Poetry Off the Shelf
Poetry Foundation
Producer Helena de Groot talks to poets about language, dreams, love and loss, identity, connection, anger, discomfort, the creative process, the state of the world and the world of the soul. Hard conversations are welcomed—laughter is, too.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 3, 2023 • 55min
Pen Pals
Sean Cole on loneliness, fear of aging, and what poems can do.
Sep 19, 2023 • 58min
Notes From the Bathhouse
Eric Sneathen on queer utopia, bad writing, and San Francisco in the ’70s.
Sep 5, 2023 • 1h 2min
The Magic Section
Irène Mathieu on pediatrics, suburbs without a TV, and our body's unknown terrain.
Aug 22, 2023 • 45min
My Totally Normal Crisis
Natalie Shapero discusses her poetic style and themes, being a contestant on Wheel of Fortune, working on a film and TV production set, and the intersection of theory and personal experience in poetry. They also explore money thinking, risk in poetry, and the affirmation of life in poems about death.
Aug 8, 2023 • 32min
The Eldest Daughter
Rosanna Young Oh on her parents’ grocery store, leaving poetry, and the duties of the firstborn.
Jul 25, 2023 • 56min
Invisible Hands
Airea D. Matthews on self-interest, starry skies, and her parents’ fateful wedding day.
Jul 11, 2023 • 54min
Chaos Reigns
Sophus Helle on empire, Calvin and Hobbes, and the world's first author.
Jun 27, 2023 • 43min
The Fact of a Suitcase
Leslie Sainz on Bill O’Reilly, glassblowing, and the lure of praise.
Jun 13, 2023 • 46min
Good Old Sonnet
Diane Seuss on New York in the ’70s, virtue, and her father’s early death.
May 30, 2023 • 55min
Add Me to the Forest Floor
Katie Farris on cancer, desire, and her early-menopause care package.
