On Being with Krista Tippett

Marilyn Nelson — Communal Pondering in a Noisy World

Jul 30, 2020
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
ANECDOTE

A Young Poet's Prayer

  • As a 13-year-old, Marilyn Nelson prayed for a message to give the world.
  • She yearned to be a poet and share something meaningful, a desire reflected in her poem "Thirteen Year Old American Negro Girl."
ANECDOTE

Hymn Revisions

  • After college, Marilyn Nelson revised hymns to remove racism, sexism, and militarism.
  • This challenging task involved altering texts like "Onward, Christian Soldiers" while working with experienced theologians.
ANECDOTE

A Complicated Ancestry

  • Marilyn Nelson's family history includes a complex, possibly consensual, relationship between her foremother and a white man, Henry Tyler, during slavery.
  • While unverifiable, family stories suggest a love story, supported by a deed showing Tyler giving their foremother a house.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app