The Art Box - Episode 494 - 2026 Harvest of Thought

Welcome friends, to The Art Box Podcast and our Harvest of Thought 2026. Last year, our Harvest of Thought grew into something much bigger than we ever imagined. We gathered so many wonderful voices, poems, stories, and reflections that it took five full episodes to share them all. Well, this year, we’re doing things a little differently. We’re packing the entire Harvest into one very special episode. Now, I’ll warn you it may be a little longer than your typical Art Box episode. But we think you’ll want to stay with us, because the next little while is going to be packed with some truly amazing poetry and essays from voices around the world. Some will make you think. Some may make you smile. Some might tug at your heart. And perhaps a few will cause you to stop whatever you’re doing and simply listen. That, after all, is the wonderful thing about the spoken word. A few carefully chosen words, spoken in someone’s own voice, can travel thousands of miles and somehow feel as though they were meant just for you. So wherever you happen to be listening today, get comfortable. Settle in. And join us as we celebrate writers, thinkers, poets, storytellers, and the simple power of sharing our thoughts with one another. Sit back, open your mind and your heart, and enjoy the spoken word. Welcome to Harvest of Thought 2026. Our line up 1:45 - Lauren Camp – New Mexico Poet Laureate 3:53 - Ben Larson – Montana 8:56 - Monique Long – Mesquite, Nevada 9:48 - Tammy Bendetti – Grand Junction, Colorado 12:20 - Mike Cullinane – New Jersey 14:06 - Dawn Amundson Reading an Excerpt from Amy Irvine – Desert Cabal – Mesquite, Nevada 15:00 - Jessica Schley – Santa Ynez, California 19:50 - Larry Hilberg – California 20:37 - Kathy Smith – Ivans, Utah 23:29 - Steve Dudrow – Mesquite, Nevada 25:16 - Monique Long – Mesquite, Nevada 26:55 - Edie Dotan – Las Vegas, Nevada 34:45 - Steve Dudrow – Mesquite, Nevada 35:38 - Kathy Smith – Ivans, Utah 40:18 - Mike Cullinane, New Jersey 48:22 - Larry Hilberg, California 60: 24 - Kindall Fredricks – Houston, Texas 62:03 - Alex Harper – Alaska 63:08 - Leigh Ratterman – Arlee, Montana 67:52 - Sarah Kilgallon – Portugal 71:13 - Summer L. Wilson – Mesquite, Nevada 72:54 - Mike Walker – New Carrolton, Maryland 73:57 - Claire McQuerry – Peoria, Illinois 76:15 - Andrey Aleshintsev – New York 78:20 - Bob Dewhurst – Goldfield, Nevada 80:42 - Rayann Hijazzi – Reno, Nevada 82:13 - Kathy Smith – Ivans, Utah 85:41 - Ben Crenshaw – Mesquite, Nevada 90:29 – Daniel Brady – San Francisco, California 93:52 - Allison Bell – Moapa Valley, Nevada 94:14 - Roslyn Ellis – Mesquite, Nevada 94:34 - Allison, Delanie, Axel, Roslyn – UNR-4H Mesquite, Nevada 99:55 - Christine DeJuliis – Baltimore, Maryland 102:04 - Elizabeth Kuelbs - Lives at the edge of a Los Angeles canyon in California 103:41 - Jessica Schley – Santa Ynez, California 123:08 - Kaylea'Layah Whitefeather - St. George, Utah 132:55 - Sean Griffin – Reno Nevada – Nevada Poet Laurearte