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Category Archive
Weekly Poem: 'Things the Doctor Asks' May 20, 2013 |
This week's poem comes from Charles Hood. He is the author of "South x South," winner of the 2012 Hollis Summers Poetry Prize. His previous books include "Bombing Ploesti" and "Rio de Dios" (Red Hen Press).
Conversation: The Jazzed Up 'Gatsby' May 17, 2013 |
It is--again--a Gatsby/Fitzgerald moment. "The Great Gatsby" is on the big screen now in by Baz Luhrmann's new film version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel. There are also several new books about the lives of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.
Charles Henry Rowell Is 'Prepared to Do Battle' Using Poetry May 13, 2013 |
For nearly four decades, Charles Henry Rowell has been a talent scout of sorts, looking for young and often ignored African-American artists. His mission is to identify, nurture, promote and publish new black writers.
Weekly Poem: 'The Eaves' May 13, 2013 |
Caroline Knox is the author of eight volumes of poetry, including "Flemish" (Wave Books, 2013) and "Quaker Guns" (Wave Books, 2008), which received a Recommended Reading Award 2009 from the Massachusetts Center for the Book.
Weekly Poem: 'Ward' May 6, 2013 |
Karen Holmberg's first book, "The Perseids," won the Vassar Miller Prize and was published by the University of North Texas Press; her second book, "Axis Mundi," won the John Ciardi Prize and was published by BkMk Press earlier this year. She is an associate professor of English and Creative Writing at Oregon State University.
Conversation: Tony Hoagland on 'Poems That Could Save America' May 3, 2013 |
"Twenty Little Poems That Could Save America." There are many assumptions, questions and provocations in the title of an essay in Harper's Magazine by poet Tony Hoagland, who clearly has a thing for great titles: Among his books of verse are "Unincorporated Persons in the Late Honda Dynasty" and "What Narcissism Means to Me."
A Purrfect Tale of Love, Cats and Technology May 1, 2013 |
If you grew up with pets or have one now, you understand the unconditional love humans can feel for their animals, and animals for their owners. If you haven't experienced this type of bond firsthand, you've most likely witnessed the power of a human-pet connection through someone.
Weekly Poem: 'Stars' April 29, 2013 |
Christian Barter's first book, "The Singers I Prefer," was a finalist for the Lenore Marshall Prize. His poetry has appeared in Ploughshares, The Georgia Review, The American Scholar and elsewhere. He is an editor at the Beloit Poetry Journal and supervises a trail crew in Bar Harbor, Maine. His most recently collection is "In Someone Else's House" (BkMk, 2013).
Weekly Poem: 'Not a Verbal Equivalent' April 22, 2013 |
Dara Wier is the author of 10 collections of poetry, including "You Good Thing" (Wave Books, 2013), "Remnants of Hannah" (Wave Books, 2006) and "Reverse Rapture" (Verse Press, 2005). She is on the permanent faculty in the MFA program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Weekly Poem: 'Single Room' April 15, 2013 |
Averill Curdy is the author of the collection "Song & Error" (2013, Farrar, Straus and Giroux) and co-edited, with Lynne McMahon, The Longman Anthology of Poetry (2006). She has received fellowships from the NEA and the Rona Jaffe Foundation, among others, and her poems have appeared widely in both the United States and England. She lives in Chicago and teaches at Northwestern University.
Weekly Poem: 'Child Support Hearing' April 8, 2013 |
Jay Baron Nicorvo's poetry, fiction, nonfiction and criticism have appeared in The Literary Review, Guernica, The Iowa Review and The Believer. He teaches at Western Michigan University. His book "Deadbeat" was published last year by Four Way Books.
Conversation: For Poetry Lovers, April Is the Coolest Month April 5, 2013 |
April is National Poetry Month and that's because of an initiative by the Academy of American Poets beginning in 1996. The Academy claims it's now become the largest literary celebration in the world, reaching over 10 million Americans.
