The New Yorker: Poetry

Former Fulbright scholar Elisa Gonzalez discusses the intricacies of Czeslaw Milosz's poem 'Gathering Apricots' and her own work. The podcast explores self-referential elements, memory, and the challenges faced by poets. It delves into themes of autobiography, translation impact, and the balance between personal experiences and poetic expression.

Poet Ben Purkert reads Jorie Graham's 'Notes on the Reality of the Self' & his poem 'News.' They discuss self-discovery, nature's fluidity, and poetic creativity. Exploring themes of descent, luck, and surprise in poetry, with cultural recommendations.

Kwame Dawes, a renowned author, reads Derek Walcott's 'The Season of Phantasmal Peace' and his own poem 'Before Winter.' They discuss themes of love, peace, mortality, and the transient nature of life. The conversation explores cultural topics, poetry analysis, and the evolving notions of exile and home through verse.

Poet Ellen Bass reads and discusses a poem by Frank X Gaspar, touching on taboo topics, the transformative power of metaphor, and the deep connection between life experiences and literary expression. She also shares a moving poem on childbirth, exploring love and vulnerability. The podcast explores the challenges and rewards of crafting a poem, the natural childbirth practices in California in the 70s, and the deep connections between love and grief.

Poet and Dante translator Mary Jo Bang discusses the challenges and joys of translating Purgatorio. Topics include the emotional evolution of Dante's character, the relevance of Dante's poetry in the modern world, analyzing character voices in the poem, and contemplating tackling the translation of Paradiso.

Poet Shane McCrae discusses his poetry sequence 'Jim Limber in Heaven' and its themes of adoption, loss, and identity intertwined with the mysterious history of Jim Limber. He also explores the unique structure of his book, Sometimes I Never Suffered, delving into theological themes and the influence of poetic persona and gothic sensibility in literature.

Vijay Seshadri joins Kevin Young to read “The Moon and the Yew Tree,” by Sylvia Plath, and his own poem “Cliffhanging.” Seshadri is a poet whose work has been honored with the James Laughlin Award and the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. His latest book is “3 Sections,” and he recently became the poetry editor of The Paris Review. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Eliza Griswold, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and poet, discusses her 'First Person' poetry series on New Yorker.com. She explores themes of ambition, motherhood, and identity. Griswold reflects on personal inspirations behind the poems, like a car being towed, and the intersection of self, society, and poetry as a transformative ceremony.

Poet and translator Ariel Francisco discusses the profound impact of James Wright's poem 'By a Lake in Minnesota,' exploring themes of nature, existential observations, and the balance between grand and minute details of life. The conversation also touches on the political nature of poetry, reflections on urban life in the Bronx, and the influence of translation in poetry.

Campbell McGrath discusses Czeslaw Milosz's 'Realism' and his own poem 'The Human Heart.' They explore themes of eternal essence in art, evolution of rhyme in poetry, and the cohesion of poetry collections. McGrath reflects on the poet-editor relationship and the influence of music on literature.