While on a trip to San Francisco, Rachel checks in with her longtime friend, poet D. A. Powell. The two discuss what D. A. is working on and what has changed for him since the two recorded episode 13 of Commonplace back in 2016. This episode contains excerpts from a listening party that Rachel and Doug attended the night before curated by Gabrielle Civil and featuring a recording of poets Judy Grahn and Pat Parker. Doug and Rachel talk about their friendship, optimism and hopelessness, how poetry is a transfer of energy, and prioritizing the writing of individual poems over the making of a book. Doug reminds Rachel to give herself a vacation from words and talks about the pleasures of making art that he gives away.