<p>In this special episode of <em>Argh! Not Another Podcast About Book Publishing</em>, William May welcomes poet, editor, and professor <strong>Freesia McKee</strong> for a deep dive into the collaborative journey behind his new chapbook, <em>Blaze without Burning</em>.</p><p>Together, they explore:</p><ul><li><p>How they met and why the partnership worked</p></li><li><p>The creative and editing process behind the book</p></li><li><p>Mentorship, trust, and how feedback helps shape a poet’s voice</p></li><li><p>The often-overlooked world of press and publicity in poetry</p></li><li><p>Freesia’s own writing process, publishing path, and life as a teacher-writer</p></li></ul><p>Plus, they share reflections on literary community, staying inspired, and what comes next, including details on William’s upcoming book launch event in Brooklyn!</p><p><br></p><p>📅 <strong>Book Launch</strong>: Sunday, July 13 @ 3 PM | Pete’s Candy Store, Brooklyn🎟️ RSVP here: <a href="https://rsvp.link/rn8tU" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://rsvp.link/rn8tU</a></p><p>—</p><p>🔗 <strong>Learn more about Freesia: </strong>Freesia McKee writes about gender, genre, history, and place. Her work appears in three chapbooks, City of Honesty (Water&#39;s Edge Press), How Distant the City (Headmistress Press) and Hummingbird Vows (Bottlecap Press), as well as The Journal, Fugue, Puerto del Sol, Cleaver, ellipses, Mobius, Stoneboat, Tinderbox Poetry Journal, and elsewhere. Freesia served as the Fall 2022 Poet in Residence at Ripon College. Since 2023, she has served as an Assistant Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.<br>Website: <a href="https://freesiamckee.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://freesiamckee.com/</a><br><em>How Distant the City</em>: <a href="https://freesiamckee.com/publications/how-distant-the-city/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://freesiamckee.com/publications/how-distant-the-city/</a><br><em>Hummingbird Vows</em>: <a href="https://freesiamckee.com/publications/hummingbird-vows/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://freesiamckee.com/publications/hummingbird-vows/</a></p><p><br></p><p>🔗 <strong>More from William: </strong>William May, a fourth-generation native of New York’s Greenwich Village, dubbing himself a “Neurodiverse Language Wizard,” began writing poetry when he was 9 years old while a student at The Stephen Gaynor School, a pioneer in special education. There, he received individualized support, allowing him to thrive academically and, eventually, enabling him to attend New York City’s highly competitive Collegiate School. William now also resides in Southern Florida.His work has been featured in SoFloPoJo, Chameleon Chimera: An Anthology of Florida Poets, and The Centifictionist. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and the University of North Carolina’s MFA program in creative writing, William shares his work through performances, newsletters, and his podcast, Argh! Not Another Podcast About Book Publishing.<br>Order <em>Blaze Without Burning</em>: <a href="https://williammaywrites.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://williammaywrites.com</a><br></p><p>📖 Referenced poem:<br><em>Passing a Truck Full of Chickens at Night on Highway Eighty</em> by Jane Mead → <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/88762" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/88762</a></p><p>🎧 If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your writing crew, leave a review, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a moment of <em>Argh!</em></p><p><br></p><p><em>Produced by Denise Marsa &amp; Meggie Dimitrova. Mixed &amp; Mastered by Paul A. Harvey,</em></p><p><em>(C) 2025 William May. All Rights Reserved.</em></p>

Argh! Not Another Podcast About Book Publishing

William May

Poetry in Progress - From Raw Pages to Published Work - A conversation with William May and Freesia McKee

JUL 8, 202548 MIN
Argh! Not Another Podcast About Book Publishing

Poetry in Progress - From Raw Pages to Published Work - A conversation with William May and Freesia McKee

JUL 8, 202548 MIN

Description

<p>In this special episode of <em>Argh! Not Another Podcast About Book Publishing</em>, William May welcomes poet, editor, and professor <strong>Freesia McKee</strong> for a deep dive into the collaborative journey behind his new chapbook, <em>Blaze without Burning</em>.</p><p>Together, they explore:</p><ul><li><p>How they met and why the partnership worked</p></li><li><p>The creative and editing process behind the book</p></li><li><p>Mentorship, trust, and how feedback helps shape a poet’s voice</p></li><li><p>The often-overlooked world of press and publicity in poetry</p></li><li><p>Freesia’s own writing process, publishing path, and life as a teacher-writer</p></li></ul><p>Plus, they share reflections on literary community, staying inspired, and what comes next, including details on William’s upcoming book launch event in Brooklyn!</p><p><br></p><p>📅 <strong>Book Launch</strong>: Sunday, July 13 @ 3 PM | Pete’s Candy Store, Brooklyn🎟️ RSVP here: <a href="https://rsvp.link/rn8tU" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://rsvp.link/rn8tU</a></p><p>—</p><p>🔗 <strong>Learn more about Freesia: </strong>Freesia McKee writes about gender, genre, history, and place. Her work appears in three chapbooks, City of Honesty (Water&#39;s Edge Press), How Distant the City (Headmistress Press) and Hummingbird Vows (Bottlecap Press), as well as The Journal, Fugue, Puerto del Sol, Cleaver, ellipses, Mobius, Stoneboat, Tinderbox Poetry Journal, and elsewhere. Freesia served as the Fall 2022 Poet in Residence at Ripon College. Since 2023, she has served as an Assistant Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.<br>Website: <a href="https://freesiamckee.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://freesiamckee.com/</a><br><em>How Distant the City</em>: <a href="https://freesiamckee.com/publications/how-distant-the-city/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://freesiamckee.com/publications/how-distant-the-city/</a><br><em>Hummingbird Vows</em>: <a href="https://freesiamckee.com/publications/hummingbird-vows/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://freesiamckee.com/publications/hummingbird-vows/</a></p><p><br></p><p>🔗 <strong>More from William: </strong>William May, a fourth-generation native of New York’s Greenwich Village, dubbing himself a “Neurodiverse Language Wizard,” began writing poetry when he was 9 years old while a student at The Stephen Gaynor School, a pioneer in special education. There, he received individualized support, allowing him to thrive academically and, eventually, enabling him to attend New York City’s highly competitive Collegiate School. William now also resides in Southern Florida.His work has been featured in SoFloPoJo, Chameleon Chimera: An Anthology of Florida Poets, and The Centifictionist. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and the University of North Carolina’s MFA program in creative writing, William shares his work through performances, newsletters, and his podcast, Argh! Not Another Podcast About Book Publishing.<br>Order <em>Blaze Without Burning</em>: <a href="https://williammaywrites.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://williammaywrites.com</a><br></p><p>📖 Referenced poem:<br><em>Passing a Truck Full of Chickens at Night on Highway Eighty</em> by Jane Mead → <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/88762" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/88762</a></p><p>🎧 If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your writing crew, leave a review, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a moment of <em>Argh!</em></p><p><br></p><p><em>Produced by Denise Marsa &amp; Meggie Dimitrova. Mixed &amp; Mastered by Paul A. Harvey,</em></p><p><em>(C) 2025 William May. All Rights Reserved.</em></p>