Poetry News
Note: Individual poet’s recent publications may be announced here. Some citations are those I happen to run across in my own subscriptions. Please let us know about your publications and we'll post them here for a time. (Bob King, Colorado Poets Center)
An Interview by Isaac King and Kirstyn Bauer, CPC Communications, with Arsen Kashkashian: Leading the Living Poets Society Book Club at Boulder Bookstore.
September 7, 2025
For nearly two decades, the Living Poets Society Book Club at Boulder Bookstore has been bringing people together to explore contemporary poetry. The group is led by Arsen Kashkashian, Head Buyer at Boulder Bookstore, whose passion for poetry and community has shaped the program since its early days. Blending close reading, thoughtful discussion, and a welcoming atmosphere, the Living Poets Society continues to thrive as a space where poetry lovers of all backgrounds can gather and connect.
We spoke with Arsen about how the group began, what keeps people coming back, and the role poetry plays in Boulder and beyond.How did the poetry reading group at the Boulder Bookstore get started?
We had an employee, Stephanie Walker, who really loved contemporary poetry and had some poets who were friends. She wanted to get a group together to talk about living poets' work. The group started in about 2005.
How do you choose which poetry or poets to feature each month?
Each year the group reads the latest edition of Best American Poetry. Several of the subsequent books we read are by authors featured in the collection. About once a year, I try to bring in a local author who has a new book out and can speak to the group. The other books come from either suggestions from people who attend the group or from me browsing the poetry section.
What do you think draws people to poetry today? And what role does poetry play in a community like Boulder?
A sense of beauty will always draw people to poetry. I think slowing down and really reading each word, each line, each stanza is quite appealing nowadays. We are in such a go-go world and we are often scrolling (which is really browsing). It is meaningful to read something closely like what poetry demands. I think poetry plays the same role in Boulder as anywhere else. It asks us to think more deeply, feel more openly and experience the world in a more nuanced way.
Can you describe a typical format of a poetry reading session?
The Living Poets Society is not really a reading session. Ideally, everyone comes having read the book that we are going to discuss. We start with people talking about their overall 2
impressions of the volume, perhaps things they have learned about the author or previous knowledge of the author that they have. Then we read out loud individual poems and discuss them. I try to give all the attendees a chance to pick a poem and read during the group.
Are there any memorable discussions from past groups that stand out to you?
The poet, David Mason, came to discuss his book, Sea Salt, with us in 2014. Mason, a former Colorado Poet Laureate, is one of my poetry heroes. He read beautifully and he was open and wise in the discussion that we had with him.
What poets do you find yourself returning to again and again?
James Tate because I never know what his next line is going to be and he often makes me laugh. Billy Collins because he drew me back into reading poetry in 2001 after a decade when I read very little. He read on the radio after 9/11 and I thought that is what I need -poetry -not news. Poetry can tell me more about my fellow humans than news. Sharon Olds has interested me time and time again with her personal life and how she lives in the world. Over the last few years I have read quite a bit of Andrea Gibson. Their openness about their gender and also their illness is magical. Andrea Gibson makes me overjoyed to be alive. Their death was a huge loss to the poetry world.
How does the Boulder Bookstore support or engage with local poets?
We stock their books either through the publishers or on consignment. We host events for them such as the Colorado Poets Center‘s monthly poetry readings and we have the Living Poets Society Book Group. We are also dedicated to having a large and varied poetry selection which hopefully serves as a resource for local poets.
For someone who has never attended a poetry reading before, what would you tell them to encourage them to try it?
If you want to attend the Living Poets Society it is a very welcoming group. None of us are experts. We are just sitting around talking about what the different poems evoked for each of us. It is a friendly atmosphere and we always have chocolate and sometimes wine.
The Living Poets Society Book Group meets monthly at Boulder Bookstore and welcomes readers of all backgrounds; no expertise required. Whether you are a longtime poetry lover or simply curious, you will find a thoughtful and inviting community waiting for you. For details on upcoming meetings, visit Boulder Bookstore’s Events page. 3
