In this second episode of Murmurstations, we explore the transformative power of speculative poetry with guest Chimedum Ohaegbu, focusing on her poem Moonshaped Midas.

She discusses how ambiguity and confusion, at times a source of harm, can become a generative space for creativity and understanding.

We talk about the tensions between beauty and violence in poetry, the role of relationships in worldbuilding, and the potential of speculative genres to inspire awe and connection.

By blurring the lines between literal and metaphorical, speculative poetry offers a unique lens to navigate human experiences, enriching both the writer's and reader's journeys.

Find the episode transcript here.

Read Moonshaped Midas (Augur 4.1)

https://augursociety.org/moonshaped-midas/⁠

Follow Chimedum Ohaegbu

⁠https://chimedum.com/ ⁠

Extra Notes:

Quote by James Baldwin, from a lecture titled The Artist's Struggle for Integrity

"You must understand that your pain is trivial except insofar as you can use it to connect with other people’s pain; and insofar as you can do that with your pain, you can be released from it, and then hopefully it works the other way around too; insofar as I can tell you what it is to suffer, perhaps I can help you to suffer less."

Follow the Augur Literary Society: ⁠⁠https://augursociety.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/augursociety/⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/augursociety⁠⁠

Host and Producer: Sonia Urlando Special Thanks To: Kerry C. Byrne Lorna Antoniazzi Martine Nguyen Lois L.K. Chan Cindy Ly Eugénie Szwalek Madeleine Vigneron Helena Ramsaroop Lily H Artwork by: Moccha ⁠https://www.instagram.com/mochii.mocha⁠ ⁠https://twitter.com/Mocchadraws

Music: Inspector D, Blue Dot Sessions