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Category Archive
Conversation: Jonathan Lethem November 6, 2009 |
In Jonathan Lethem's new novel, "Chronic City," two friends travel through a Manhattan that is both very recognizable -- from the billionaire mayor to the burgers at a local diner -- while also surreal, looking for truth.
Weekly Poems: a Double From the 'Mets Poet' November 2, 2009 |
Frank Messina, also known as the "Mets Poet," is the author of four books of poetry, including "Full Count: The Book of Mets Poetry," released in April, and "Disorderly Conduct," published in 2002.
Monday on the NewsHour: Michael Chabon October 26, 2009 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to Pulitzer Prize-winning author writer Michael Chabon about his first work of non-fiction, "Manhood for Amateurs," a collection of essays.
Weekly Poem: 'The Golden Window' October 26, 2009 |
Jim Harrison has published more than 30 collections of poetry and prose. "In Search of Small Gods" is his twelfth book of poems.
Poet Laureate Kay Ryan Pushes Verse for Community Colleges October 22, 2009 |
Kay Ryan came into office as an "unlikely" poet laureate, she has said, living a quiet life in California, working away on her refined, compact verse. Now in her second term as the 16th U.S. poet laureate, she has decided on a project to share with the nation.
Deborah Eisenberg, Writer and MacArthur Winner October 20, 2009 |
A recipient of a 2009 MacArthur genius grant, Deborah Eisenberg has been publishing spare and elegant short fiction to national acclaim since the '80s, winning the Rea Award for the Short Story in 2000, a Guggenheim fellowship and three O. Henry Awards.
Weekly Poem: 'Ode to Mix Tapes' October 19, 2009 |
Sherman Alexie is a Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian born on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, Wash. He is the author of several novels and collections of short fiction and poetry, including "Face" and "War Dances," published this year.
Conversation: Nick Hornby October 16, 2009 |
"Juliet, Naked," a new novel by Nick Hornby, explores middle-age relationships, online communities, and the nature of being a fan of popular music.
In Theaters Is 'Where The Wild Things Are' October 16, 2009 |
Opening in theaters nationwide today is the film adaptation of Maurice Sendaks' beloved children's book, "Where The Wild Things Are." Directed by Spike Jonze, the film has been years in the making and the reviews have been generally positive.
Weekly Poem: 'Domestique' October 12, 2009 |
Heather McHugh was among the recipients of the so-called "Genius Award" (i.e. the 2009 MacArthur Fellowship).
Conversation: Hilary Mantel, Winner of the 2009 Booker Prize October 9, 2009 |
Hilary Mantel took home the coveted Man Booker Prize this week for her novel, "Wolf Hall," a detailed look at the contemptuous court of Henry VIII during the English Reformation.
Herta Muller Wins Nobel Prize in Literature October 8, 2009 |
Romanian-born writer Herta Muller won the 2009 Nobel Prize in literature Thursday, becoming only the 12th woman to win the prize in its 109-year history.
Weekly Poem: 'If a Person Visits Someone in a Dream, in Some Cultures the Dreamer Thanks Them' October 5, 2009 |
Jean Valentine has published 11 books of poetry and is also the editor of "The Lighthouse Keeper: Essays on the Poetry of Eleanor Ross Taylor." Last month, she won the 2009 Wallace Stevens Award from the Academy of American Poets.
Francine Prose Unlocks the Life and Diary of Anne Frank October 2, 2009 |
A new book by writer Francine Prose called "Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife" asks how much we really know about Frank and her famous work, and wonders what more the talented young writer could have produced if she had not died in a concentration camp as a teenager.
Weekly Poem: 'September, Inverness' September 28, 2009 |
Robert Hass served as Poet Laureate of the United States from 1995 to 1997. His books of poetry include "Time and Materials" (2007 Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner); "Sun Under Wood: New Poems"; "Human Wishes"; "Praise"; and "Field Guide" (1973 Yale Younger Poets Series winner).
Conversation: Writer Lorrie Moore September 25, 2009 |
It's December 2001 and a young midwestern college student named Tassie Keltjin is about to get a more worldly education when she accepts a part-time job as a nanny to the adopted child of a sophisticated Middle-aged couple. What happens over the next year is told in the new novel, "A Gate at the Stairs."
