logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2021
54m 15s

Derek Walcott, part 1

Michael Lavers
About this episode

William and I enjoy a few early poems by Derek Walcott, and talk about the relationship between talent and practice, how to load your poem with surprises, how to write politically without being didactic, what it means to increase the emotional stakes in a poem, what the bare minimum ingredients for a great poem might be, how to make the particulars of your life seem significant and universal, and much more. 

Up next
Mar 2023
Adam Zagajewski
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.  
43m 55s
Aug 2022
Frank Norris, McTeague
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
1h 2m
Aug 2022
Robert Frost, ”Home Burial”
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."  
56m 16s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2023
932: Letter to my sister
Today’s poem is Letter to my sister by Trapeta B. Mayson. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “My mother did not live long enough to read my poems about her. I like to think that she would have appreciated how I processed our shared history an ... Show More
6m 10s
Nov 2023
1000: I Hear America Singing
Today’s poem is I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… "We, here, at the Slowdown are celebrating our 1000th episode. This is a milestone deserving of its own reflection. I’ve three observations before we r ... Show More
6m 2s
Mar 2024
1077: “Something About…” by Peter Kahn
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “Why is it so hard to write a love poem? Well, I think sentimentality is often the culprit. Today’s poem, by contrast, avoids sentimentality by showing how our perceptions change when we fall in love, how th ... Show More
4m 38s
Jan 2024
1041: By Then
Today’s poem is By Then by David Rivard. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “I love the clarity in today’s poem, in how it nurtures self-awareness in the wake of emotional turmoil and growth.” Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The S ... Show More
6m 15s
Dec 2023
1024: Ashes
Today’s poem is Ashes by Rahma O. Jimoh. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “As a poet, how can you write into that catastrophe? How can a poem artfully contain the struggle between the sanctity of nature and the unfettered business practices ... Show More
5m 52s
Feb 2024
1063: Love Poem by Sophie Cabot Black
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
5m 27s