Weekly Poem: 'Song' April 1, 2013 |
Cynthia Zarin is the author of four books of poetry -- "The Swordfish Tooth" (1989); "Fire Lyric" (1993); and "The Watercourse" (2002); and "The Ada Poems" (2010) -- and five books for children.
On the NewsHour: Mohsin Hamid, Author of 'How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia' March 29, 2013 |
A poor young boy from an impoverished village comes to a sprawling, wild, sometimes violent city, where he makes and loses a fortune. This is the tale of "How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia," set in an unnamed country very much like Pakistan, told in the form of a self-help book. Author Mohsin Hamid talks to Jeffrey Brown and reads an excerpt of his work.
Weekly Poem: 'Cuckoo Flower on the Witness Stand' March 25, 2013 |
Li-Young Lee is the author of four books of poetry: "Behind My Eyes" (2008); "Book of My Nights" (2001); "The City in Which I Love You" (1991); and "Rose" (1986).
Remembering Nigerian Novelist Chinua Achebe March 22, 2013 |
Nigerian novelist, poet, essayist, statesman and dissident Chinua Achebe died Thursday in Boston after a brief illness. He was 82. Achebe emerged upon the literary world in 1958 with the publication of his novel "Things Fall Apart," which has sold more than 10 million copies and has been translated into more than 50 languages.
Weekly Poem: 'Promissory Note' March 18, 2013 |
Galway Kinnell has taught at several universities, and for many years he was the Erich Maria Remarque Professor of Creative Writing at New York University. He has been a MacArthur Fellow and the state poet of Vermont. In 1983, Kinnell received both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for his "Selected Poems."
New Anthology Captures Postmodern American Poetry March 15, 2013 |
What is postmodern poetry? That's the question Paul Hoover poses for his introduction to the Norton Anthology's second edition of "Postmodern American Poetry."
Weekly Poem: 'Emptiness Falls' March 11, 2013 |
Gretel Ehrlich is best known for her nature and travel writing. She's authored 13 books, including three of poetry. Her most recent book is "Facing the Wave: A Journey in the Wake of the Tsunami."
Friday on the NewsHour: Poet Gretel Ehrlich Revisits Japan's Tsunami March 8, 2013 |
Gretel Ehrlich reads more from her book, "Facing the Wave: A Journey in the Wake of the Tsunami."
Conversation: Glenn Frankel's 'The Searchers' March 8, 2013 |
"The Searchers" is, of course, the name of director John Ford's famous 1956 Western starring John Wayne. But it's also part of a much bigger American story, steeped in myth, told and re-told in different forms. It's now at the heart of a new book titled "The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend."
Weekly Poem: 'Soul' March 4, 2013 |
David Ferry is the author of several books of poetry and translations. His collection "Bewilderment" won last year's National Book Award for poetry. A profile of Ferry will air soon on the NewsHour.
Poet David Ferry: 'A Special Kind of Thief' February 28, 2013 |
Poet David Ferry reads from his collection "Bewilderment."
Weekly Poem: 'The One Thing in Life' February 25, 2013 |
Gerald Stern is the author of several collections of poetry and is the winner of numerous awards, including the National Book Award for "This Time: New and Selected Poems" (1998).
Weekly Poem: 'Molyvos' February 18, 2013 |
Titos Patrikios is one of the leading poets of Greece. Born in 1928 to parents who were actors, he spent his first years in the United States as they toured with a Greek theater company. He returned to Greece, where he eventually studied law at the University of Athens and then philosophy at the Sorbonne in Paris.
Weekly Poem: 'On a Greek Proverb' February 11, 2013 |
A.E. Stallings is a poet and translator who has lived in Athens, Greece, for the last 13 years. Trained as a classicist, studying ancient Greek and Latin, she garnered much acclaim for her translation of the Roman philosopher Lecretius' "The Nature of Things."
