”As Kingfishers Catch Fire...”, a poem b...

We talk about the life-affirming poems of Adam Zagajewski.    Check out my new book of poems here.  And listen to Claire's new album here.  

Check out Claire's music, art, and writing here: www.claireakebrandart.com   Claire and I have one of my favorite discussions about a very under-read book. We talk about the relationship between America and money, love and money, obsession, greed, expectations vs. reality, imagin ... Show More

Check out Claire's music, art, and writing here: www.claireakebrandart.com   In this episode, I present a recording from a class in which students and I discuss Frost's masterpiece, "Home Burial."  

Uncover the art of poetry with a twist of humor in this guide on poetic devices and techniques. Packed with real-life examples, this article makes understanding poetry an engaging and insightful journey. 

Poet Laureate Joy Harjo says she loved poetry as a kid, but didn't feel like it belonged to her. "It wasn't until I heard Native poets," she tells NPR's Michel Martin, "that I realized that, wow, this is a powerful tool of understanding and affirmation. And I don't know, I just s ... Show More

Today’s poem is For the Poet Who Is Your High School English Teacher by Gary Margolis. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “Today’s poem honors the teachers among us who are also poets, whose passion for poetry helps students to reimagine and ... Show More

Today’s poem is Love Poem by Sophie Cabot Black. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “Today’s poem reminds me of the daunting and ongoing and heartrending work of preparing ourselves to love and to dare to receive it, if we can.” Celebrate the ... Show More

Today’s poem is Pleasure by Victoria Redel. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “Today’s poem celebrates that maturing sensibility of being present and open, especially when your pleasures go beyond the pursuits of desire and the body.” Celebr ... Show More

Today’s poem is Perhaps by Wen Yiduo, translated by Arthur Sze. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “Today’s poem takes me to the ancient grounds of the imagination, and a cultivated wonder that brings us closer to its magic and possibility.” ... Show More

Today’s poem is Emptying by Aaron Zhang. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “I know that when I cannot write, when the words fail to arrive, something intangible is obstructing passage to the areas of my brain and heart. It hijacks my ability ... Show More

Today’s poem is Reading Poetry in Illness by Anya Krugovoy Silver. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “These are poems that are meant to enter the body at the right time, to exist there, to do their healing and be on their way; they are not f ... Show More