NPR Topics: Poetry http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1037&ft=1&f=1037 NPR explores poetry and its influence on culture and society. Poems, narratives, and interviews with poets. Listen to audio and subscribe to our podcasts. Copyright 2009 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.93 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:17:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Poetry http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1037&ft=1&f=1037 Julie Andrews Celebrates The Sound Of Poetry Though her singing voice was irreparably damaged in 1997, Julie Andrews' innate musicality is irrepressible. Her new book, a collection of poems, songs and lullabies, features an accompanying CD in which Andrews reads some of the verses that played an important role in her family. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:17:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113791709&ft=1&f=1037 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113791709&ft=1&f=1037 Though her singing voice was irreparably damaged in 1997, Julie Andrews' innate musicality is irrepressible. Her new book, a collection of poems, songs and lullabies, features an accompanying CD in which Andrews reads some of the verses that played an important role in her family.

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]]> Poe Finally Gets A Fitting Funeral In Baltimore Hundreds of people gathered in Baltimore on Sunday for a funeral service for writer Edgar Allan Poe. It's one of many events marking the 200th anniversary of Poe's birth. The ceremonies were more befitting the great writer than the hastily arranged event that actually marked his passing in 1849. Mon, 12 Oct 2009 06:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113724472&ft=1&f=1037 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113724472&ft=1&f=1037 Hundreds of people gathered in Baltimore on Sunday for a funeral service for writer Edgar Allan Poe. It's one of many events marking the 200th anniversary of Poe's birth. The ceremonies were more befitting the great writer than the hastily arranged event that actually marked his passing in 1849.

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]]> Poet's Wordplay Leads To MacArthur 'Genius' Award MacArthur Fellow Heather McHugh mines words for contradictions and double meanings, offering the reader an expansive, fresh perspective on themes like love and mortality. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:55:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113081143&ft=1&f=1037 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113081143&ft=1&f=1037 MacArthur Fellow Heather McHugh mines words for contradictions and double meanings, offering the reader an expansive, fresh perspective on themes like love and mortality.

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]]> Poetic Reflections On 9/11 Former poet laureate Robert Hass discusses the power of poetry, particularly during times of great loss and confusion. Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:11:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112748377&ft=1&f=1037 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112748377&ft=1&f=1037 Former poet laureate Robert Hass discusses the power of poetry, particularly during times of great loss and confusion.

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]]> Twitter, Instant Messaging Put Poetry In Motion If Shakespeare were alive today, would'st he not Tweet? Or text or IM? How could he not? "But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is my GF!" In fact, more and more poetry is being sent out over new technologies, which tend to encourage a special kind of language, if you know what we mean, LOL . Host Scott Simon speaks with Cyberfrequencies contributor Jackson Musker about poetry that is being composed using the likes of Twitter, Instant Messenger and other new technologies. Sat, 05 Sep 2009 08:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112585070&ft=1&f=1037 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112585070&ft=1&f=1037 If Shakespeare were alive today, would'st he not Tweet? Or text or IM? How could he not? "But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is my GF!" In fact, more and more poetry is being sent out over new technologies, which tend to encourage a special kind of language, if you know what we mean, LOL . Host Scott Simon speaks with Cyberfrequencies contributor Jackson Musker about poetry that is being composed using the likes of Twitter, Instant Messenger and other new technologies.

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]]> On The Page, Poet Mourns Daughter's Murder Leidy Bonanno had just graduated nursing school when she was killed by an ex-boyfriend in 2003. <em>Slamming Open the Door</em> is Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno's way of remembering. Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:58:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111218053&ft=1&f=1037 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111218053&ft=1&f=1037 Leidy Bonanno had just graduated nursing school when she was killed by an ex-boyfriend in 2003. Slamming Open the Door is Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno's way of remembering.

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]]> For Poets, A Labor Of Love (Not Money) It is perhaps stating the obvious to say that there is almost no money to be made in poetry. Some poets work as teachers, others in the corporate world. And even a Pulitzer Prize-winning former U.S. poet laureate needs a day job. Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:14:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106348282&ft=1&f=1037 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106348282&ft=1&f=1037 It is perhaps stating the obvious to say that there is almost no money to be made in poetry. Some poets work as teachers, others in the corporate world. And even a Pulitzer Prize-winning former U.S. poet laureate needs a day job.

