People often ask who my poetic influences are. It’s a question most poets get, especially after a live reading. When I was touring with Aisle 228, the book of poems I wrote about the Chicago Cubs, listening to baseball on the radio, and going to games with my father, I often surprised folks by answering Vin Scully or Bob Uecker, the legendary broadcasters.
It took a decade for Aisle 228 to take shape and be published, and I’ve toured with it for two years. I’m waiting on a new book of poems to be released, DIORAMA, which aligns more directly with my poetic lineage, but I’m still writing new baseball poems. I think often about why I keep returning to this obsession.