Whitney Rio-Ross

Honorable Mentions: "Ars Poetica, with Foxes" by Lauren Delapenha and "Neuroception" by Jill Haugen

Congrats to the Fare Forward Poetry Competition winners!
First Place: "Dire Wolf" by Isabel Cristina Legarda (@poetintheor.bsky.social)
Second Place: "Wisdom" by Joyce Schmid
Third Place: "Postcard from Mexico City, 15 July 2025" by Alena Coleman

Ode to Doilies — Earth and Altar Not to the paper wisps, not those sliced by machine, but the ones that wearied a woman’s fingers.  The ones piled in an antique shop, ten for a dollar and sure to be mocked  if noticed at...

Many thanks to Earth & Altar (@earthandaltarmag.com) for publishing my poem “Ode to Doilies” and offering some space for playful theological aesthetics.
earthandaltarmag.com/posts/ode-to...

I Left My Church—And Found Christianity No one should have to choose between their community and their own integrity.

So incredibly proud of my twin flame, Monty Bennett, for writing this incredibly thoughtful, vulnerable, and important essay about her experience as a gay Christian. I consider this required reading.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Book Review: “Between Chance and Mercy” by James E. Cherry Review by Whitney Rio-Ross

"What makes some political poems last while others feel more like edifying sermons that I will soon forget?... James Cherry's ‘Between Chance and Mercy’ came in to answer my question."

@whitlynnrioross.bsky.social reviews "Between Chance and Mercy" by James E. Cherry

I was delighted to have this poem in EcoTheo Review last week! I also 100% recommend screaming in a field for your mental health.

Follow Marci! Her poetry is a gift.

(Note: It was also a procession. The NYT has been consistently bad at Opinion headlines to make hot takes ever hotter, and the author does not use this phrasing.)

Opinion | Palm Sunday Was a Protest, Not a Procession Jesus’ procession was a parody of imperial power — a deliberate mockery of Roman spectacle and a prophetic enactment of a kingdom not built on violence but on justice.

There are roughly a thousand important theological takeaways from Palm Sunday, and this is one that is far too often ignored.
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/13/o...

Visas revoked for students, graduates at multiple Texas universities amid deportation efforts Dozens of students and recent graduates in Texas have had their legal status changed by the U.S Department of State over the last few weeks.

The State Department didn’t reveal the rationale for having these visas rescinded.

(via @keranews.org)

i am accused of tending to the past as if i made it, as if i sculpted it with my own hands. i did not. this past was waiting for me when i came, a monstrous unnamed baby, and i with my mother's itch took it to breast and named it History. she is more human now, learning language everyday, remembering faces, names and dates. when she is strong enough to travel on her own, beware, she will.

Post-youth group Lucille Clifton

This week, my sister offered culture recs in The Atlantic Daily, and they included part of my poem originally published in @rogueagent.bsky.social 😮 I accept this nepotism as payment for years of being a chauffeur, secret keeper, & help in times of troublemaking.
www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...

I finally made/updated an author website. Thank you to poet Lauren Smothers for letting me use her wonderful photography!
www.whitneyrioross.com

Thank you, Megan!

I'm honored to be included in the gorgeous @lastsyllablelit.bsky.social's latest issue! Many thanks to them for publishing this long poem that took me forever to write as I wrestled with what it means to be the descendent of a long line of white Southerners.
lastsyllablelit.com/heres-a-trut...

We have been in Texas for less than 24 hours, and my accent has already gotten stronger. God help me.

Academic Freedom and Open Discourse - UNC Press Blog For over 100 years UNC Press has championed the principles of academic freedom, open discourse, and the free exchange of ideas—values essential to a democratic society and the pursuit of knowledge.  R...

Recently, UNC Press authors have had their US visas revoked and talks canceled.

For over 100 years, we have stood for academic freedom and open discourse, and continue to do so. Read more on the UNC Press Blog ⬇️

And if you can't get a ticket, send me a note, and I'll send you the Zoom link!

Want to hear wonderful poems to kick off your weekend? Come to The Still Point, featuring the winners of the Fare Forward Poetry Competition!
www.eventbrite.com/e/the-still-...

Republican Leaders Once Thought January 6 Was ‘Tragic’ Republicans used to denounce the violent insurrectionists of January 6. Their rhetoric is no longer operative.

Proud to see my sister starting off this presidency by holding spineless power seekers accountable.
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

Thank you!

Happy belated birthday, Matthew!

farefwd.com/index.php/20...

I'm really honoured & moved by this beautifully written & meaningful review of my second collection "A Handful of Prayers"

Thanks to Matthew Pullar for writing it & to @whitlynnrioross.bsky.social & the team at Fare Forward for publishing it.

Language and dance are my love languages. Thank you so much to Earth & Altar for publishing this poem.

Love this new poem from @whitlynnrioross.bsky.social!

"...God was the Christmas pageant star.

God was not a girl. The earth he made
with apples seeds, the heavens with half-priced glitter.

We danced, and God smiled..."

Thank you, Megan 🥰

Issue 117 — RogueAgent Welcome!

Shadow puppets, a dove, and an exploding notebook…RA 117 is here! With poetry by Stella Brice @wordperv Jaylani Loveday @karennmcpherson Kathy Nelson @whitlynnrioross Alana Torrez Yuan Changming & @suzi00 // www.rogueagentjournal.com/issue117

So honored by the nomination and also honored just to be on any list that includes these poets!

Exactly the appropriate reaction

Also, while I typed this, I received a text with a picture of a newly born calf. Tis the season.