The Brian Lehrer Show Why to Read Poetry
Dec 5, 2025
Tracy K. Smith, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and former U.S. Poet Laureate, discusses her new book, Fear Less: Poetry in Perilous Times. She highlights how poetry cultivates empathy and counters snap judgments. Tracy shares her journey to discovering poetry in college and emphasizes the importance of live readings in the age of AI. She also explores the role of ambiguity in poetry, encouraging readers to embrace uncertainty. Through listener submissions, she reflects on themes of identity, grief, and the transformative power of verse.
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Episode notes
Poems Expand Our Sense Of Belonging
- Poetry invites us to question the divisions of us vs. them and imagine larger shared belonging.
- Tracy K. Smith frames poems as thought experiments that can make us more generous toward strangers.
Listen To Learn And Self-Discover
- Listen to poems to learn about others and discover parts of yourself you hadn't named.
- Let poetry nudge memories, questions, and feelings into conscious awareness.
College Moment That Sparked A Career
- Tracy K. Smith found her calling in poetry during college when she felt out of place.
- Reading poems taught her slowing down reveals knowledge and felt like a miracle that pulled her back to writing.
