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A poetry book doesn’t just “come out” one day. It’s built in public, one reading, one community connection, and one crucial preorder at a time. Kathi Crawford joins us again at 22 Sides to share what’s changed since her last visit and to introduce her next collection, "running with the beasts", published by Finishing Line Press with preorders opening June 29.

We talk about why the preorder period matters for authors and small presses, how her upcoming launch celebration becomes an open mic that lifts other writers up, and what a welcoming literary community can look like in Houston. Kathi also reads two poems that stay with you: one surreal and haunting meditation on time, memory, and aging, and another that riffs on Lou Reed, drums, girlhood, and the long tail of being told “you can’t” because of your gender.

Then we get practical for anyone trying to publish poetry or submit to literary magazines. Kathi breaks down the systems that keep you sane: track submissions with a spreadsheet, submit simultaneously when allowed, read magazines to find the right fit, and watch for legitimacy so you don’t hand your work to spammers. We also dig into creative collaboration, including why working with a real artists feels more human and more interesting than defaulting to AI.

If you enjoy poetry readings, writing craft talk, and honest advice about the creative process, hit subscribe, share this with a writer friend, and leave us a review so more listeners can find the show.

Places to find Kathi works and more:

Kathi: https://theworldinsideyou.com/

https://www.instagram.com/kathicrawford/

Event: June 7th: https://www.bloodhoneylit.com/

https://www.instagram.com/bloodhoneylit/

Book: Unbroken a public poetry anthology:

https://www.penandleafpress.com/

Book: White Wall Review Metamorphosis:

https://whitewallreview.com/

Find out more about Kathi Crawford here

https://www.instagram.com/kathicrawford/

Support the show

We hope you will listen often.

For more information, visit our website 22sides.com

Let us know what you think by clicking here to send us a text.

We sit down with Houston City Council District C candidate Joe Panzarella and campaign communicator Christos Patelis to talk about why they stepped into local politics and what they are hearing from neighbors across the district. We focus on safer streets, affordability, transparency, and the small-turnout reality that makes local elections a fast way to change daily life in Houston.

• Why first-time candidates move from organizing to running for office
• What Houston District C includes and why its boundaries matter
• How neighborhood culture shifts in Montrose and beyond
• What “urbanism” means as a practical quality-of-life goal
• Why traffic deaths drive the safer-streets agenda
• How the high injury network can guide smarter street redesign
• What traffic calming looks like on Houston roads
• How “eyes on the street” can reduce fear and build trust

Please, please go vote April 29th through May 12th. Election day is May 16th.
You can find our social media for Joe at Joe for Houston.

Joeforhouston.com

Find out more about Kathi Crawford here

https://www.instagram.com/kathicrawford/

Support the show

We hope you will listen often.

For more information, visit our website 22sides.com

Let us know what you think by clicking here to send us a text.

What if a city council office ran like an ER—fast triage, clear priorities, and measurable outcomes? That’s the vision physician and mom Dr. Audrey Nath brings to Houston’s District C as she shares how hospital lessons translate into street-level fixes: safer roads that actually slow cars, an end to non‑safety traffic stops that drain trust and budgets, and an office that calls you back before the vote, not after.

Audrey also shows how local leverage works on big issues. She highlights council’s role in rejecting bids reliant on unpaid prison labor, outlines seizure safety standards now under consideration for Texas jails, and explains how parents won state rules limiting smoke near playgrounds. Food deserts and resilience get equal attention—partnering with local farms to buffer shocks and get nutritious meals to kids. On civil rights, we revisit Houston’s HERO history with candor, exploring what durable protections require: broad coalitions, precise implementation guidance for businesses, and messaging that resists misinformation.

If you care about traffic safety, construction detours, buses that arrive, parks that thrive, and libraries that lift graduation rates and wages, this conversation centers the everyday choices that make a city livable.

Early voting for the District C special election starts March 18, with Election Day on April 4. Join us, share this episode with a neighbor, and if it resonates, subscribe, rate, and leave a review so more Houstonians can find their way to the polls.

For more information: Audreyforhouston.com

For voting information: HarrisVotes.com

Support the show

We hope you will listen often.

For more information, visit our website 22sides.com