Arts·Q with Tom Power

What's poetry's role in the housing crisis?

Karen Solie's new poetry collection, Wellwater, takes a hard look at climate grief and economic anxiety. She joins Q's Tom Power to talk about it.

In a Q interview, Canadian poet Karen Solie discusses her new collection, Wellwater

Headshot of poet Karen Solie.
Karen Solie's sixth poetry collection, Wellwater, is out now. (Russell Hart/Alamy Stock)

In her latest poetry collection, Wellwater, Karen Solie takes a hard look at climate grief and economic anxiety. Her opening poem, "Basement Suite," was inspired by short-term rentals and precarious living arrangements. But for Solie, the role of poetry isn't about finding the answers to big questions — it's about honouring our curiosity with the hope that we can eventually find new ways forward. She joins Tom Power to talk about her new book and she reads a few poems for us as well.

The full interview with Karen Solie is available on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts.


Interview with Karen Solie produced by Liv Pasquarelli.