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]]> At Newspaper, Poets Report For A Day The editor of the Israeli daily newspaper <em>Ha'aretz</em> recently tried an unorthodox experiment. In celebration of Hebrew Book Week, he told most of his staff reporters to take a day off. Instead, he brought in a team of unlikely replacements &mdash; 31 of Israel's most acclaimed authors and poets &mdash; and asked them to report the day's news. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106268431&ft=1&f=1037 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106268431&ft=1&f=1037 The editor of the Israeli daily newspaper Ha'aretz recently tried an unorthodox experiment. In celebration of Hebrew Book Week, he told most of his staff reporters to take a day off. Instead, he brought in a team of unlikely replacements — 31 of Israel's most acclaimed authors and poets — and asked them to report the day's news.

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]]> Love Words With Staying Power? In May, we marked the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's sonnets by asking NPR listeners and readers to write in with modern love poems or songs that they think will be remembered 400 years from now. Here are a few of those suggestions. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:48:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106119153&ft=1&f=1037 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106119153&ft=1&f=1037 In May, we marked the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's sonnets by asking NPR listeners and readers to write in with modern love poems or songs that they think will be remembered 400 years from now. Here are a few of those suggestions.

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]]> A Symbol Of Women's Struggles In Iran Scott Simon speaks with author Roya Hakakian about the widespread prayer vigils she's encouraging for Neda Agha Soltan, the woman whose death on the streets of Tehran was captured on a cell phone video camera. Hakakian also discusses the role of women in Iranian political movements. Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106007608&ft=1&f=1037 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106007608&ft=1&f=1037 Scott Simon speaks with author Roya Hakakian about the widespread prayer vigils she's encouraging for Neda Agha Soltan, the woman whose death on the streets of Tehran was captured on a cell phone video camera. Hakakian also discusses the role of women in Iranian political movements.

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]]> New Translations For Lovers Of Greek Poet Cavafy Constantine Cavafy may not be a household name, but the Greek poet was admired by English novelist E.M. Forster, and Jacqueline Kennedy loved his poetry so much that it was read at her funeral mass. Author and critic Daniel Mendelsohn speaks to host Jacki Lyden about his new translation of Cavafy's collected poems. Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105082310&ft=1&f=1037 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105082310&ft=1&f=1037 Constantine Cavafy may not be a household name, but the Greek poet was admired by English novelist E.M. Forster, and Jacqueline Kennedy loved his poetry so much that it was read at her funeral mass. Author and critic Daniel Mendelsohn speaks to host Jacki Lyden about his new translation of Cavafy's collected poems.

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]]> Toni Morrison Presses For Writers' Freedoms The human rights organization PEN is dedicated to helping writers around the world whose right to free expression is being challenged. Some of the authors who belong to the group have written essays on the power of the word, published in a new collection called <em>Burn This Book</em>, edited by Nobel prize-winning writer, Toni Morrison. Sun, 31 May 2009 09:16:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104763625&ft=1&f=1037 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104763625&ft=1&f=1037 The human rights organization PEN is dedicated to helping writers around the world whose right to free expression is being challenged. Some of the authors who belong to the group have written essays on the power of the word, published in a new collection called Burn This Book, edited by Nobel prize-winning writer, Toni Morrison.

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]]> Excerpt: 'Sonata Mulattica' Former Poet Laureate Rita Dove's <em>Sonata Mulaticca,</em> is a book-length group of poems about the life of George Polgreen Bridgetower, an African-European who played violin with Beethoven and then had a falling out with the great man over a woman. Fri, 29 May 2009 15:23:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104724579&ft=1&f=1037 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104724579&ft=1&f=1037 Former Poet Laureate Rita Dove's Sonata Mulaticca, is a book-length group of poems about the life of George Polgreen Bridgetower, an African-European who played violin with Beethoven and then had a falling out with the great man over a woman.

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]]> Already Poor, Poets Don't Much Mind The Recession The poetry business is strangely immune to the economic downturn. That's because poetry never made any money to begin with. But people affected by the downturn are turning to poetry to express themselves. With no money at stake, readers of NPR's Planet Money blog took a Recession Haiku Challenge. Fri, 29 May 2009 00:01:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104671922&ft=1&f=1037 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104671922&ft=1&f=1037 The poetry business is strangely immune to the economic downturn. That's because poetry never made any money to begin with. But people affected by the downturn are turning to poetry to express themselves. With no money at stake, readers of NPR's Planet Money blog took a Recession Haiku Challenge.

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]]> Excerpt: 'Shannon: A Poem of the Lewis and Clark Expedition' Campbell McGrath's book length poem <em>Shannon</em> dramatizes the story of George Shannon, the youngest member of the Lewis and Clark expedition, while lost on the Great American Desert. Thu, 28 May 2009 16:34:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104681282&ft=1&f=1037 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104681282&ft=1&f=1037 Campbell McGrath's book length poem Shannon dramatizes the story of George Shannon, the youngest member of the Lewis and Clark expedition, while lost on the Great American Desert.

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