Best Double Asterisk Podcasts (2025)

1
You Can Throw Me a Huge Party 31:48

4d ago31:48

31:48

Dave brings his first ever "poem" from youth/yesteryear to the show and it's kind of clear how Aaron and Dave became such good friends. A pop parody of Plato's Apology? ...priceless My Bad Poetry Episode 7.17: "You Can Throw Me a Huge Party" End Poem by a Real Poet: "The Hour of Departure..." -Apology by Plato. Line 42 Translation: Jowett Podcast E…

1
The Word of God (written by Aaron) 29:44

11d ago29:44

29:44

If one can get past the blasphemous title... you are met with a pretty blanned poem. Dave and Aaron are back to the old swing of things with a dug up poem from Aaron's past. And of all the ones found... this probably should have remained lost. An epic fail of an epic poem for a freshman college class. Enjoy! My Bad Poetry Episode 7.16: "The Word of…

1
What You Wanted, In the Winter, God Shows Off, & Double Barrier (w/ Taylor Byas) 42:16

25d ago42:16

42:16

Dave and Aaron learn that good sonnets do not always make for great poems. While these poems may be technical to a tee, Taylor cringes at missed opportunities, as one may flinch at their own distorted reflection in the Bean. You know that famous art work in Chicago? My Bad Poetry Episode 7.15 "What You Wanted, In the Winter, God Shows Off, & Double…

1
A Prayer & Coupling with Big Ben (w/ Katie Manning) 37:59

1M ago37:59

37:59

Katie brings some really fun poems to the show that frankly aren't bad at all! Embarrassing...maybe... but even that is up for debate. What isn't up for debate is the phallic shape... found in both?? Katie also teaches Aaron and Dave the word "majusculation," which is a very fancy word for a pretty common thing! My Bad Poetry Episode 7.14 "A Prayer…

1
life is bigger than you, if we're being honest (w/ Matthew E. Henry) 45:55

1M ago45:55

45:55

Though Dave had to duck out early Matthew brought enough nerdiness for the both of them. MEH makes a triumphant return with poems from the cutting room floor. They are random, they are obscure, they are just the right kind of quirky for Aaron's taste. Do you think they should be revived? My Bad Poetry Episode 7.13: "life is bigger than you, if we'r…

1
Graceful & Awkward (w/ Emily) 32:42

2M ago32:42

32:42

The two titles combined kind of of speak for themselves, when describing the topics of these poems. Dave and Aaron are graced with the presence of a friend who (having listened to the show before it was a show) finally took a turn in the hot seat with some of her works from college. Though Emily claims she has never been a poet, these poems... beg …

1
It's Surreal to be Hit Gently with a Rose (w/ Ariel Treece) 41:32

2M ago41:32

41:32

If ever you need to find bad poetry Ariel suggests long ago posts on the old social media sites. Even if you have deleted Live Journal and Myspace, don't worry you may have left something on the good old notes pages on Facebook. Dave and Aaron discuss with Ariel the deep lyricism of Dashboard Confessional and the cliches of chick flicks. My Bad Poe…

1
I could write... I want to tell...& Untitled #1 (w/Shaawan Francis Keahna) 49:04

2M ago49:04

49:04

Shaawan brings three interesting poems to the podcast. With no real titles to work with, the hosts and guest sort through words from Shaawan's high school journals. Maybe he could have wrote a song... but he most definitely wrote these!!! End Poem from a Real Poet: "There will always be another horror..." by Shaawan Francis Keahna published on pg. …

1
Asterisk, Etiologies, & Octave with Line from a Lullaby (w/Alina Ștefănescu) 49:04

2M ago49:04

49:04

Alina Ștefănescu, brings three very different examples of "bad" poetry. One struggling with voice, another structure, and one context. Without Dave, Aaron and Alina work through these varying verses to see how ideas sometimes rightly remain in the drafts folders for a later day or a note to something new. My Bad Poetry Episode 7.9: "Asterisk, Etiol…