MacArthur Winner McHugh Serves Up the Weekly Poem September 22, 2009 |
Among today's recipients of the so-called "Genius Award" (i.e. the MacArthur Fellowship) is poet Heather McHugh.
Margaret Atwood and Graeme Gibson September 21, 2009 |
Extended interviews and readings with Margaret Atwood and Graeme Gibson.
Conversation: Considering Clarice September 16, 2009 |
A major literary celebrity in Brazil, Clarice Lispecter's work ran the gamut from articles in women's magazines to compelling, philosophical novels.
Conversation: Patti Smith Reflects on the Life of Her Friend, Jim Carroll September 14, 2009 |
It was Patti Smith who first encouraged Jim Carroll to blend his poetry with rock 'n' roll, bringing him on stage to perform his work with her band. He went on to form the Jim Carroll Band. Jeffrey Brown talks to Smith about her friend, who passed away Friday.
Rocker, Poet Jim Carroll Dies at Age 60 September 14, 2009 |
Jim Carroll, the poet and punk rocker who wrote "The Basketball Diaries," passed away Friday at the age of 60.
Conversation: Oxford American Takes On Southern Literature September 11, 2009 |
The Oxford American bills itself as "the Southern Magazine of Good Writing." This month the emphasis is on the good and the truly great, as the magazine offers its first ever "Southern Literature" issue.
Weekly Poem: 'First Thing' September 7, 2009 |
Paul Hunter is a poet, musician and teacher. He produces letterpress books and broadsides under the imprint of Wood Works Press, his poems have appeared many journals, and he's the author of several chapbooks and four books of poetry.
Conversation: Matthew Crawford, Author of 'Shop Class as Soulcraft' September 4, 2009 |
Friday on the NewsHour, Jeffrey Brown spoke with philosopher and motorcycle-repair shop owner Matthew Crawford about his book, "Shop Class as Soulcraft."
Weekly Poem: 'Erasers' August 31, 2009 |
Mary Jo Salter is a poet, lyricist, playwright and essayist, whose latest collection of poems, "A Phone Call to the Future: New and Selected Poems," was published in March 2008.
Conversation: Josh Neufeld Revisits Katrina August 28, 2009 |
Josh Neufeld's "A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge" tracks the lives of New Orleans residents as they fled or remained, and then struggled to cope in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Jessye Norman, the Roots Team Up for Langston Hughes' 'Ask Your Mama' August 27, 2009 |
Five years ago, Emmy Award-winning composer Laura Karpman stumbled across a copy of Hughes"Ask Your Mama." She was instantly struck by the power and potential of the piece, believing it cried out to be realized as a 21st century multimedia performance.
Secrets and Lies in 'Await Your Reply' August 24, 2009 |
In Dan Chaon's "Await Your Reply," three independent story lines revolve around one another, as characters attempt to keep their secrets secret.
Weekly Poem: 'Physical Portrait / Retrato fisico' August 24, 2009 |
Cecilia Vicuna's visual work has been exihibited at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, the Whitney Museum of American Art and MoMA. She is also co-editor of the Oxford Book of Latin American Poetry, which was published this month.
Conversation: James Gavin, Author of New Lena Horne Biography August 21, 2009 |
For many decades, Lena Horne was one of the best known and loved entertainers in the world, known for her talent and beauty.
Monday on the NewsHour: Albert Goldbarth August 17, 2009 |
Albert Goldbarth is the only poet to win the National Book Critics Circle Award twice and last year received the "Mark Twain Prize for humor from the Poetry Foundation. His latest book, "To Be Read in 500 Years," was published this summer.
Weekly Poem: 'Beauty Parlor' August 17, 2009 |
Andrea Hollander Budy is the author of three poetry collections: "Woman in the Painting," "The Other Life" and "House Without a Dreamer," which won the Nicholas Roerich Poetry Prize.
Conversation: Novelist Richard Russo August 14, 2009 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Richard Russo about his latest book, "That Old Cape Magic."
Weekly Poem: 'Too Here' August 10, 2009 |
Albert Goldbarth is the author of more than twenty books of poetry and has won numerous awards, including two National Book Critics Circle Awards. He is a professor of humanities at Wichita State University, where he has taught since 1987.
Conversation: Alex Prud'homme, Co-Author of Julia Child's 'My Life in France' August 7, 2009 |
For decades on PBS, Julia Child brought her infectious enthusiasm for French cooking into the kitchens of her rapt viewers, passing on the culinary lessons she had learned during the years she lived in France.
