Even in the most uneventful of human lives, uncertainty and doubts will inevitably intrude. When faced with those, what can you do to steady yourself? One suggestion: Turn to the poem “When in Doubt” by Sandra Cisneros, where she generously shares some of the wisdom that she’s gleaned over the years.
Mar 9
Poetry Unbound Bonus — Walter de la Mare
Host Pádraig Ó Tuama shares “The Listeners” by Walter de la Mare, a favorite childhood poem of his, and offers an audio postscript to Season 10 of Poetry Unbound. Later in 2026, he will bring us more Poetry Unbound to look forward to — find out what and when here. In the meantime ... Show More
9m 16s
Mar 6
Leonard Cohen — Book of Mercy “I,8”
Have you ever watched, in awe, as a skilled gymnast or skater lifts off and completes a dizzying number of revolutions in less than a second before landing safely back down? That’s how you may feel upon reading the great Leonard Cohen’s urgent, dreamlike poem “I, 8” from Book of ... Show More
16m 34s
Mar 2
Billy-Ray Belcourt — Subarctica
Will you leave this episode feeling uplifted, envious, curious, or something else entirely? Yes. Billy-Ray Belcourt’s poem “Subarctica” transports you to a vividly specific time — “the coldest December / on record, I haven’t left my mother’s / house in over a week” — where the pr ... Show More
17m 46s
Dec 2023
Because You Were Mine: Book Launch and Poetry Reading
In their latest collection of poems, Cave Canem Poetry Prize winner Brionne Janae dives into the deep, unsettled waters of intimate partner violence, queerness, grief, and survival.
This event took place on July 6, 2023.
“I’ve decided I can’t trust anyone who uses darkness as a m ... Show More
1 h
Jun 2024
“The End of Poetry” by Ada Limón
An impassioned plea, a yearning for connection — the poem U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón wrote when she says all language failed her. Take in Ada's reading of her piece, “The End of Poetry” — and hear her read more of her work in the On Being episode, “To Be Made Whole.”Ada Limón i ... Show More
1m 43s
Oct 2021
A More Perfect Union: To Be Black, Woman and American featuring Teri Ellen Cross Davis, Poet
Teri Ellen Cross Davis is a phenomenal poet and author of A More Perfect Union (Ohio State University Press, 2021) and Haint (Gival Press, 2016). She is also the Poetry Coordinator for the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. In this season four finale, Teri talks about ... Show More
25m 57s
Nov 2019
74 | Stephen Greenblatt on Stories, History, and Cultural Poetics
An infinite number of things happen; we bring structure and meaning to the world by making art and telling stories about it. Every work of literature created by human beings comes out of an historical and cultural context, and drawing connections between art and its context can b ... Show More
1h 6m
Apr 2024
S7 Ep7: Bookshelfie: Elif Shafak
<div>Award-winning British-Turkish novelist and 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlisted author Elif Shafak reveals the five books that have shaped her life and career.<br>
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Elif has published 19 books, 12 of which are novels, including <em>The Island of Missing Trees</em>, ... Show More
51m 30s
Jun 2022
Africa Oyé, Queer Poetry, Maggie Shipstead
Africa Oyé, the UK's largest festival of music from the continent of Africa, celebrates its 30th anniversary in Liverpool's Sefton Park this month. Its Artistic Director, Paul Duhaney, discusses the festival's history and chooses three tracks of music that reflect Africa Oyé's gr ... Show More
42m 20s
<p><span>Sandra Cisneros joins </span><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/kevin-young">Kevin Young</a><span><span> </span>to read “</span><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/04/06/shelter">Shelter</a><span>,” by José Antonio Rodríguez, and her own poem “< ... Show More