Conversation: Dave Barry, Author 'Insane City' February 8, 2013 |
A bachelor party that doesn't quite go as planned, followed by a wedding that's interrupted by the arrival of a boat of Haitian refugees. Throw in a large python snake, some Russian gangsters and the city of Miami -- or at least Dave Barry's version of it -- and you get his new novel, "Insane City."
Teddy Wayne Goes Inside the Pop Machine in 'The Love Song of Jonny Valentine' February 6, 2013 |
The life and times of a modern day prepubescent pop star are the sardonic fodder for Teddy Wayne's new novel, "The Love Song of Jonny Valentine."
Live Chat: Author George Saunders Answered Your Questions February 5, 2013 |
On Tuesday at 12 p.m. ET, George Saunders will join us for a live chat. Do you have questions for the acclaimed storyteller? Leave them in the comments section or tweet them to @NewsHour using #SaundersChat. Come back Tuesday at 12 p.m. ET to watch it unfold below.
Weekly Poem: 'The Fact of the Matter' February 4, 2013 |
Sally Keith is the author of three collections of poetry: "The Fact of the Matter" (2012, Milkweed Editions); "Design," winner of the 2000 Colorado Prize for Poetry; and "Dwelling Song," winner of the University of Georgia's Contemporary Poetry Series competition. She teaches at George Mason University and lives in Washington, D.C.
Conversation: Uncovering the Bard With Jeremy Irons February 1, 2013 |
Airing now on PBS is the series "Shakespeare Uncovered," six films that tell the stories behind some of the Bard's greatest plays. The series is hosted by some pretty hefty talent, including Ethan Hawke, Derek Jacobi, Trevor Nunn and Jeremy Irons.
Conversation: Poet Gerald Stern January 31, 2013 |
At 87, Gerald Stern has been writing poetry for a long time and has been one of the nation's most honored poets. He recently received a new honor for a collection called "Early Collected Poems: 1965-1992": the prestigious Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry from the Library of Congress, given to the most distinguished book of verse published in the last two years.
Weekly Poem: 'Frogs' January 28, 2013 |
Gerald Stern is the author of several collections of poetry and is the winner of numerous awards, including the National Book Award for "This Time: New and Selected Poems" (1998).
Did Shakespeare Have Syphilis? January 25, 2013 |
In a new book, "Shakespeare's Tremor and Orwell's Cough: The Medical Lives of Famous Writers," Dr. John J. Ross of Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital looks at how disease and mood disorder may have infected the lives, creativity and words of some of the world's most beloved authors.
Conversation: Brad Meltzer, Author of 'The Fifth Assassin' January 23, 2013 |
Brad Meltzer spent much of the last four years researching for his thriller "The Fifth Assassin" and learned about much of what the government does to protect us against attacks, including the role of the Secret Service. He sat down recently to discuss his work.
Weekly Poem: 'One Today' January 21, 2013 |
Richard Blanco reads "One Today" at the inauguration of President Obama.
Friday on the NewsHour: Inaugural Poet Richard Blanco January 18, 2013 |
Extended interview, reading: inaugural poet Richard Blanco.
Conversation: George Saunders, Author of 'Tenth of December' January 18, 2013 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to George Saunders, author of "Tenth of December."
Weekly Poem: 'The Lion's Gate' January 14, 2013 |
Titos Patrikios is one of the leading poets of Greece. Born in 1928 to parents who were actors, he spent his first years in the United States as they toured with a Greek theater company. He returned to Greece, where he eventually studied law at the University of Athens and then philosophy at the Sorbonne in Paris.
Poet Richard Blanco Chosen to Read at Obama's Inauguration January 9, 2013 |
The Presidential Inaugural Committee announced Wednesday that Richard Blanco has been chosen to read a poem at President Obama's inauguration on Jan. 21. Blanco will become the first Hispanic and first gay poet to read at a presidential inauguration. At 44, he is also the youngest poet ever given that task.