1
Broken hearted and numb, Dark Skies, & Where I'm From (w/Risha Nicole) 45:27

3M ago45:27

45:27

Dave and Aaron and overjoyed to have another guest on the show! Risha brings poems from Jr. High that have been shared in classrooms, Watt pad, and Tumbler, but now have found there way to My Bad Poetry. How bad could they be? My Bad Poetry Episode 7.8: "Broken hearted and numb, Dark Skies, & Where I'm From (w/Risha Nicole)" End Poem from a Real Po…

1
An Ode to Rage Bait 19:01

3M ago19:01

19:01

After a last minute change in plans, Aaron and Dave find themselves recording with only one hastily written poem prepared to share. Working with what they've got, the show struggles along. What is a sonnet really? Are Reels real? Why watch what one hates? These are the big questions that may made a boiling brain plip-plop. My Bad Poetry Episode 7.7…

1
The Draft 23:17

3M ago23:17

23:17

Aaron and Dave try to keep the show light hearted as they dig into a high school assignment about the Vietnam War. Did a high school Aaron give the proper weight and respect to such a severe situation as the draft that effected so many families and young adults? Obviously not... but...the poem could have been worse. My Bad Poetry Episode 7.6: "The …

1
What If? (w/ Amelia McCracken) 24:22

4M ago24:22

24:22

While this poem was already shared with the world way back in 2004, now some 21 years later Amelia brings this wonderful LiveJournal entry to Aaron and Dave for our dear listeners to hear. An emo work that asks the deep questions. My Bad Poetry Episode 7.5: "What If? (w/ Amelia McCracken) Since Amelia McCracken has left her emo poetry writing days …

1
me 26:28

4M ago26:28

26:28

Probably should have stayed Off the show Even with a format to go by My oh my oh my.... Aaron found an old acrostic poem from an external hard drive. Dave seeks to destroy said hard drive and shares his newest hastily written poem "Cophiskey". My Bad Poetry Episode 7.4 "me" End Poem from a Real Poet: "Acrostic" by Lewis Carroll Podcast Email: mybad…

1
How I Like My Coffee 22:45

4M ago22:45

22:45

For the first time in the shows history Dave's poem is in the hot seat. Without a "bad" poem on hand Dave and Aaron use Dave's weekly hastily written poem as fodder. This ode to "brown bean water" is chalk full of terms needing to be defined, and expressions about espresso needing to be explored. My Bad Poetry Episode 7.3: "How I Like My Coffee" En…

1
Ein Alptraum 25:52

5M ago25:52

25:52

What does one do when you run out of English poems? Aaron decided to dig up some old German poems from his high school German class. Did he just take his previous emo poetry from the Wolf Journal and translate it to German...? Probably. Either way, it's a new nightmare for poor Dave. Dave also provides one of Aaron's favorite hastily written poem f…

1
After The Silence Saga of My Youth 32:39

5M ago32:39

32:39

It's a new season, and Dave and Aaron return from their break with a return to the most talked about topic on the show. That topic being Silence...in that Aaron's previous self wrote 5 different poems about it over several years. The two hosts read through all five previous poems in chronological order before Aaron drops the latest entry into the f…

1
Perched Rock, Flask of Salt (w/ Clem Flowers) 46:52

6M ago46:52

46:52

Clem kicks off the show with a poem that is nearly the opposite of a "cake poem." No missing title there. With the other two, Aaron and Dave may find themselves with more familiar styles yet still end up lost in the pregnant stars. Clem then pulls what may be a My Bad Poetry first, having brought an end poem written specifically for the show. My Ba…

1
Thursday, Toil and Trouble (w/ Lori D'Angelo) 45:17

6M ago45:17

45:17

Lori joins the show to bring several poems about disappointing days. Running themes are dead end jobs, let downs, and meh moments shine through in these rough poems from her past. Aaron and Dave commiserate with the sentiments but still, the poems... are worthy of this show. My Bad Poetry Episode 6.22 "Thursday, Toil and Trouble (w/ Lori D'Angelo)"…

1
Birds 27:50

6M ago27:50

27:50

What sounds does a Nightingale make? Don't ask Aaron and Dave. Aaron digs back into an old external hard drive to find a writing assignment from 2007. One would think that writing for a school assignment may make the poetry better... and at least younger Aaron thought so. To top it all off Birds is the spiritual sister of an early entry in the Wolf…