'When She Named Fire' Examines Contemporary Women's Poetry August 6, 2009 |
When the editors at Autumn House Press in Pittsburgh started looking around at various anthologies of contemporary poetry, they noticed most of the general collections still featured more male bards than female.
Conversation: Writer Scott Rosenberg August 4, 2009 |
Salon.com co-founder Scott Rosenberg details blogging's short history in his latest book, "Say Everything: How Blogging Began, What It's Becoming and Why It Matters."
Weekly Poem: 'Living Room' August 3, 2009 |
By Andrea Hollander Budy In the cave of memory my father crawls now, his small carbide light fixed to his forehead, his kneepads so worn from the journey they're barely useful, but he adjusts them again and again. Sometimes he...
Weekly Poem: 'How Simile Works' July 28, 2009 |
Albert Goldbarth is the author of more than twenty books of poetry and has won numerous awards, including two National Book Critics Circle Awards. He is a professor of humanities at Wichita State University, where he has taught since 1987.
Weekly Poem: 'Barking' July 21, 2009 |
Jim Harrison has published more than 30 collections of poetry and prose. "In Search of Small Gods" is his twelfth book of poems.
Frank McCourt, Irish Memoirist, Dead at 78 July 20, 2009 |
Frank McCourt, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Angela's Ashes" and "'Tis," died Sunday in New York from metastatic melanoma. He was 78.
Literary Voices Reflect on Health Care July 14, 2009 |
Some popular writers have turned up in an unexpected place: Health Affairs. The contributions are a part of the 10th anniversary of "Narrative Matters," a feature that maintains that health-policy debate must have room for the experiences of regular people.
Weekly Poem: 'Like Hearing Your Name Called in a Language You Don't Understand' July 13, 2009 |
"C.D. Wright has published 13 collections of poetry and prose. "Like Hearing Your Name Called in a Language You Don't Understand" is taken from "Rising, Falling, Hovering" (Copper Canyon, 2008), which in June won the Griffin Poetry Prize.
Conversation: Joseph O'Neill, Author of 'Netherland' July 10, 2009 |
For his book "Netherland," author Joseph O'Neill had a unique vantage point to explore the now-familiar literary terrain of post-9/11 New York. Not well known to most American readers, New York City's cricket-playing community is certainly well known to O'Neill, who was born in Ireland and educated in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
Conversation: Chimamanda Adichie, Author of 'The Thing Around Your Neck' July 9, 2009 |
In her new short story collection, "The Thing Around Your Neck," Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie moves back and forth between two continents the way she has in real life.
Weekly Poem: 'Re: Happiness, in pursuit thereof' July 8, 2009 |
C.D. Wright has published 13 collections of poetry and prose. "Re: Happiness, in pursuit thereof" is taken from her most recent book, "Rising, Falling, Hovering" (Copper Canyon, 2008), which in June won Canada's Griffin Poetry Prize.
Kernis Takes On Ibn Gabirol in 'Meditations' July 1, 2009 |
What do you get when you pair an 11th century Spanish poet with a modern American composer? Last week, the audience at the Seattle Symphony found out at the world premiere of Aaron Jay Kernis' "Symphony of Meditations."
Conversation: Werner Herzog June 30, 2009 |
In 1982 in the Peruvian jungle, Werner Herzog was making a film about an opera fanatic who would do anything to bring music to his remote city: Fitzcarraldo and his small crew face deadly river rapids, indigenous tribes with spears and the impossible task of hauling a steamship over a mountain.
Weekly Poem: 'Myth' June 29, 2009 |
Natasha Trethewey won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 2007 for her book, "Native Guard," written about her mother and black Civil War soldiers on the Mississippi coast.
For Washington Writers, a Creative Calling June 22, 2009 |
In the backroom of a popular restaurant in Washington, D.C., a group of teenagers are getting ready to take the stage for their first public appearance as published writers.
Weekly Poem: 'Graffiti' June 22, 2009 |
Javairia Henry recently graduated from Cardozo High School in Washington, D.C. Her poem, "Graffiti," is taken from "The Way We See It: Complete Coverage of the Nation's Capital From the Inside Out."
