harper, Good Fortune, The Matrix and more.

Light in the Dark Festival's mission is to bring socially and environmentally conscious music and art events, including an annual festival to Southeast Florida. These events feature critically acclaimed national acts, rising and local artists ranging from the visual arts to the oratory arts with a focus on themes such as environmentalism and unity.

https://www.lightinthedarkfest.com/

Hey Hey!! Keep it Reel.

After a brief cover of A DOZEN VIRGINS, AKA Beowulf's Army by Scottt (adapted from the screenplay by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary) we hear our magnificent guest, Crystal Espinosa deliver her thrilling piece on the film in her signature style of revealing a poem's title only at the end of its delivery.

In addition to getting to know Crystal better, as a poet and a person, an educator turned administrator, we have a great talk about the film centered on heroism, legacy, and power concluding with an encore of her poem and one from each of our hosts.

Follow Crystal's incredible work in Miami curating @popupoetrymia with the next edition slated for February 21st at the CAMP GALLERY.

And please check out her leg spinning sentence swinging synthesis of words and movement in her wonderful book Paragraphs and Pirouettes.

Shout out to all teachers and admins - those principals of patience who deserve that break for summer vacation.

Keep It Reel.

Having been wowed by Cronos early on, we were bowling balled over and struck by Nightmare Alley, tried keeping it reel with Pinocchio and have been repeatedly chilled and charmed by this filmmaker's work.

On today's episode we take out our white coats and microscopes to dig in to the Pan's Lab from the inimitable and imaginative Guillermo Del Toro with our special guest Stella Amador. Raise a glass, toss your toast, its Pan-demonium on today's episode of Reel Poets.

Labyrinth is a fantasy horror film following a young girl named Ofelia escaping her brutal stepfather Captain Vidal through a series of fanciful quests inside an otherworldly experience of fauns and baby eaters. Vidal's the kind of guy who makes Cinderella's stepsisters seem like (step)Mother Teresa and its proving exceedingly more and more difficult for Princess Moana to get back to her castle in tact. What's been your experience with step parents? Let us know in the comments below along with some of your spookiest and absolute favorite fairy tales.

Also if you are up to the challenge send us a reel poem about a Nightmare you recently had.

Before we chop it up on the film, we talk with Stella Amador, an American poet with Nicaraguan roots, an entrepreneur, and a community builder whose work lives where intention meets imagination. As the founder of @bloombystella, she creates tools and spaces that help people grow with purpose and care.

With a background in psychology and two decades of experience across law, construction, and startups, Stella developed the PLANT Framework (Prioritize, Learn, Act, Nurture, Take Care), a philosophy grounded in reflection, sustainability, and real-world momentum.

Check out her PLANT Your Life Planner (Spring 2025) and @wildbloompoetry and catch her LIVE at the Huizenga Park Grand Reopening with our hosts...

Saturday, January 24, 2026 | 10 AM–2 PM

Enjoy the conversation and keep it reel!