1
JEANS, Rain and umbrella, at my wedding (w/ Madeleine Corley) 52:29

7M ago52:29

52:29

Maddie makes a triumphant return to the show with three phenomenally different “bad” poems from a one and a half year span when she was graduating college. Aaron forgets about basic sentence structure making his critiques, questions, and interpretations of these poems, less than stellar. Luckily, Maddie gave a Master class on linguistics and Dave c…

1
Dope Prowl (w/ Seth Perry) 47:12

7M ago47:12

47:12

Seth Perry brings a rap song from his short time as a rapper in the Vancouver scene of the early 00s. In hearing this⁠ artifact from time⁠, Dave and Aaron find themselves in the presence of the one and only Professor Lungz. Did they know that was Seth's rap name before this interview... no... but were they still thrilled to find themselves under hi…

1
The Deerfly 20:42

7M ago20:42

20:42

Aaron and Dave are scrapping the bottom of the barrel with one final poem from Aaron's "loose leaf collection". A loosely affiliated group of poems found in a box full of Aaron's school memorabilia. This riddle of a poem fails to take off, much like the ill fated fly who meets an untimely end... Silly old fool! My Bad Poetry Episode 6.18: "The Deer…

1
I Want Jesus Back 22:44

7M ago22:44

22:44

This week Aaron brings a poem he remembered writing years ago that took months to find. Whether the search was worth it is up to the listener. Dave and Aaron discuss the odd way previous Aaron tried to use sing songy rhymes to critique incredibly harmful and dangerous theology such as Prosperity Gospel and Christian Nationalism. It definetaly was a…

1
The Cutting Room Floor (Season Six Bloopers So Far...) 15:31

8M ago15:31

15:31

Dave and Aaron couldn't connect this week so Aaron went back through the raw files of season six to pull some of the cut conversations. Some were cut for time, others... well it's pretty obvious once you hear them. Listen carefully to catch some of our amazing guest's laugh for share a story as well! My Bad Poetry Episode 6.16: "The Cutting Room Fl…

1
The Plague 28:17

8M ago28:17

28:17

Aaron finds a choice writing assignment circa 3rd-5th grade that is all about the Bubonic Plague! Why? Probably a book called "Battle for the Castle" and a certain poem about invading rats. Dave on the other hand reveals a far deeper knowledge on the subject and completely schools past and present Aaron on the finer details of this deadly plague. M…

1
Unfinished Business, Bittersweet, Death. (w/nat raum) 46:48

8M ago46:48

46:48

Dave and Aaron are joined this week by the prolific nat raum! nat brings journal poems from highschool that are broad and vague at times, yet deeply ernest in the cringiest ways. Laugh along with us as nat shares their poems and stories as well as their incredible insights and knowledge (as well as some hot takes on obituaries?). My Bad Poetry Epis…

1
Silence & Pain 26:13

8M ago26:13

26:13

Hello Silence our old friend. If we thought Aaron's dramatic takes started in the Wolf Journal, prepare to be surprised/disappointed. Turns out a 5th grade assignment produced around the same level of emo energy and gave us a proto-Silence saga poem. Dave is begging you all to go write your own bad poetry, so he doesn't have to hear any more of Aar…

1
Orchids and Roses, Work of Art, ... (w/Megan McDermott) 46:21

9M ago46:21

46:21

Megan makes her triumphant return to the podcast with not 1, not 2,... but 4 "bad" poems from journals in the past. Each poem brings a different kind of bad, from the structural to the theological. Dave and Aaron struggle to find a real critique for two of them but the other two make up for it. My Bad Poetry Episode 6.12: "Orchids and Roses, Work o…

1
The Quartet 25:58

9M ago25:58

25:58

With a rescheduled guest, Dave and Aaron return to Aaron's own bad poems. Having been gifted an old box of stuff from home, Aaron has found poems that predate the Wolf Journal. Dave is slightly more sympathetic to a third grade Aaron's writing, but only slightly. Enjoy a quartet of poems from a single loose leaf lined paper. This episode was fun, b…

