Poet's Return - The Poetry Podcast

Melissa Booey

Poetry is everywhere. Everyone can witness this powerful, timeless medium, in mainstream art and underground alike. Meet talented, evocative, rising artists as they perform their words and tell the stories that share their journey, inspiration and process.

  1. 07/18/2025

    The Return of Poet's Return

    As tangential and informed as ever, (Ron being the latter and Mel being the former,) we are back!  Yes, it has been almost TWO YEARS since we were last together in the studio and yes, a LOT has happened, but more than that, we are grateful that you are persevering with us through this wild world.  Although we share about some of the artistic hardships we’ve encountered over the last couple of years, there is also plenty of good news. Ron shares about booking his first National Commercial with NBA and Google (no big deal.) He talks about the work he’s put in over the years and how it pays off on set when the director is confident enough in your skills to let you improvise for ten minutes (most of his improv ended up in final takes!)  He also shares about his upcoming albums and projects in the musical arena, before rapping three pieces for us as Philasifer. “Aquarian” at minute 34:18 “Fog of War” at minute 39:21 Finally, he closes the episode out with “Wander” at minute 52:21 Mel shares about writing and producing her first immersive show last spring and working on a novel about mental illness and personality disorders (something she knows NOTHING about we’re sure.) She shares a short essay “Nothing Just is” at minute 45:00.  We also discuss world matters, matters of sport, matters of punk rock, a dash of local history, and of course, matters of art and passion. As always, we appreciate you being on this journey with us and we look forward to having some new and old artists in the studio with us again very soon.  Stay tuned for bonus footage and behind the scenes bits released soon!  Credit for all beats in this episode go to Evolve One @evolve_one_ Beats include: opening and closing Wander Background beats include: Noji-Exhale Home Grown-out of office Hazue-Bloom Swiftly-happy place Thymes-Free as a Bird Noji, On my Way Midnight Hour-Wanderlust  Shoutout to Bridget Hanson Tirrell (guest from season one-many lifetimes ago) and her first published book of original poetry, “Posies, Pins, and Other Pragmatics.” Check it out on amazon here at https://www.amazon.com/Posies-Pins-Other-Pragmatics-Original/dp/B0DFZW9F84/ref=sr_1_1?crid=M38KOEB2WZBU&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.LRmnq5OHUfEYQ8VhQ34-cA.wICkeRJzN-TETFAlAfewQlxgNXPA8Idthnl85F_OlAU&dib_tag=se&keywords=bridget+tirrell&qid=1752288263&sprefix=bridget+tirrel%2Caps%2C198&sr=8-1 You can find Bridget’s literary profile here at @bridgets_literary_garden Don’t forget, my friends, now more than ever we must use our words well.

    54 min
  2. 08/15/2023

    Words Heal

    "Nicole Gabriella Scipione breaks hearts." Or at least, that's what her cat Langston Brindle Anunciación, claims. As well as Stage Raw of Nicole in Lucas Hnath's Obie Award winning The Christians. Nicole is an actor/writer/filmmaker living in Los Angeles, but born the middle child in a gaggle of 5 children to her minister Father George, & educator/counselor Mother Eileen on a manse in New Jersey. She's played memorable roles in regional theatre including Ayad Akhtar's Pulitzer Prize winner Disgraced at PlayMakers Repertory Company, Jenny in The Tony award nominated Lucas Hnath's The Christians at Actors Co-op (Stage Scene LA Winner, Outstanding Performance by A Featured Actress in a Drama), Ruth Bader GetsIt in For The Love Of (or the roller derby play) at The Kirk Douglas Theatre, Abigail in The Crucible (Stage Scene LA Winner, tied with Alicia Silverstone in Time Stands Still for Best Performance by a Featured Actress, Drama), & with comedic luminaries Culture Clash in AmeriCCa at South Coast Repertory, & Seema Sueko at The Pasadena Playhouse. Nicole also wrote, produced, & stars in her short films Song in a Convenience Store (3rd Place, Oscar-qualifying Athens International Film Fest) & Play Me Like That. On today’s episode, Nicole performs the following pieces: THE DICTIONARY GAME (26:27) STAINS IN MY CARPET (47:40) MY AUDACITY INVITES MY TENDERNESS ON A HIKE ON RUNYAN CANYON THE HARD WAY (59:06) Original Music by PHILASIFER and editing by RJ WAYNE @philasocial

    1h 16m
  3. 11/12/2022

    The Show can wait...the Art must go on

    Yes we are BACK! Even more than being excited to be in a real studio together, we are glad to reunite in the city of angels after a summer spent on our own adventures, coming back together to create some poetic content for this community! It has been a chaotic three years and we're happy to reexamine our journeys as artists, professionals, and of course, as poets. Ron recounts his summer of traveling productions, and Booey recounts her summer of teaching artistry and writing.  Ron: “I am out here with people who don’t have my back. I am out here with people that are out here for themselves…that are not versed in this art but they’re out here doing it because they’re taking opportunities and advantages because we’re just coming back from COVID.” “It went far beyond the artist’s capacity to create in the face of no agreement, and went into a place that was a lot more dark…and had a lot more to do with political posturing than about making theatre.” Ron discusses the "pre-amateur" level, and good companies desperate to hire. Amidst it all, there is still hope, perseverance and compassion among fellow actors and artists, and the collaborative nature of the art form continues to keep it alive despite skewed priorities.  Melissa Booey discusses her time spent with teenagers during a grant funded conservatory arts program. Seeing the bravery in her students inspires the artist and the advocate in her: "We are all afraid. If Theatre does anything it teaches you how to articulate that fear, how to face that fear and even embrace that fear, so you can use it instead of letting it use you." Regarding both Theatre and the culture of Hip Hop specifically: "Once you see behind the curtain, you become a custodian of the culture."  *Linda Ravenswood de Montano is the name of the poet and writer who translated "The Story of the Cactus" originally told in Nahuatl.  *Poetry performed by Melissa Booey from her soon to be published book, "The Calamitous Chronicle of Mr. Livingston and Tiger Lily." Poem featured is titled "BLOODSTONE."

    49 min

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Poetry is everywhere. Everyone can witness this powerful, timeless medium, in mainstream art and underground alike. Meet talented, evocative, rising artists as they perform their words and tell the stories that share their journey, inspiration and process.