Weekly Poem: From 'Fundamentals of Esperanto' June 15, 2009 |
"Fundamentals of Esperanto" is from "Facts for Visitors" by Srikanth Reddy. Copyright 2005; the Regents of the University of California. Published by University of California Press.
Conversation: Historian Simon Schama June 12, 2009 |
Historian Simon Schama is well-known for his books and television documentaries on art and a wide range of other subjects.
Weekly Poem: 'Luminous Great Mass' June 8, 2009 |
"Luminous Great Mass" is from Peter O'Leary's collection, "Watchfulness" (Spuyten Duyvil, 2001). The poem is also included in the Poetry Foundation's Chicago Poetry Tour, a multimedia tour of poetry written in and about the city of Chicago.
How Publishers Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the E-Book June 5, 2009 |
To "e-read," or not to e-read? That was the question on the minds of publishers, authors and librarians gathered in New York City this weekend for the industry's massive annual trade show, BookExpo America.
Weekly Poem: 'Composition' June 1, 2009 |
John Ashbery is the author of more than 30 volumes of poetry, criticism and essays. He has won nearly every major American award for poetry, and his body of work has led many to consider him one of the nation's most important writers of the last half century.
Conversation: Amos Oz May 27, 2009 |
Celebrated Israeli author Amos Oz has published 18 books and is the recipient of numerous literary awards. His recent memoir, "A Tale of Love and Darkness," was an international bestseller.
Weekly Poem: 'White Song' May 26, 2009 |
J. Michael Martinez's collection "Heredities" was selected for the Academy of American Poets' Walt Whitman Award and will be published by Louisiana State University Press. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Literature at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Elevator Repair Service Works On the Experimental Level May 19, 2009 |
Witness the weird magic of the Elevator Repair Service. The group has set out to confront "the problem of performance" through its trademark swirl of imaginative choreography and dense soundscapes.
Weekly Poem: 'J. Begins by Saying The World's Not as It Should Be' May 18, 2009 |
Jeffrey Schultz's poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Great River Review, Northwest Review, Poetry, Poetry Northwest, Willow Springs and elsewhere. He teaches at Pepperdine University.
First Family Hosts 'Poetry Jam' at White House May 14, 2009 |
On Tuesday, President Barack Obama and first lady Michele Obama welcomed actors, poets and writers to the East Room of the White House for a night of poetry readings and spoken word.
Conversation: Author Mark Kurlansky on 'America Eats' May 13, 2009 |
Throughout the Depression, an ambitious New Deal project called "America Eats" employed secretaries and unemployed journalists, as well as literary luminaries -- Nelson Algren, Zora Neale Hurston and Eudora Welty -- to research and write about the nation's gastronomic traditions, from debate over mint juleps in the South and differences between clam chowders in the Northeast.
Weekly Poem: 'Reasons to Consider Setting Ourselves on Fire' May 11, 2009 |
In March, Jynne Dilling Martin was one of four winners of the 92nd Street Y "Discovery" Poetry Contest, which since 1951 has recognized the achievements of poets who have not yet published a first book.
Conversation: Daniyal Mueenuddin May 8, 2009 |
Daniyal Mueenuddin new book, "In Other Rooms, Other Wonders," comprises a series of linked stories that explore the lives of peasants and landowners in Pakistan's Punjab.
Conversation: Russell L. Goings May 8, 2009 |
To sit down and talk with Russell Goings, you would never guess he came to poetry later in life. Stories rich with allusions drawn from the gods of antiquity to the pioneers of the African-American journey to freedom pour out of Goings in a natural rhythm that reveals his connection to the blues and gospel, Homer and Shakespeare.
Weekly Poem: An Excerpt from 'The Children of Children Keep Coming' May 4, 2009 |
Russell Goings has a BA from Xavier College in Cincinnati, Ohio. He studied writing at Fairfield University and the 92nd Street Y. Before he took up writing fifteen years ago, he was a professional football player, the first African American brokerage manager for a New York Stock Exchange Member firm, and founder and chairman for Essence magazine.
Conversation: Arthur Phillips, Author of 'The Song Is You' May 1, 2009 |
Arthur Phillips, author of "The Song Is You," made a name for himself with his very first novel, "Prague," which became a national bestseller. That was followed by "The Egyptologist" and "Angelica."
