Interesting People Reading Poetry Novelist Lisa Ko Reads Tracy K. Smith
Aug 14, 2025
Lisa Ko, a New York City novelist known for her award-nominated work, reads and discusses Tracy K. Smith's poignant poem, “Don’t You Wonder, Sometimes?” She reflects on how rereading the poem connects past and present moments. Ko intertwines her personal memories of David Bowie with insights from her novel, The Leavers, highlighting themes of nostalgia and cultural memory. With a fascinating exploration of the poem's imagery and Bowie's influence, listeners will be captivated by her blend of literary and musical reminiscence.
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Early Encounter With The Poem
- Lisa Ko recalls first encountering Tracy K. Smith’s poem around its 2011 publication and connects it to her own writing era.
- She describes the poem’s chorus-like qualities and its echoing use of the word "shine."
Rereading As Time Travel
- Ko reflects on how re-reading the poem creates a refractive experience that links the reader's past and present selves.
- She notes the poem's meditation on time feels different now that Bowie has died and years have passed.
Bowie, Sound And Vision In Her Novel
- Lisa Ko links the poem to her novel The Leavers and recalls that its title phrase comes from Bowie’s "Sound and Vision."
- She explains her character Deming is a Bowie fan with synesthesia, tying sound and color into her fiction.
