logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2022
9m 40s

Poet Warsan Shire hopes you can make the...

NPR
About this episode
Somali British poet Warsan Shire has had many projects, including running a popular Tumblr page and collaborating with Beyoncé. Now, she is out with a new collection of poems called Bless The Daughter Raised By A Voice In Her Head. That title is an ode to how she was raised, having to take on a lot of responsibility from a young age. But Shire told NPR's Sarah McCammon that it's also an ode to the children who are able to turn those voices into their friends instead of struggling with them as she has.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Today
With novel 'Among Friends,' Hal Ebbott says he wanted to take friendship seriously
In Hal Ebbott's debut novel, Among Friends, two wealthy New York families are spending a weekend in the country. They've gotten together for decades – but one act ruptures their close ties. In today's episode, Ebbott tells Here & Now's Asma Khalid that he's drawn to story premise ... Show More
10m 39s
Yesterday
David Litt's new memoir is about finding common ground through surfing
Former Obama speechwriter David Litt and his brother-in-law, Matt, couldn't be more different. But during the pandemic, Matt taught Litt how to surf. The time they spent together out on the water created what Litt refers to as "neutral ground" – a space that isn't coded as libera ... Show More
9m 23s
Jul 8
In the new speculative novel 'Weepers,' mourning is outsourced to professionals
In Peter Mendelsund's novel Weepers, many in the world are concerned they'll be replaced by smart machines. But a cowboy poet named Ed has found work in the American Southwest. He's a professional weeper, part of a group of union workers hired to mourn at funerals. In today's epi ... Show More
8m 23s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2023
Saying More with Less: Natalie Bell and Glenn North
We hear stories about poetry and how it can bring people together. This episode is hosted by Keighly Baron. Storytellers: Natalie Bell - Orthodontia and a high school poetry reading lead to awkwardness. Glenn North - Feeling despondent about moving back to his hometown of Kansas ... Show More
21m 7s
Jan 2017
#54 Laura Dockrill (Poet & Author) - You Don’t Have To Be One Thing
Laura Dockrill is a performance poet, author, illustrator and short story writer. She is the author of the Darcy Burdock series and a YA novel, Lorali with a follow up book coming out this year. She has also written a number of adult poetry collections. "My Mum is a Grown Down" i ... Show More
29m 52s
May 2024
Joy Harjo — Poems as Teachers | Ep 2
As appealing as it may sound, is it really possible to live in a world completely free of conflict? No. And since differences and disagreements are inevitable and natural, Joy Harjo gives ground rules in “Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings.” Her call to us echoes across time and ... Show More
17m 43s
Nov 2021
Kaveh Akbar — How Prayer Works
A narrative prose poem about two brothers — one on a visit home from college — who are turning to face east in their small shared room. With seven years between them, one is a young man and the other, the poet, is nearing his teens. Their prayer is interrupted by a sudden surpris ... Show More
15m 15s
Jul 2020
Radical Imagination: Tracy K. Smith, Marilyn Nelson, and Terrance Hayes on Poetry in Our Times
In a special episode of the Poetry Podcast, Tracy K. Smith, Marilyn Nelson, and Terrance Hayes join Kevin Young to read their work, and to discuss its relationship to protest and liberation. Tracy K. Smith served two terms as a U.S. poet laureate, and has won an Anisfield-Wolf Bo ... Show More
45m 41s
Oct 2020
Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, M.S.Ed (@jtbigelow) - Author Talks: Your Name Is A Song
Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, M.S.Ed, is a Philadelphia-based educator and children’s book author. Her works, which feature young Black Muslim protagonists, have been recognized and critically-praised by many trusted voices in literature, including the American Library Association, ... Show More
29m 48s
Sep 2020
From Poetry Unbound: Ada Limón — “Wonder Woman”
We’re happy to share the first episode of the new season of Poetry Unbound with host Pádraig Ó Tuama. This poem by Ada Limón tells the story of a person living with invisible chronic pain who finds unexpected fortitude from a girl dressed as a superhero. Their encounter, “at the ... Show More
16m 7s
Jan 2024
Eugenia Leigh — How the Dung Beetle Finds Its Way Home
In a poem about how a small moment can help you make a wise decision, Eugenia Leigh finds the strength to go back home after storming out. No self-pity in the poem, just humor and brilliance. She had every reason to leave, and finds every reason to return. Eugenia Leigh is a Kore ... Show More
15m 51s