Poet Craig Arnold Goes Missing on Writing Trip April 30, 2009 |
An award-winning poet and assistant professor at the University of Wyoming disappeared after setting out to explore a volcano on the Japanese island of Kuchinoerabu-jima.
Conversation: Poet Carl Phillips April 28, 2009 |
To read Carl Phillips to enter a world of finely-wrought poems that explore mind and body, history and intimacy. Phillips is a professor of English and African-American Studies at Washington University in St. Louis and a much praised and honored poet.
Weekly Poem: 'To Drown in Honey' April 27, 2009 |
Carl Phillips is the author of 10 books of poems, including most recently, "Speak Low." He is Professor of English and African-American Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, where he also teaches in the Creative Writing Program.
Conversation: Adina Hoffman, Author of the New Biography of Poet Taha Muhammad Ali April 24, 2009 |
Several years ago I had the wonderful opportunity to travel through Israel and the West Bank to talk to Palestinian and Israeli poets. Among the remarkable writers I met there and the one who made the greatest impression on viewers was Taha Muhammad Ali.
Conversation: Poet Mark Nowak and Director April Daras Discuss 'Coal Mountain Elementary' April 24, 2009 |
Mark Nowak's recently published poetry collection "Coal Mountain Elementary" explores the perils and at times personal tragedies of the coal mining industry. "Coal Mountain Elementary" is also being staged as a play by Davis & Elkins College.
Poetry Series: Nathalie Handal April 21, 2009 |
In case you missed it, here's Monday's segment featuring poet, playwright, writer and editor Nathalie Handal.
2009 Pulitzer Prize Winners Announced April 20, 2009 |
The 2009 Pulitzer Prizes were announced today. Jeffrey Brown recently talked to two other winners in the category about their winning works.
Poem of the Week: 'Where' April 20, 2009 |
Taha Muhammad Ali has published several collections of poetry and is also writes short stories. He has published two collections in English, and a new biography of Taha Muhammad Ali written by Adina Hoffman has just come out.
Weekly Poem: 'Since Nine--' April 13, 2009 |
Constantine Cavafy, the greatest Greek poet since antiquity, never published a complete book of his poems during his lifetime. But last week, we got a new look at his work in two volumes.
Conversation: Elie Wiesel April 10, 2009 |
In the new novel, "A Mad Desire to Dance," Doriel Waldman has survived the holocaust as a youth and achieved professional success as a man only to find himself in his 60s barely hanging onto his sanity.
Conversation: Daniel Mendelsohn Discusses Two New Collections of Poet C.P. Cavafy April 9, 2009 |
Constantine Cavafy, the greatest Greek poet since antiquity, never published a complete book of his poems during his lifetime. Instead, he would print them himself as pamphlets or broadsheets and distribute them to a small group of friends.
Weekly Poem: 'Weebles wobble but they don't fall down' April 6, 2009 |
Bob Hicok is the author of five collections of poems, including "This Clumsy Living" (2007), which won the 2008 Bobbitt Prize from the Library of Congress.
Conversation: Jonathan Lethem & L.J. Davis Ponder 'A Meaningful Life' April 2, 2009 |
L.J. Davis' 1971 novel, "A Meaningful Life," re-published with an introduction by Jonathan Lethem, is a black humor romp into the bowels of life's greatest disappointments.
Poems Spring Up Everywhere April 1, 2009 |
On this first day of April when you're playing practical jokes on your friends or family, do it poetically. Even better, celebrate the beginning of National Poetry Month instead.
Weekly Poem: 'Evening Walk' March 30, 2009 |
Charles Simic was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in 1938 and moved to the United States in 1954. He was Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2007-2008.
Conversation: Mary Gaitskill's 'Don't Cry' March 26, 2009 |
Vladimir Nabokov once wrote that art is "beauty plus pity." It's a formula author Mary Gaitskill took to heart, after quoting his words in a tribute essay years ago. They've both been accused, after all, of varying levels of perversity and brilliance.
Weekly Poem: 'Handymen' March 23, 2009 |
Cornelius Eady is the director of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Notre Dame and is the co-founder and vice president of Cave Canem a national organization for African American poetry.
It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's 'The 99' March 20, 2009 |
It looks like an ordinary American comic book; heroes wear brightly colored costumes and use their bulging muscles to conquer the forces of evil. But look again -- one of the superheroes is wearing a burka.
