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b'Hello all and welcome to another episode of Slushpile! In this episode, look forward to not only critiquing a few poems along with the gang, but also some discussion on the original tale of Hansel and Gretel.\\nSetting a new precedence, rather than lots of jackassery before we got down to business, we quickly moved into the poems (below the bio!) by Susannah Sheffer. (Though we tussled a bit over who of us found these poems!)\\nThe first poem titled, "After: An Introduction" was read by a sniffly Ali.\\xa0 \\xa0 \\xa0 \\xa0 \\xa0 \\xa0 \\xa0 \\xa0 \\xa0 \\xa0 \\xa0 \\xa0 \\xa0 \\xa0 \\xa0\\nHowever, instead of a discussion on the poem itself, following the reading, a discussion on the history of the IPod\'s evolution ensued. Nevertheless, we just as quickly got back on track!\\nThe crew decided that the poem was crafted as a re-telling of the story, "Hansel and Gretel" and prompted a fascinating conversation that will have you glued to your audio device (whether that be an IPod or IPhone).\\nThis piece even had Jason and Tim agreeing with each other, which if you have been listening to the podcast for a while, you know is rare.\\nRe-tellings of an original story can be tricky as it could either go really well, or come off as overdone. A debate amongst the gang resulted from this. Obviously, the poem did a good job as the majority agreed that even though it was a recreation, it still possessed unique qualities. Even those who weren\'t big fans of the story, could say that they understood why someone else could.\\nMoreover, there were some lines in the poems that had the gang tripping, which begs the question: Is it a good poem if it does not?\\nOverall, it led us into a deep discussion of not only the poem itself, but the original Hansel and Gretel tale (and no, not the Disney version, but the original original by the Grimm brothers).\\nWho knows how or why we started talking about \\u201cSay Anything,\\u201d but we did, and Kathleen was incredulous that there was anyone left in America who hadn\\u2019t seen such an iconic film.\\xa0\\nThe next poem \\u201cHansel At His Stepmother\\u2019s Grave,\\u201d wowed the gang with its jaw-dropping rhythm, which had Kathleen saying "Holy Moly" in more ways than one. Everyone agreed it was executed beautifully.\\nJason went the extra mile and did a bit of quick research helping us to dig even deeper into the poem. This was a poem that not only evoked the emotions of our crew, but also explored the emotions of and between the characters within the original fairy tale and Sheffer\\u2019s poem.\\nHowever, this poem left the crew at a tie! Or as Joseph described it \\u201chigh drama.\\u201d Listen in to find out what the final verdict was!\\nThe last poem, \\u201cHansel Prepares For the Future\\u201d offered yet another unique twist on the tale. Trust me folks, this is one you do not want to miss.\\nLet us know how we\\u2019re doing, Slushies!\\xa0 Read on!\\nIf you just can\\u2019t get enough Hansel and Gretel, Jason recommends Anna Marie Hong\\u2019s \\u201cH & G\\u201d and Marion recommends \\u201cGirls Are Coming Out of the Woods\\u201d by Tashini Doshi.\\n\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\n\\nSusannah Sheffer teaches writing (and other things) to young people at North Star: Self-Directed Learning for Teens in Sunderland, Massachusetts. She also works as a therapist at a local mental health agency, often with people who have experienced trauma. All of this in some way informs her perspective on the Hansel and Gretel story. Susannah\\u2019s poetry chapbook\\xa0This Kind of Knowing\\xa0was published by Cooper Dillon Books in 2013 and more recent poems have appeared or are forthcoming in\\xa0The Threepenny Review, Copper Nickel, Tar River Poetry, the Massachusetts Review, and elsewhere. Her book\\xa0Fighting for Their Lives: Inside the Experience of Capital Defense Attorneys\\xa0was also published in 2013.\\xa0\\n\\n\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nAFTER: AN INTRODUCTION\\n\\xa0\\nHome again, and it\\u2019s as if the forest\\nnever happened. No one wants to hear about\\nthat great indifference, or the lure\\nof the witch house, or what we had to do\\nto save ourselves. I understand they won\\u2019t talk\\nabout the hunger, the banishing, how easy it was\\nto be rid of us. So I don\\u2019t say anything\\na'