Sometimes when your world changes, it seems like everything turns towards you, fresh, new, and curious. Joshua Bennett is the author of The Sobbing School—which was a National Poetry Series selection and a finalist for an NAACP Image Award. He is also the author of Being Property Once Myself, Owed, The Study of Human Life, and Spoken Word: A Cultural History, which is forthcoming from Knopf. He has received fellowships and awards from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Whiting Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Society of Fellows at Harvard University. He is a Professor of English at Dartmouth College.Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.We’re pleased to offer Joshua Bennett’s poem, and invite you to sign up here for the latest from Poetry Unbound.

Poetry Unbound with host Pádraig Ó Tuama is back on Monday, April 11. Featured poets in this season include Rita Dove, Joshua Bennett, Tiana Clark, Yu Xiuhua, and many more. New episodes released every Monday and Friday through June 3.Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Overcast, or wherever you listen.

Joshua Bennett, a renowned poet and poetry professor, explores the profound ties between childhood, family, and the craft of writing. He shares how unexpected influences, from Marvin Gaye to Star Trek, shaped his poetic voice. The conversation also delves into social poetics, the significance of resilience in Black poetry, and the ethical dilemmas of generative AI in creative fields. With heartfelt reflections on identity and human experience, Bennett illustrates how poetry mirrors the magic of being alive.