Weekly Poem: 'Brokenmusic' March 16, 2009 |
Nathalie Handal is the author of two books of poetry and is also the editor of "The Poetry of Arab Women: A Contemporary Anthology" and co-editor of "Language for a New Century: Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East, Asia & Beyond."
National Book Critics Circle Awards Announced March 13, 2009 |
The National Book Critics Circle Awards were announced Thursday night in New York. The fiction prize went to Roberto Bolano for "2666," and the general nonfiction award went to Dexter Filkins for "The Forever War."
'New' Mark Twain Story to Be Published March 12, 2009 |
On Monday, a nearly 400-year-old portrait of William Shakespeare was uncovered in England. Now comes news that a previously unpublished short story by Mark Twain will come out next week, nearly 99 years after his death.
Is This William Shakespeare? March 11, 2009 |
Earlier this week, lovers of the Bard got a special thrill: the unveiling of supposedly the only known portrait of William Shakespeare painted during his lifetime.
More Than a Weekly Poem: A Conversation and Reading With Poet Laureate Kay Ryan March 9, 2009 |
Known for short, compact writing and for living a very quiet life, Kay Ryan has taken on a big and very public role as the nation's Poet Laureate. For more than thirty years, Ryan has lived and taught remedial English in Marin County, Calif.
Conversation With Author Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket March 6, 2009 |
Through a series of unfortunate events, apparently, Daniel Handler did not grow up to be a musician. Instead, he -- or rather, one Lemony Snicket -- grew up to write the wildly popular series, "A Series of Unfortunate Events."
Writer Horton Foote Dies at Age 92 March 5, 2009 |
Horton Foote, who captured the dignity, depth of character and frequent hardship of American life for the stage and screen, died Wednesday in Hartford, Conn., at the age of 92.
Weekly Poem: 'Salvage' March 2, 2009 |
Poet Laureate Kay Ryan recently sat down with Jeffrey Brown to talk about her work and her role as Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. That conversation will be posted here soon. Much more about Ryan can be found in our Poetry Series.
Weekly Poem: 'Advertisement for the Mountain' February 23, 2009 |
Christina Davis is the author of "Forth A Raven" (Alice James Books, 2006). In February, Poet Laureate Kay Ryan chose Davis and Mary Szybist for the 2009 Witter Bynner Fellowships.
Weekly Poems: By Washington and Lincoln February 16, 2009 |
For Presidents Day (and two days after Valentines Day), here are poems by two presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, that hit on the theme of love.
Look Out! 'Soul' Is Back February 13, 2009 |
In September 1968, WNET began airing an hour-long, all-black variety show Thursday nights. It showcased funk, jazz and soul musicians, and had interviews with leading politicians, writers and thinkers.
'Wendy and Lucy' Explores Landscape of Loss February 11, 2009 |
The new film, "Wendy and Lucy," co-written by Jonathan Raymond, is a quiet reflection on personal catastrophe, and is especially relevant now, as real families and individuals are struggling through hard economic times.
Amazon Unveils the Kindle 2 February 10, 2009 |
On Monday, Amazon introduced the latest version of its electronic book reader, the Kindle 2, which is thinner and lighter than the original, has an added joystick, more battery life and a function that reads books aloud.
Weekly Poem: 'Apology' February 9, 2009 |
Mary Szybist is the author of "Granted," which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. In February, Poet Laureate Kay Ryan chose Szybist and Christina Davis for the 2009 Witter Bynner Fellowships.
Weekly Poem: 'Pittsburgh' February 2, 2009 |
In honor of the Steelers' Super Bowl victory, we've gone into the Poetry Series archive.
Conversation: Author Neil Gaiman January 30, 2009 |
Author Neil Gaiman is a man of many genres: science fiction, graphic novels -- some of you will know his "Sandman" series -- screenplays, adult fiction, as well as books for young readers.
A Setting Fitting for a Master January 30, 2009 |
Watching the 2003 interview I did with John Updike, who died this week, brought back very warm memories about the man and a very special day. Whenever we have the opportunity to travel and visit with writers and artists, we give much thought to the setting.
Remembering John Updike January 28, 2009 |
The poem Nicholas Delbanco read during Tuesday's program first appeared in the June 1999 issue of Poetry, and later, in a slightly different form in 2001, in "Americana."
