The New Yorker: Poetry

Former US Poet Laureate Natasha Tretheway and Kevin Young discuss Charles Wright's poem 'Toadstools' and Tretheway's poem 'Repentance'. They explore themes of renewal, grief, and loss, highlighting the power of poetry to express intricate emotions. Tretheway reflects on her personal journey, embracing innovation in poetic form, and delving into the complexities of nature and human experience.

Safiya Sinclair discusses Natalie Diaz's poem 'From the Desire Field' & her own 'Gospel of the Misunderstood' on the New Yorker Poetry Podcast. They explore magical imagery, themes of desire, and the influence of Jamaican heritage on poetry.

Rachel Eliza Griffiths joins Kevin Young to discuss "Rain Light" by W.S. Merwin, and her own poem "Heart of Darkness." Griffiths is a poet and artist who has received fellowships from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, Cave Canem Foundation, and Yaddo, among others. Her latest book is "Lighting the Shadow." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Peter Balakian joins Kevin Young to read and discuss Theodore Roethke's poem "In a Dark Time" and his own poem "Eggplant." Balakian's latest book is "Ozone Journal," which won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Poet Craig Morgan Teicher reads and discusses Forrest Gander's poem 'Son,' drawing parallels to his own work. They delve into themes of mortality, emotion, myth, and familial connections. The conversation explores crafting rhyming sonnets, personal experiences with distant fathers, and the evolution and accessibility of modern poetry in cultural discussions.

Deborah Landau, poet and director at NYU, discusses Anne Sexton's poem, 'Little Girl, My Stringbean, My Lovely Woman,' exploring themes of love, resistance, and female transformation. They also touch upon the role of poets in the political climate and the impact of love on societal challenges, emphasizing tenderness as a form of resistance.

Poet Kaveh Akbar and Ellen Bryant Voigt discuss the power of language in shaping perception of nature and taxonomy through their poems. They explore themes of delight, instruction, self-awareness, loneliness, and recovery in poetry. The conversation delves into the impact of silence on language perception and personal experiences with linguistic diversity.

Nick Flynn and Kevin Young discuss Zoë Hitzig's poem 'Objectivity as Blanket,' exploring symbolism, constraints in poetry, the intersection of experience and art, and childhood influences on writing. They touch on themes of love, violence, and transformation, reflecting on the creative process and personal experiences that shape their work.

Catherine Barnett joins Kevin Young to read and discuss Wislawa Szymborska's poem "Maybe All This" (translated, from the Polish, by Clare Cavanagh and Stanislaw Barańczak) and her own poem "Son in August." Barnett is the author of the poetry collections "Into Perfect Spheres Such Holes Are Pierced," "The Game of Boxes," and "Human Hours," out in September. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Nicole Sealey and Kevin Young discuss Ellen Bass's poem 'Indigo' and Sealey's 'A Violence.' They explore themes of envy, existence, mortality, and primal desire. The podcast delves into the complexities of poetry, self-awareness, violence, humor, and societal expectations. They also highlight the impact of organizations like Kave Conum in supporting black poets and promote Sealey and Bass's poetry on New Yorker.com.