It’s April, so it must be poetry month. Thank goodness. With the war, the ongoing pandemic and numerous other things going on in our lives I’m going to say we need poetry now, more than ever. Through lyric descriptions, spare observations and the clear attention to the human condition, poetry gives us life through language.
This week’s show, “Poetry in a Troubled Time,” originally aired at the beginning of when we had first heard of COVID. So long and short a time ago. You’ll hear Jericho Brown, Edward Hirsch, Li-Young Lee and others.
In case you are seeking poetry, too, here is a collection - a playlist - of a few other poetry interviews and readings we’ve aired.
A Poet-Physician Bears Witness to the Pandemic’s Lost Voices
What to Do With an Arrow in Your Heart
We still want more poetry, so the TTBOOK team is working on another show now that will soon bring you the voice of a Ukrainian poet, among other writers. What poetry are you reading or listening to now? Let us know at listen@ttbook.org.
–Shannon