1
Windowless Room, Taos Court, & Algebraic Hymn (w/Adam Shaw) 43:07

9M ago43:07

43:07

This week co-host's Dave and Aaron find themselves talking to a person working in the Twin Cities, who has never been to the Twin Cities. And if that isn't a riddle enough, they have to try and figure out his old poems! Adam Shaw brings poems from an old duct taped journal and when these three nerds aren't discussing LOTR's sword names, they are tr…

1
The Seaman's Stray, Minotaur, & Almost (w/Jenny Qi) 52:11

9M ago52:11

52:11

After nearly two years of DMs to work out a time, the co-hosts of My Bad Poetry get to chat with Jenny Qi... and it was worth the wait! Jenny brings three poems from three distinct times in her life so one can see the progress of a writer from middle school to after college, and all the pit falls along the way. From personified cats to personified …

1
SONNET DCLXVII & Obfuscatory Exegesis (w Jay Parr) 48:41

9M ago48:41

48:41

Jay Parr brings their tinkerings with poetry to the show, demonstrating the fun of self referencial poems. While none of them would be considered high art... they really aren't trying to be. A string of bad haiku's bring it home in this exploration in a proser playing with poetry. Also, Dave may have found his favorite poet... CW: The end poem deal…

1
HftRR & Dimestore Shaman (w/ Lasara Firefox Allen) 45:00

10M ago45:00

45:00

Lasara Firefox Allen brings work from their April 30 in 30 project (30 poems written in 30 days). These hastily written poems may blow most of the stuff Aaron and Dave brings to the show out of the water in quality, nevertheless the saccharin and specificity within prevents the poems from their true potential. Aaron and Dave learn a lot about the a…

1
Hello Best Wishes, (w/william erickson) 45:02

10M ago45:02

45:02

To say this experience was surreal would be... partially true? william erickson brings some bad poems from an old chapbook manuscript. Three poems confuse and bewilder Dave and Aaron, but Will's closing poem brings it all full circle with a perfect example of what the previous poems were trying to do! My Bad Poetry Episode 6.6: "Hello Best Wishes, …

1
G-d 29:57

10M ago29:57

29:57

The co-hosts forgot to book a guest for this episode. Unfortunately that means Aaron had to dig for another failed poem in his life. This poem comes from an abandoned reflection written for a church worship service circa 2018-19. It was never shared and all rejoiced! (Except us who have to hear it now...) My Bad Poetry Episode 6.5 "G-d" End Poem fr…

1
Sunday 11:30 Monday Eternity & Oncology (w/ Kellie Scott-Reed) 50:20

10M ago50:20

50:20

Kellie Scott-Reed brings a whole lot of laughter and joy to the show, even when her poems were less than happy. An aversion to ernesty in her old poetry leads to some strange twists and turns of phrases, and Aaron and Dave enjoy every moment of the ride. My Bad Poetry Episode 6.4: "Sunday 11:30 Monday Eternity & Oncology (w/ Kellie Scott-Reed)" End…

1
Stains, Upon Seeing A Photograph of Charles Bukowski (w/ C.M. Crockford) 43:14

11M ago43:14

43:14

Dave and Aaron return from a short break to interview a new guest! Conor aka C. M. Crockford brings some classic cringe and embarrassment with the readings of three uniquely bad poems from the scrap box. From a "faux woke" work to a poorly aged "ode" and all the way to failed song lyrics the hosts are taken on a journey through the work of a Conor …

1
A Love's Remembrance (w/ Michael VanCalbergh) 59:23

11M ago59:23

59:23

Michael VanCalbergh returns for maybe our longest episode to date. He brings with him a Sonnet Crown that fails to reach the 7 poem goal intentionally... yet it feels far more like a mercy. Dave was out sick for this one and in missing he may have avoided one of the worst poems in the shows history! Aaron and Michael talked for over 2 hours and we …

1
Popular, Snows of Tears, & Autumn's Vow (w/Phil Goldstein) 49:43

12M ago49:43

49:43

Aaron and Dave return for Season Six of My Bad Poetry without the Wolf Journal to guide their discussions. So they bring in more friends! Phil Goldstein brings his Jr. High and High School works salvaged from an old computer. We talk about HAD Skulls, favorite seasons, sneaky rhymes, and old loves we would never ever forget (expect when their name …

