Today, one of my poems was published in the online edition of Amsterdam Quarterly. It has also been selected for the annual print anthology, set for publication in December 2026. This marks the magazine’s 45th edition. The theme “climate overshoot” was a perfect fit for a little poem I’d had sitting on the shelf for years: “When the Levee Breaks.”
Yes, like the Led Zeppelin song. Although, as every blues lover knows, that’s not the original version. This blues classic was written in 1927 by Memphis Minnie, a singer and guitarist who composed over 200 songs, many of which are part of the collective blues memory.
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Why my poem has the same title as a hundred-year-old blues song
Leen writes 