archive
Poet Marie Howe Reflects On The 'Living' After Loss
April 13, 2012 "Poetry holds the knowledge that we are alive and that we know we're going to die," poet Marie Howe tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross. One of Howe's most famous poems, "What the Living Do," was recently included in The Penguin Anthology of 20th-Century American Poetry.
Books News & Features
Simple Tweets Of Fate: Teju Cole's Condensed News
April 9, 2012 Every day, Nigerian-American novelist Teju Cole skims newspapers from present-day Nigeria and 1912's New York City. He turns the odd news of the day into the ironic, illuminating Tweets he calls "Small Fates."
The Beauty And Difficulty Of Poet Nikky Finney
April 8, 2012 "Art is about being provocative," says the award-winning poet. "Art is also about beauty and if you leave the latter out, the former doesn't matter."
Storify: Muses And Metaphor
April 3, 2012 Poetry and social media join forces in April, as Tell Me More celebrates National Poetry Month with the Muses and Metaphor series. Here are some of our favorite poetic tweets curated from #tmmpoetry.
Muses And Metaphor 2012: Tweet Us Your Poetry!
April 2, 2012 Poetry meets social media in Tell Me More's annual celebration of National Poetry Month. Throughout April we'll feature poems exchanged via Twitter by NPR fans — always in 140 characters or fewer.
NewsPoet: Writing The Day In Verse
NewsPoet: Kevin Young Writes The Day In Verse
March 30, 2012 Each month, NPR's All Things Considered invites a poet into the newsroom to see how the show comes together and to write an original poem about the news. This month our NewsPoet is Kevin Young. Want to write your own poem about the day's news? You can put them in the comments below.
Remembrances
Adrienne Rich: Resolution Amid The 'Turbulence'
March 29, 2012 The memorials for poet Adrienne Rich, who died Tuesday, include plenty of references to her political activism and eventful personal life. Amid this, Critic David Orr pauses to reflect on one poem — a testament to her perseverance and her art.
A St. Patrick's Poem On Shamrocks And Stereotypes
March 17, 2012 Poet and Irish expatriate Frank Delaney has enjoyed success as a BBC host, Man Booker Prize judge and author of the best-selling novel, Ireland. To honor St. Patrick's Day, Delaney shares with Weekend Edition his original poem, Drowning the Shamrock.
NewsPoet: Writing The Day In Verse
NewsPoet: Craig M. Teicher Writes The Day In Verse
February 24, 2012 Each month, NPR's All Things Considered invites a poet into the newsroom to see how the show comes together and to write an original poem about the news. This month our NewsPoet is Craig Morgan Teicher. Want to write your own poem about the days news? You can put them in the comments below.
Author Interviews
Liu Xiaobo: 'No Enemies, No Hatred,' Only Courage
February 16, 2012 The Chinese dissident and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo may be imprisoned, but his voice will not be silenced. His recent writings and poems have been collected in No Enemies, No Hatred.
Book Reviews
Hell's Music: A 'Guide For Boys' With Adult Themes
February 16, 2012 D.A. Powell's poems in Useless Landscape, or A Guide for Boys subvert Boy Scout imagery with cheekiness, and take on desire, salvation and HIV with courage. This is a book that looks death in the eye — and winks.
Poetic Propositions: Verse And The Art of Seduction
February 13, 2012 Valentine's Day is a tricky occasion for poets. Granted, it's hard not to be happy about a holiday on which poems are thought to be genuinely useful. But love poetry's record as an aphrodisiac is mixed. Critic David Orr offers advice for romantic rhymers.
Donald Hall: A Poet's View 'Out The Window'
February 8, 2012 The 83-year-old former poet laureate reflects on how life has changed as he's grown older. "My body causes me trouble when I cross the room, but when I am sitting down writing, I am in my heaven — my old heaven," he says.
Krulwich Wonders...
Two Deaths: A Poet And A Beetle
February 5, 2012 Poet Wislawa Szymborska had an eye for the smallest, the gentlest, the hard-to-notice creatures on Earth and this week she bid them all adieu. Krulwich remembers Wislawa Szymborska.
