Poetry Medicine for the Soul is a podcast inviting poets to share, explore, and celebrate poetry, hosted by John Gillespie. This National Poetry Month 2026 bonus episode features Andrea Deeken reading her poem “On Kindness."

Andrea Deeken (she/they) is the author of Mother Kingdom, winner of the 2021 Slapering Hol Press Chapbook Prize. Her writing has appeared in a variety of journals including The Blue Mountain Review, Mom Egg Review, Ran Off With the Star Bassoon, Spoon River Poetry Review, and elsewhere. A 2025 Regional Arts & Culture Council grant recipient, Deeken is the cofounder of Lesbian Poets Society, an inclusive podcast about queerness and creativity, currently in production. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her family.

Find Andrea and her fellow cohost Darla Himeles online (Instagram) @lesbian.poets.society or send them an email at lesbian.poets.society@gmail.com.

Learn more about Andrea at www.andreadeeken.com.

This podcast is hosted and produced by John Gillespie. Check out our website for more episodes: https://poetry-medicine-for-the-soul.simplecast.com/

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