David J Bauman

Poet Mitchell Nobis

For season one, episode two of In Three Poems, I had the honor of talking with poet, educator, and parent, Mitchell Nobis. The idea behind the podcast is to see how poems and poets are interlinked, how they “talk among themselves,” and how we as writers and artists do not create in a vacuum, but are influenced and inspired by each other. Artists exist in an ecosystem of others building on, and breaking from, the same histories and traditions.

Nothing could illustrate that better than the natural metaphor in Gary Snyder’s poem, which Mitchell chose to read for us. “For All,” read by Mitchell in this episode was not part of the 1975 Turtle Island collection which won him the Pulitzer, but it hearkens back to that time.

A Jackass Offers an Apology: David Reads a Poem by Mitchell Nobis – In Three Poems

David talks with Mitchell Nobis about his first book of poetry, The Size of the Horizon, or I Explained Everything to the Trees. The poetry discussion spans the topics nature and politics to gun violence and publishing, all wrapped in a discussion centered on three poems. Support the showPoems: "A Jackass Offers and Apology" from The Size of the Horizon, or I Explained Everything to the Trees (2025, Matchbox Editions)"Monumental" from The Size of the Horizon, or I Explained Everything to the Trees (2025, Matchbox Editions) "For All” by Gary Snyder was presented as published in The Gary Snyder Reader: Prose, Poetry, and Translations, 1952-1998 (Volume I, 1999 Counterpoint). Used with Permission.Mitchell's Bio:Mitchell Nobis is a writer and K-12 public school teacher in Metro Detroit where he lives with his family and dog. He facilitates the Teachers as Poets group for the National Writing Project, hosts the Wednesday Night Sessions reading series for KickstART Farmington, and co-founded the Not at AWP (NAWP) reading series. He is a past president of the Michigan Council of Teachers of English and former co-director of Red Cedar Writing Project, and he co-authored Real Writing: Modernizing the Old School Essay, a pedagogical text for writing teachers. For more, see mitchnobis.com or find him falling apart on a basketball court.Links:mitchnobis.comThe Size of the Horizon, or I Explained Everything to the TreesText the show!Support the show

Poems: 

1. “A Jackass Offers and Apology” from The Size of the Horizon, or I Explained Everything to the Trees (2025, Matchbox Editions)
2. “Monumental” from The Size of the Horizon, or I Explained Everything to the Trees (2025, Matchbox Editions)
3.  “For All” by Gary Snyder was presented as published in The Gary Snyder Reader: Prose, Poetry, and Translations, 1952-1998 (Volume I, 1999 Counterpoint). Used with Permission.

Mitchell’s Bio:

Mitchell Nobis is a writer and K-12 public school teacher in Metro Detroit where he lives with his family and dog. He facilitates the Teachers as Poets group for the National Writing Project, hosts the Wednesday Night Sessions reading series for KickstART Farmington, and co-founded the Not at AWP (NAWP) reading series. He is a past president of the Michigan Council of Teachers of English and former co-director of Red Cedar Writing Project, and he co-authored Real Writing: Modernizing the Old School Essay, a pedagogical text for writing teachers. For more, see mitchnobis.com or find him falling apart on a basketball court.

Links:

mitchnobis.com

The Size of the Horizon, or I Explained Everything to the Trees