Author John Updike Dies at Age 76 January 27, 2009 |
John Updike, one of the most prolific and popular American authors of his generation, who chronicled the drama of everyday suburban life, died Tuesday, his publisher said.
'People's Poet' Robert Burns Turns 250 January 26, 2009 |
The image of poetry fans gathered in a pub enjoying bagpipes, haggis, drinks and verse is a very Scottish one, but Scotland's national poet Robert Burns has fans worldwide who know there's no better way to honor the man and his writing.
Weekly Poem: 'A Man's A Man for A' That' January 26, 2009 |
A Man's A Man for A' That by Robert Burns. Is there for honest Poverty That hings his head, an' a' that; The coward slave-we pass him by, We dare be poor for a' that!
Conversation: Roberto Bolano's '2666' January 23, 2009 |
For most of the English-speaking world and certainly for this reader, Roberto Bolano was unknown only a few years ago. Since then, he's become a literary phenomenon--his novels read, reviewed, discussed, widely praised.
Weekly Poem: 'Praise Song for the Day' January 20, 2009 |
Praise Song for the Day by Elizabeth Alexander. Each day we go about our business, walking past each other, catching each other's eyes or not, about to speak or speaking.
Dodge Foundation Cancels Poetry Festival January 16, 2009 |
The largest poetry festival in North America has just become the latest victim of the financial crisis. The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation announced Friday in a letter to supporters that it will cancel the next Dodge Poetry Festival.
Weekly Poem: 'Rose Hips' January 12, 2009 |
Sean Norton is the author of the book of poems, "Bad With Faces," from Red Morning Press. He lives in Ann Arbor, Mich., where he is the Assistant Director of the University of Michigan's Graduate Creative Writing Program.
'Urban Iran' Helps Lift the Veil January 8, 2009 |
"What we are experiencing now is a re-emergence of art in Iran," writes photographer Sina Araghi in "Urban Iran," a collection of essays, photography, art and illustrations from Iranian artists in Tehran and abroad.
Weekly Poem: 'American Sublime' January 5, 2009 |
Elizabeth Alexander will become just the fourth poet to recite a poem at a president's swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 20 at President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration.
Conversation: Peter Matthiessen December 31, 2008 |
Peter Matthiessen, a 2008 National Book Award winner, is best known as both a novelist and non-fiction writer, but he's also an environmental activist, American Indian rights advocate and former C.I.A. recruit.
Weekly Poem: 'Rain Light' December 29, 2008 |
W.S. Merwin is counted as one of the nation's greatest living poets. He is the author of more than 50 books of his own poetry, translations of others, memoirs and more.
Influential Playwright Pinter Dies at 78 December 25, 2008 |
Harold Pinter, the Nobel Prize-winning playwright who has been lauded as the most influential dramatist of his generation, died Wednesday at age 78 after a long battle with cancer.
Poetry at Obama's Inauguration December 24, 2008 |
It has been widely noted that President-elect Barack Obama is a reader of poetry. Only days after winning the election, Mr. Obama was spotted with a copy of Derek Walcott's collected poems.
Conversation: David Thomson on Film December 23, 2008 |
For more than 30 years, film critic and scholar David Thomson has been asked one question over and over again: "So, what movies should I see?" His latest book, "Have You Seen....?," is an extended romp of an answer, with short essays on 1,000 films.
Weekly Poem: 'Your Art History' December 22, 2008 |
Jason Gray is the author of "Photographing Eden" (Ohio Univ. Press, 2008), winner of the Hollis Summers Prize, as well as two chapbooks, "How to Paint the Savior Dead" (Kent State UP, 2007) and "Adam & Eve Go to the Zoo" (Dream Horse, 2003).
Conversation with Alaa al Aswany December 15, 2008 |
Since the release of his first novel, "The Yacoubian Building," in 2002, Alaa al Aswany has catapulted from being a dentist with a literary bent to the Arab-speaking world's best-selling fiction writer.
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Burtynsky's 'Oil': Refining Art from the Crude
In Theaters Is 'Where The Wild Things Are'
Conversation: Jonathan Lethem
Ben Folds Turns Orchestras Into Rock Bands
A Mission to Save a Cultural Legacy, One Deli Sandwich at a Time
Andrew W.K. Rocks a Classical Sound
Weekly Poem: 'Ode to Mix Tapes'
Weekly Poem: 'Domestique'
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