The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily Bonus Episode: Maggie Smith on This Old House Radio Hour
Dec 20, 2025
Maggie Smith, an award-winning poet and the voice behind The Slowdown, shares a heartfelt glimpse into her beloved 100-year-old home in Bexley, Ohio. She describes the charm of her 1925 house with its sunlit spaces and trees. Listeners are drawn into the quirks of the American four-square layout, creaky floors, and her playroom-turned-writing sanctuary. Maggie opens up about the significance of keeping the home after her divorce for her children's stability and ponders the future of her cherished abode.
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Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Love At First Light
- Maggie Smith describes falling for a 100-year-old, light-filled house full of windows and tall ceilings.
- She imagined raising her children there and pictured specific rooms like the playroom and swing set in the fenced yard.
A House Mapped By Use
- Maggie walks listeners through the house layout, naming rooms and how she uses them today.
- She notes quirks like floated furniture and an attic used for book storage.
Creaks, Whopperjod, And Character
- Maggie recounts a friend's reaction to the creaky original wood floors and her own acceptance of house quirks.
- She calls imperfections 'character' and even borrows the word 'whopperjod' from her mother.