Weekly Poem: 'Distracted by an Ergonomic Bicycle' January 7, 2013 |
James Arthur is the author of "Charms Against Lightning," a debut poetry collection published by Copper Canyon Press in October. He has received the Amy Lowell Travelling Poetry Scholarship, a Wallace Stegner Fellowship in Poetry, a residency at the Amy Clampitt House and a Discovery/The Nation Prize.
More With A.E. Stallings, Titos Patrikios December 25, 2012 |
More with Greek poets A.E. Stallings and Titos Patrikios.
Greek Novelist Ersi Sotiropoulos: 'The Crisis Empties the Wallets as Well as the Souls' December 25, 2012 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to Ersi Sotiropoulos, a Greek poet, novelist and short story writer. Her novel "Zigzag Through the Bitter-Orange Trees," published in English in 2007, was awarded the Greek National Literature Prize and Book Critics' Award.
Monday on the NewsHour: 100 Years of Poetry Magazine December 24, 2012 |
More of Jeffrey Brown's conversation with Poetry magazine editor Christian Wiman.
Weekly Poem: 'Messiah: Christmas Portions' December 17, 2012 |
Poet Mark Doty reflects on one of the great traditions of the holiday season: Handel's "Messiah."
The World of Tolkien's Hobbit December 14, 2012 |
Tolkien scholar Jason Fisher discusses Tolkien's ability to bridge mythology and language.
Weekly Poem: 'Providence' December 10, 2012 |
Sally Keith is the author of three collections of poetry: "The Fact of the Matter" (2012, Milkweed Editions); "Design," winner of the 2000 Colorado Prize for Poetry; and "Dwelling Song," winner of the University of Georgia's Contemporary Poetry Series competition. She teaches at George Mason University and lives in Washington, D.C.
Weekly Poem: 'Swimming Pool' December 3, 2012 |
James Arthur is the author of "Charms Against Lightning," a debut poetry collection published by Copper Canyon Press in October. He has received the Amy Lowell Travelling Poetry Scholarship, a Wallace Stegner Fellowship in Poetry, a residency at the Amy Clampitt House and a Discovery/The Nation Prize.
Conversation: Lorin Stein, Editor of The Paris Review, on the Art of the Short Story November 30, 2012 |
What is a great short story and what does it take to write one? The Paris Review posed those questions to 20 contemporary authors and asked them to pick a story they love in the almost 60-year-old archives of the Review. The result is a new collection titled "Object Lessons: The Art of the Short Story."
Weekly Poem: 'Rage Sonnet' November 26, 2012 |
Hoa Nguyen studied poetics at New College of California in San Francisco. The author of eight books and chapbooks, she teaches poetics in a private workshop and at Ryerson University. Wave Books published her third full-length collection of poems, "As Long As Trees Last," in September 2012.
Friday on the NewsHour: The Poetry of Sandy November 23, 2012 |
Jennifer Fitzgerald reads two poems about Hurricane Sandy: "I Was Raised on an Island" and "What It Means to Rise."
Weekly Poem: 'Highlights and Interstices' November 19, 2012 |
Prize-winning Jack Gilbert died last week at the age of 87 after suffering for years from Alzheimer's disease. His many honors include the Yale Younger Poets prize for his 1962 debut "Views of Jeopardy" and a National Book Critics Circle award for "Refusing Heaven" (2005).
Erdrich, Ferry Take Home National Book Awards November 15, 2012 |
The National Book Awards were handed out at a dinner Wednesday night in New York to four new books, whose subjects ranged from life on a Native American reservation to a settlement community in Mumbai.
Monday on the NewsHour: Kevin Powers, Author of 'The Yellow Birds' November 12, 2012 |
Extended interview and reading with Kevin Powers, author of the novel "The Yellow Birds."