1
A"Paw"Logies 26:46

1y ago26:46

26:46

For the Season 5 finally, Dave and Aaron reach the final page of Aaron's high school Wolf Journal. From Truth to a random line about running ice, they have covered it all. And it only took 100 some episodes with friends joining the show along the way. Aaron offers a new apology poem for all the cringey poetry he previously wrote and forced Dave and…

1
Regret & Better off Friends 38:00

1y ago38:00

38:00

Aaron dug back through his old external harddrive to find an audio recording he knew existed and found more than he bargained for. This unplanned sequel to "Bad Songs Giving" provides listeners with even more high school winey-piney Aaron belting his poor lyrical heart out on a basic Windows microphone. Dave resists the urge to walk away, but even …

1
Three Day Girl & But, Mortals 24:25

1y ago24:25

24:25

A grammatical error misses the mark in more than one way this week as Aaron's old Wolf Journal entries finally try a rhyme. Dave and Aaron go off the rails towards the end with tangents on owls and salads, but what can we say...the hosts are but mortals. Also included in this episode, is potentially the longest context to poem ratio so far in the W…

1
He Sat Alone 19:14

1y ago19:14

19:14

Dave and Aaron edge ever nearer to the end of the Wolf Journal this time with a prose poem that perhaps wasn't as celebratory as previous Aaron would have wanted for the page. Dave also brings back the potty humor with an inspired hastily written poem of the week. My Bad Poetry Episode 5.22: "He Sat Alone" End Poem from a Real Poet: "I Sat in the S…

1
One Calculus & The Only Island (w/ Richard Blanco) 52:25

1y ago52:25

52:25

Presidential Inaugural Poet Richard Blanco comes on the show to bring his less than stellar work. From "Emily’s Recurring Dream of a Failed Bridge" which was too long for the show title that is full of "—" in honor of Emily Dickinson...let's just say the concept failed to connect. Blanco brings along two other rough poems that eventually got rework…

1
The Awakening Sun 22:56

1y ago22:56

22:56

Dave tries to redeem his French in this weeks hastily written poem, but may have offended the entire language. Aaron tries to start a beef with Swifties?? Dave and Aaron discuss a brief word of relationship advice from high school Aaron. And just a little over halfway through the episode, we get to a halfway decent poem in the Wolf Journal?? Or may…

1
To My Dearest Love 23:43

1y ago23:43

23:43

After an incredible streak of amazing guests, Aaron and Dave dive back into the pages of Aaron's high school Wolf Journal for what may be described as an Epistolary poem if one were generous. Dave brings "nothing" to the table with his poem of the week and Aaron may have brought to much. Also, if you are celebrating #NaPoWriMo maybe these failed li…

1
Doppelganger, Scenes..., & Hibernation (w/ Frances Klein) 43:24

1y ago43:24

43:24

Frances Klein makes such an amazing return to the show that she may have out hosted the hosts. With three "new" bad poems from her past, Frances brings us through the stylings of a dictionary and thesaurus, with an uninhibited poem, an ekphrastic/found poem, and an add copy?? Oh Dave and Aaron were there too. (Also includes Tallulah's first guest b…

1
Spring Break Bloopers! 17:47

1y ago17:47

17:47

Co-Hosts Aaron and Dave took the week off to focus on their day jobs. Enjoy a compilation of the tangents, distractions, and strange takes that just didn't make the cut for a "normal" episode. This episode features the vocal stylings of previous guests Trapper Markelz, Shiksha Dheda, Madeleine Corley, jason b. crawford, L.M. Cole, Court Ludwick, an…

1
Both Things are True...North of the Eiffel Tower (w/ Kelli Russell Agadon) 47:34

1y ago47:34

47:34

Kelli Russell Agadon makes her triumphant return to the show after nearly two years since she became the first true guest of the show. This time around, Kelli brings three poems from three different eras in her writing career. She talks with Dave and Aaron about "dressing up" poems, choosing strong titles, and flipping everything on its head, when …

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