New poem in The Massachusetts Review

My poem “an open letter to the woman sharing her funny story in this writing workshop” has been published in the summer 2021 run of The Massachusetts Review!

Two Poems Reprinted in Teaching Black Anthology

I am honored to have two of my poems reprinted in the upcoming University of Pittsburgh Press anthology Teaching Black: Pedagogy, Practice, and Perspectives on Writing edited by Ana Lara and Drea Brown.

Both of these poems— “an open letter to the school resource officer who almost shot me in my class” & “the surprising thing” — appear in my first collection, Teaching While Black.

Two Junenteeth Appropriate Poems in Awake (Lucky Jefferson)

On the first federally recognized Juneteenth, I’m honored to have two of my poems appearing in Our Power, Issue 3 of Awake by Lucky Jefferson.

• “an open letter to the stupid [redacted] about to get [redacted] if they mention ‘affirmative action’ one more [redacted] time”

  and

• “revisionist history”
  

"Close Contact" -- Creative Nonfiction Published at Porcupine Literary

This school year has been broken, on fire, and drowning all at the same time.

I wrote some prose about this, and the good folks at Porcupine Literary have been kind enough to publish it.

It’s dedicated to all of my students, esp. those who survived this year.

You can read it here.

[Say God is the tough in the prison yard] published at New York Quarterly Magazine

Another theological sonnet—[Say God is the tough in the prison yard]— is making an appearance in the world at New York Quarterly Magazine.

"when asked why they can’t sing 'the N-word' in rap songs" is live at Bending Genres

I sometimes laugh out loud when I remember where my poems come from.

This one, true to form, was a result of an actual conversation.

That said, "when asked why they can’t sing 'the N-word' in rap songs" can be read in issue #20 of Bending Genres.

"red rover, red rover..." published in Presence 2021

Another of my theological sonnets—”red rover, red rover…”—was published in the 2021 edition of Presence.

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"Job 42:7-8" published in The Windhover 25.1

Once again, the good folks at The Windhover have published one of my theological sonnets.

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“Job 42:7-8” takes its title from a part of the conclusion to the story of Job when YHWH addresses both us and Job’s “shit-head friend” (as I dub them in the poem) for the belief that victims have brought about their own suffering.

tl:dr Stop blaming victims!

the Colored page = full length manuscript = ACCEPTED by Sundress Publications!

My first full-length collection of poetry, the Colored page, will be published by Sundress Publications as a part of their 2022 catalog!!!!!!!!!

This collection is a semi-autobiographical (or completely autobiographical) journey from first grade through, well hell, last year, for a Black student/teacher/professor/teacher/writer in a white educational system. Think parts of Teaching While Black, but on the cocaine you see in 80s movies.

More info to come…!

[Say James Baldwin was right and white Christians] published at Saint Katherine Review

I was reading Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time shortly after reading The Cross and the Lynching Tree (James Cone).

‘nuff said.

A theological sonnet published by the good folks at Saint Katherine Review

an open letter to the public school employee worried that "antiracist" is too controversial a term published at Rejection Letters

I can be really petty a times. Which make me appreciate this poem on multiple levels.

Yes. I said it.

I love one of my own poems.

Thanks to Rejection Letters for taking a chance on me once again, and putting "an open letter to the public school employee worried that 'antiracist' is too controversial a term" out into the world. I hope the world gets it.

As always, I hope the appropriate people are offended.

"a teachable moment" published by The Daily Drunk Mag

For everyone else:

I love being a teacher.

I pretend to be a professional one.

That said, my poem "a teachable moment" has been published by The Daily Drunk Mag.

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For one person in particular:

Dear_____________,

I wrote this poem with you in mind.

You’re a menace to society and I am proud to have you in my life.

Love,
MEH

“twelve minutes a slave” published in Ploughshares

I mean, not sure how it happened, but a poem I am very proud of appears in a journal I am very proud to be seen in.

“twelve minutes a slave” is now in the Winter 2020-2021 issue of Ploughshares!

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Wow! Flipped open my new issue of @pshares to this outstanding poem by Matthew E. Henry (@MehPoeting).

Do yourself a favor and read it. #poemoftheday pic.twitter.com/N1Ze6ktH1n

— Kelli Russell Agodon (@KelliAgodon) January 15, 2021

[Say “what if?" is more dangerous than “why?"] at Fare Forward

One of my theological sonnets—[Say “what if?" is more dangerous than “why?"] was published over at Fare Forward.

Included in Nightingale & Sparrow's Top Ten of 2020 Microchapbook

The title says it all.

My tiny poem “first grade mural” was included in Nightingale & Sparrow's Top Ten of 2020 Microchapbook.

Dust and Ashes now available for purchase from Californios Press

Dust and Ashes, my new chapbook of ekphrastic poems, is now available for purchase from Californios Press!

Read samples and learn more here (also buy a copy).

"an open letter to a classmate on a conversation we never had" published in Twyckenham Notes

My poem "an open letter to a classmate on a conversation we never had" was just published in Twyckenham Notes’ Voice’s of Color issue.

This is one of my school poems, except this time, I’m a much (much) older student.

And if you realize the poem is about you…oh well.

This Present Former Glory: An Anthology of Honest Spiritual Literature [Editor]

When you’re asked to edit an anthology of creative writing by atheists, clergy, and people everywhere in between you can’t say no. At least I can’t. I am thrilled and humbled by how this all came together.

45 stupid talented writers tackled the deepest and most abiding questions about wrestling with their conceptions of divinity and spirituality in the midst of systematic racism, church camps, sexism, babies, a pandemic, slavery, callings into ministry, abusive parents, divorces, holding hands with the dying, sweeping glass after a riot, and sitting by the ocean, waiting.

This Present Former Glory: An Anthology of Honest Spiritual Literature can be purchased at A Game for Good Christians’ website for $16.95. And it’s well worth the price.

Two Poems Reprinted in Pensive

Two of my poems were reprinted in Issue One of Pensive: A Global Journal of Spirituality & the Arts, published by the Center for Spirituality, Dialogue, and Service (CSDS) at Northeastern University.

You can read them starting on page 118.

On How I Ended Up On (Another) Government Watch List...

My poem “an open letter to the school resource officer who almost shot me in my class” has been reprinted in Into the Void’s new anthology We Are Antifa: Expressions Against Fascism, Racism and Police Violence in the United States and Beyond.

Available on Amazon, 100% of the proceeds from this collection goes to Black Lives Matter Toronto.