Weekly Poem: 'The Role of Elegy' November 12, 2012 |
Mary Jo Bang is the author of several books of poetry, including most recently a translation of Dante's "Inferno" (2012), "The Bride of E" (2009) and "Elegy" (2007), which won the National Book Critics Circle award.
Weekly Poem: 'Never Seen' November 5, 2012 |
Hoa Nguyen studied poetics at New College of California in San Francisco. The author of eight books and chapbooks, she teaches poetics in a private workshop and at Ryerson University. Wave Books published her third full-length collection of poems, "As Long As Trees Last," in September 2012.
Q&A: Mary Jo Bang's Translation of 'Inferno' Offers a Fresh Taste of Hell November 2, 2012 |
Mary Jo Bang's new translation of Dante's "Inferno is true to the moral and emotional intensity of the original, but she infuses the text with her own voice and modern allusions to Stephen Colbert and "Southpark."
Q&A: In Zadie Smith's 'NW,' Some Harsh Truths About Friendship October 31, 2012 |
Zadie Smith's latest novel, "NW," is an exploration into the joys and problems of a modern friendship between two women in North London. Decidedly less radiant than some of her earlier works, "NW" delivers the reader some harsh truths about urban living and growing older.
Weekly Poem: 'A.M.' October 29, 2012 |
Nick Norwood's third full volume of poems, "Gravel and Hawk," won the Hollis Summers Prize in Poetry and was published by Ohio University Press in April 2012. His other books are "A Palace for the Heart" (2004), "The Soft Blare" (2003) and "Wrestle" (2007). He teaches creative writing at Columbus State University in Georgia.
Q&A: In Her New Book, Joyce Johnson Tries to 'Set the Record Straight' on Jack Kerouac October 24, 2012 |
Joyce Johnson's latest book, "The Voice Is All: The Lonely Victory of Jack Kerouac," draws heavily from Kerouac's own journals, letters and other source material, which are now archived at the New York Public Library.
Weekly Poem: 'Redemption Song' October 22, 2012 |
Kevin Young is Atticus Haygood Professor of Creative Writing and English and Curator of Literary Collections and the Raymond Danowski Poetry Library at Emory University. He is the author of seven books of poetry, including "Ardency: A Chronicle of the Amistad Rebels" (Knopf, 2011) and "Jelly Roll: A Blues" (Knopf, 2003), which was a finalist for the National Book Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and won the Paterson Poetry Prize.
Conversation: Louise Erdrich on Her New Novel, 'The Round House' October 19, 2012 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to Louise Erdrich, author of the novel "The Round House," which has been nominated for a National Book Award.
Weekly Poem: 'Diagnosis' October 15, 2012 |
Sharon Olds is the author of several books of poetry, including "The Dead and the Living," winner of the 1983 National Book Critics Circle Award; "The Unswept Room," a finalist for the 2002 National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award; and "Stag's Leap," which was published this year. She teaches in the Graduate Creative Writing Program at New York University.
Dodge Poetry Festival Gets Underway October 12, 2012 |
The 2012 Dodge Poetry Festival is underway, billed as the largest poetry gathering in North America. This will be the third time it's being held in Newark, after many years in the woods in a much more rural New Jersey setting.
Thursday on the NewsHour: Sharon Olds October 11, 2012 |
Poet Sharon Olds reads from her new book, "Stag's Leap."
Chinese Writer Mo Yan Wins Nobel Prize in Literature October 11, 2012 |
The Swedish Academy announced Thursday morning that it had awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for 2012 to Chinese writer Mo Yan. In its announcement the academy described Mo as a writer "who with hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary."
Monday on the NewsHour: Salman Rushdie October 8, 2012 |
More of Jeffrey Brown's interview with writer Salman Rushdie.
Dissident Vietnamese Poet Nguyen Chi Thien, Author of 'Flowers of Hell,' Dies at Age 73 October 8, 2012 |
Nguyen Chi Thien, a Vietnamese dissident poet who spent 27 years in communist prisons and was the acclaimed author of "Flowers of Hell," died last week in California after a long bout of illness.
