Poetry

A selection of some of my work; click on an image for the video and/or text and commentary. And find even more via this YouTube playlist.

ten responses to the phrase "man up"
quicksand
Poem for the First Day of the Poetry Unit in Language Arts Class
consent at 10,000 feet
tension and release
matches
police make the best poets
when they look right through you
to throw a wrench in the blood machine
how to explain white supremacy to a white supremacist
the art of taking the L
a pragmatist's guide to magic
the family business
handshakes (on letting go)
why do you write poems when death is all around us
love in the time of undeath

From my new book, NOT A LOT OF REASONS TO SING, BUT ENOUGH

Poem for the First Day of the Poetry Unit in Language Arts Class
Ten Responses to the Proposal To Overcome the Current Plague by Challenging It to a Duel
"the role of the artist in times of authoritarian brutality: a panel discussion"

ADDITIONAL VIDEOS

Here is an artist talk I did with the White Bear Center for the Arts, especially for people new to spoken word.

Here is an hour-long virtual book preview, featuring poems and commentary on the process.

BOOKS

Praise for NOT A LOT OF REASONS TO SING, BUT ENOUGH (2022, Button Poetry)

“I have never read a book more slowly because every word seems to demand its own moment. Tran Myhre gives us a chance to excavate a lovingly realized bygone world of heroes, thinkers, and poets struggling with the nature of art, justice, and humanity. Pham’s images gorgeously fill in the emotional spaces outlined by the words. In these pages you will find artists and rebels and troublemakers, and they will break your heart wide open.” -Trung Le Nguyen, artist and author of The Magic Fish

“This collection is a clear, fantastical, urgent excavation of the self and the crumbling pillars of the structures that surround us. Wondrous language underscores an unforgettable voyage across creative formats, circling the phenomenons that artists are and can be capable of.” -Blythe Baird, author of If My Body Could Speak

“Not a Lot of Reasons to Sing, but Enough reminds us, especially the artist, that there is no meaningful world-ending without world-building. That our freedom from cycles of violence may exist in the principles of the cypher, the surprise of the arcane, or in the ancient technologies of the classroom, but always at the mouth of our collective brilliance.” -Joseph Capehart, poet & educator

Praise for A Love Song, A Death Rattle, A Battle Cry (2018, Button Poetry)

It’s riveting, it’s blunt, and trust me, you will be smarter when you finish this book than when you started.” -Neil Hilborn, author of Our Numbered Days

“A poignant critique of power, privilege, allyship, identity and more, A Love Song, A Death Rattle, A Battle Cry grounds the abstract concepts of social justice in heart wrenching narrative poetry and brilliantly insightful raps. Guante eloquently pulls his readers into the text exposing the humanity in themselves and others while maintaining a standard of accountability – for both himself and his audience. Generously loaded with commentary on his structure, process and pedagogy, this collection is arsenal, consider yourself weaponized.” -Tish Jones, poet and executive director of TruArtSpeaks

“A Love Song, A Death Rattle, A Battle Cry is more than just a book; it is an experience. To say every poem was welcoming would be a lie. To say it gave me hope would be another lie. It gave me fight. It gave me a set of nails, a hammer painted pink, and a dare to build something I always thought was impossible. Go! Get your hands dirty.” -Hieu Minh Nguyen, author of This Way to the Sugar

Related:

Check out my Spoken Word Resource Hub, including the links below and even more.