Maggie Smith, poet and writer, talks with host Hanif Abdurraqib about publishing a book during the pandemic, lifestyle changes and cooking habits, finding joy in difficult moments, the importance of family and writing process, and nostalgia, summer excitement, and playing soccer with a dog.
Finding joy in small daily pleasures amidst challenging times
The challenges and rewards of publishing a book during the pandemic
Deep dives
Finding joy in daily living
In this episode, host Hanif Upturaki interviews poet and writer Maggie Smith. They discuss the concept of 'Small Joys' and how daily pleasures can be obscured by the challenges of the outside world. Maggie shares how the pandemic changed her diet and led her to start eating more vegetables and fruits. They also talk about the lifestyle changes they've made during the pandemic, such as cooking more and spending quality time with family. Overall, the conversation explores finding joy and maintaining optimism amidst difficult times.
Publishing during a pandemic
The conversation shifts to Maggie's experience of publishing her book 'Keep Moving' during the pandemic. They discuss the challenges of promoting a book and the absence of in-person interactions and events. Maggie reflects on missing the sense of community that comes with book releases and the performative aspects of book promotion. Despite the difficulties, she finds satisfaction in the fact that her book has provided comfort and support to readers during a time of uncertainty and loss.
Introducing 'Goldenrod' and the writing process
The episode concludes with an exploration of Maggie's upcoming book, 'Goldenrod,' a collection of poems. She shares that the poems in the book were written over a span of five years, addressing personal unraveling, social issues, and the balance between anger, gratitude, and grief. Maggie explains her process of selecting and organizing the poems, emphasizing the organic and surprising nature of poetry writing. The conversation delves into the challenge of understanding one's work and the joy of the discovery process in writing.
Poet and writer Maggie Smith talks with host Hanif Abdurraqib about putting a new book out during the pandemic, homemade mac 'n' cheese, jigsaw puzzles, napping in hammocks and inheriting your parents' record collection.
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