logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2024
6m 14s

1251: On Living by Nâzim Hikmet, transla...

American Public Media
About this episode

Today’s poem is On Living by Nazim Hikmet, translated by Randy Blasing and Mutlu Konuk. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual.


In this episode, Major writes… “My walk that morning brought forth the world in technicolor, piercing green trees, a blue sky screeching loud as a free jazz concert, a jogger’s passing smile, soft, otherworldly. The earth hummed and throbbed. At a stoplight, I was suddenly filled with an inexplicable joy. My day of explosive happiness was counterintuitive. My inner world was actually gray; a family member has been battling cancer, another a victim of hurricanes, and then there was myself, ever negotiating the psychic demands of being present in a world where kindness feels in short supply.”


Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

Up next
Today
1404: Before Lunar New Year, Our Mothers Go Missing by Uyen Phuong Dang
<p>Today’s poem is Before Lunar New Year, Our Mothers Go Missing by Uyen Phuong Dang.</p><br/><p>The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem references the Lunar New Year, which happens in February, but it’s a timeless, seasonless poem. ... Show More
5m 54s
Yesterday
1403: Echo by Pura López-Colomé, translated by Forrest Gander
<p>Today’s poem is Echo by Pura López-Colomé, translated by Forrest Gander. </p><br/><p>The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “I also think that all literature is translation, in a sense. We are taking what is in our minds and translating that ... Show More
6m 54s
Nov 24
1402: Gloria Mundi by Michael Kleber-Diggs
<p>Today’s poem is Gloria Mundi by Michael Kleber-Diggs. </p><br/><p>The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “I have sort of an odd confession: I have a funeral playlist—a list of songs I want played at whatever my memorial service turns out to b ... Show More
5m 33s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2025
Ep. 67 - Cy Twombly's "Second Voyage to Italy (Second Version), 1962"
"My line does not illustrate. It is the sensation of its own realization." - Cy Twombly Critics have described the work of consummate scribbler Cy Twombly as at once "barely there" and overly academic, but what about us art civilians? What is it about these half-baked scraps, scr ... Show More
26m 28s
Jul 2024
John Milton's "When I consider how my light is spent"
<p>In today’s poem, also known as “Sonnet 19,” Milton offers a pious alternative to “raging” against the dying of the light. Happy reading.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href= ... Show More
12m 22s
Oct 2023
Episode 64: Rupert Recites from Rainer Maria Rilke's Sonnets to Orpheus
<p>In celebration of National Poetry Day in the UK, we invite you to enjoy Rupert's recital of Austrian poet and novelist Rainer Maria Rilke. The spontaneous and joyful delivery comes in response to a request to comment on the topic of food. The poem is from Rilke's collection 'S ... Show More
1m 31s
Feb 2025
My Valentine's Day Was Worse Than Yours by MikeJesus
Saint Valentine is also the patron saint of beekeepers! Enjoy your romantic evening, but don’t forget, the bees are going extinct! 🖋️ The Author: https://www.reddit.com/user/MikeJesus/submitted/ 📹 Video!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4aEycXjsng 📖 Read Along!: https://www.r ... Show More
17m 39s
Nov 2023
Two Poems About Butter
<p>Today we pay tribute, with poems by Andrea Cohen and Elizabeth Alexander, to the indispensable golden wonder.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://dailypoempod.subst ... Show More
4m 48s
Apr 2024
i found the perfect reading for a wedding ceremony or toast
Get this week’s full So Into That newsletter here! https://whattocook.substack.com/p/i-found-the-perfect-reading-for-aToday I share what I’ve been so into lately: entertaining versus having people over, a great new lipstick, etc.Plus, the insane story of how I heard a beautiful p ... Show More
26m 41s