Poetry Unbound

Margaret Noodin, a poet and linguist, shares a bilingual poem in Anishinaabemowin and English filled with location and melancholy. The poem explores communication, language as a metaphor for survival, and the challenges of connection. Noodin recites a poem about different worlds and interconnectedness of nature.

Martín Espada, a prolific poet and professor, delves into the depths of grief while discussing his poem 'After the Goose that Rose Like the God of Geese.' He shares how bereavement transforms everyday tasks into emotional burdens and the solace he finds in nature. Feeding birds becomes a poignant ritual, allowing him to connect with his feelings of loss. Espada also reflects on his relationship with his late father, exploring how personal connections and spontaneous instincts can illuminate the path of mourning.

In many ways this poem can be analyzed by how it ends: by examining the contents of organic shops. Roshni Goyate looks at one such item — coconut oil for hair —  and considers its long line of history in her British-Indian family. As a child, she was shamed by classmates for using coconut oil in her hair, but now it’s double the price in shops. In a cruel irony, her race and culture were both hypervisible to those who taunted her and rendered invisible by those same people who invalidated her presence and citizenship.Roshni Goyate is one quarter of the 4 BROWN GIRLS WHO WRITE poetry collective. Together they have published a book of poetry, a zine of essays, and most recently, a collection of solo works, published by Rough Trade Books, in which Roshni's pamphlet, Shadow Work, appears. Roshni is a Londoner, proud daughter of Indian immigrants and co-founder of The Other Box, an inclusion and equity company.Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.

In this insightful discussion, b: william bearheart, a poet from the St. Croix Chippewa Indians, reflects on Andy Warhol's painting of Geronimo. He explores the complex relationship between Indigenous identity and the often white-centric gaze portrayed in art. Through poignant metaphors, bearheart connects personal and collective experiences of pain and commodification. He challenges listeners to confront issues of representation and power, urging a deeper understanding of how art interacts with culture and mortality.

A poet considers his father, and, particularly, his father’s boots. These boots could be a hammer, a prop, a weapon. But Esteban Rodríguez also remembers how his father — a sleepwalker — would walk outside at night in his underwear, wielding his boots, slapping them against each other in a kind of protective ritual. What spirits was his father protecting them from? What was he asserting about land and place, by standing guard, even in his dreams?Esteban Rodríguez is the author of five poetry collections, most recently, The Valley. His debut essay collection Before the Earth Devours Us will be published by Split/Lip Press in late 2021. He is the Interviews Editor for the EcoTheo Review, an Assistant Poetry Editor for AGNI, and a regular reviews contributor for Heavy Feather Review. He lives in Austin, Texas.Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.

This ‘Essay on Reentry’ charts life after prison: and the way that others keep your sentence alive even when you’re wishing to just get on with your own life. It’s about secrets and choice and disclosure. And in the midst of all this, there is also love between a son and his dad, a son like a “straggling angel, / lost from his pack finding a way to fulfill his / duty.”Reginald Dwayne Betts is the author of a memoir and three books of poetry. His memoir, A Question of Freedom: A Memoir of Learning, Survival, and Coming of Age in Prison, was awarded the 2010 NAACP Image Award for non-fiction. His books of poetry are Shahid Reads His Own Palm, Bastards of the Reagan Era, and Felon. He is a graduate of Prince George’s Community College, the University of Maryland, the MFA Program at Warren Wilson College, and is currently a PhD student at Yale Law School.Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.

Li-Young Lee, acclaimed poet and author of five celebrated books including 'The Undressing,' explores the rich connections between beauty and mortality. He shares memories of a simple day filled with peaches, using them as a metaphor for the sweetness of life. Through vivid imagery, he reflects on joy, transience, and the deeper meanings behind everyday experiences. Lee's insights remind us that amid life's fleeting moments, there is always room for gratitude and generosity.

Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo, a poet and daughter of Mexican immigrants, shares her experiences at Gettysburg National Military Park. She reflects on uncovering the stories of forgotten Mexican soldiers while confronting cultural erasure in historical narratives. The discussion highlights her rituals of remembrance and the poignant offerings she makes to both her ancestors and contemporary migrants. With a powerful blend of personal and collective history, she challenges dominant narratives and emphasizes the importance of honoring the past.

In this love poem, Matthew Olzmann writes about his wife — the poet Vievee Francis whose poem for Matthew was featured in the previous episode — and the reasons why their marriage might work: her courage, her tenacity, her quirks, her multiplicities. He recounts instances of her generosity and lands on a story of how, when she was down to her “last damn dime,” she  still bought a bottle of Mountain Dew for him, because she knew he loved it. This is a cinematic and musical poem, making exquisite use of a particular object: a bottle of soda, holding fizz in it, and symbolizing more love than it could contain.Matthew Olzmann  was born in Detroit, Michigan. He received a BA from the University of Michigan–Dearborn and an MFA from Warren Wilson College. He is the author of Contradictions in the Design and Mezzanines, winner of the 2011 Kundiman Poetry Prize. Olzmann has received fellowships from the Kresge Arts Foundation and Kundiman, among others. He teaches at Warren Wilson College and lives in North Carolina with his wife, the poet Vievee Francis.Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.

Vievee Francis, an acclaimed author and poetry professor, shares her love for sensual language and its power to express emotional connections. Joined by her husband, poet Matthew Olzmann, they explore how intimate relationships flourish through the beauty of words. Vievee's favorite word is revealed to be Matthew's name, showcasing the deep bond they share. Their discussion unfolds the mysteries of love while highlighting how language deepens intimacy, inviting listeners to reflect on their own connections.