In this concluding episode of "Poems as Teachers," our special miniseries on conflict and the human condition, host Pádraig Ó Tuama says the poems discussed in this offering are a different kind of teacher: “not as teachers that give us rules to follow — more so teachers that share something of their own intuition.” And for a final reflection, he offers Kai ... Show More
Oct 5
Poetry Unbound in Conversation — Martín Espada
“Politics by themselves are necessary but not sufficient … [and] poetry by itself is necessary but not sufficient. We must find a way to bring them together,” says Martín Espada, a poet and professor. With crystalline language, an all-seeing gaze, and innate musicality, he writes ... Show More
55m 40s
Sep 18
Poetry Unbound in Conversation — Amanda Quaid
After actor, dialect coach, and teacher Amanda Quaid was diagnosed with a serious illness in 2021, she responded by trying something new — she wrote poetry. She says, “I was looking for an art form that allowed me to be with uncertainty in a beautiful way.” The result is a captiv ... Show More
51m 38s
Oct 2021
Pádraig Ó Tuama and Marilyn Nelson – “So let us pick up the stones over which we stumble, friends, and build altars”
Where to turn to find my place of standing when it feels like the world is on fire? This question surfaced in a public conversation Krista had just a couple of years ago with Pádraig Ó Tuama and Marilyn Nelson, two poet-contemplatives. Pádraig weaves together social healing, poet ... Show More
50m 47s
Apr 2025
Re-release: How to enrich your everyday life with poetry (w/ Sarah Kay)
Roses are red, violets are blue, has poetry ever been intimidating for you? For many people, this art form can feel unapproachable, but poet and educator Sarah Kay, suggests that people who don’t like poetry just maybe haven’t found a poem that really speaks to them. Sarah propos ... Show More
31m 28s
Nov 2025
Joy Harjo on Poetry and Pursuit of the Common Good (from No Small Endeavor)
Sharing an episode of the No Small Endeavor podcast. These days, our culture is marked by political unrest, polarization and anxiety. Beauty and art feel like a luxury, or even a distraction. In a special series, No Small Endeavor is asking: What if art, beauty and poetry are exa ... Show More
48m 38s
Nov 2022
Two poetry collections find beauty in unexpected places
Poet Franny Choi knows that marginalized communities have been facing apocalypses forever. But in her new book, The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On, she uses their survival as a way to look forward. In this episode, she tells NPR's Leila Fadel how understanding that pai ... Show More
20m 21s
Sep 2023
Sensory Processing, Autistic Catatonia, Safety, & Love: An Autistic OT's Perspective with Kim Clairy
<p>In today’s episode, Autistic OT Kim Clairy talks about sensory differences, Autistic catatonia, and interdependence in a way that should be part of our life and graduate school curricula. She weaves in her clinical expertise with her personal story and her poetry, and even bri ... Show More
59m 8s