Conversation: Kevin Powers, Author of 'The Yellow Birds' October 4, 2012 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to Kevin Powers, author of the novel "The Yellow Birds" and who served in the U.S. Army in Iraq in 2004 and 2005.
Weekly Poem: 'The Worst Thing' October 1, 2012 |
Sharon Olds is the author of several books of poetry, including "The Dead and the Living," winner of the 1983 National Book Critics Circle Award; "The Unswept Room," a finalist for the 2002 National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award; and "Stag's Leap," which was published this year. She teaches in the Graduate Creative Writing Program at New York University.
Conversation: Junot Diaz September 28, 2012 |
The writer Junot Diaz is back with a new collection of stories titled "This Is How You Lose Her." They feature several characters from his first novel, "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao," which won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2008. The stories look at themes of family, love and infidelity, and are all told through Yunior, Diaz's dazzling character and narrator from "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao."
Rowling's Greatest Work Isn't Her New Novel; It's Bringing Attention to Books September 27, 2012 |
This fall readers can find a shelf full of new books by big name authors, from Junot Diaz to Zadie Smith to Salman Rushdie to Orhan Pamuk. But not even books by Pulitzer, Orange, Booker and Nobel Prize winners, respectively, will garner as much attention as the latest work by the woman that brought the world Harry Potter.
Weekly Poem: 'Intravenous' September 24, 2012 |
Hugh Martin recently won the Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award from The Iowa Review for his poetry. His upcoming book, "The Stick Soldiers," received the A. Poulin Jr. First Book Prize from BOA Editions. Hugh served in Iraq for 11 months. After returning, he obtained an MFA from Arizona State and he is a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University.
U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey Talks About Her New Job and Fourth Book September 21, 2012 |
The new official face of American poetry is one familiar to NewsHour viewers. Natasha Trethewey has just taken on the job of poet laureate of the United States, appointed by the Librarian of Congress. She's the author of four books of verse, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Native Guard" and her latest, "Thrall."
Weekly Poem: 'Elegy' September 17, 2012 |
U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey reads Elegy," a poem from her new book "Thrall."
Iraq War Veteran Wins Inaugural Prize From Iowa Review September 11, 2012 |
Iraq War veteran Hugh Martin has won the first-ever Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award from The Iowa Review, the literary journal announced Tuesday. Martin, a poet and author who served in the Ohio Army National Guard from 2001 to 2007 and spent 11 months in Iraq, submitted a collection of poems about his war experience and his return to civilian life.
Weekly Poem: 'Second Helping' September 10, 2012 |
Michael Robbins is the author of the collection of poems "Alien vs. Predator" (Penguin, 2012). His poems have appeared in several publications, including the New Yorker, Poetry, Harper's and Boston Review. He reviews books for the London Review of Books and other publications, and music for The Daily and the Village Voice. He lives in Chicago.
Q&A: Matthew Quirk's 'The 500,' a D.C. Thriller August 23, 2012 |
Mike Ford is broke, facing a mountain of debt from hospitals bills after his mother's death, has a father in jail and is unable to pay his tuition to Harvard Law School when he's offered what seems like a dream job in Washington, D.C. That's how the new thriller, "The 500," a debut novel from Matthew Quirk begins.
Wednesday on the NewsHour: Richard Ford August 22, 2012 |
More of Jeffrey Brown's conversation with Richard Ford. Ford reads an excerpt from his novel "Canada."
Weekly Poem: 'Wolf' August 20, 2012 |
Joseph Campana a poet, critic and scholar of Renaissance literature. He is the author of two collections of poetry, "The Book of Faces" (Graywolf, 2005) and "Natural Selections," which won the 2011 Iowa Poetry Prize. He teaches Renaissance literature and creative writing at Rice University.
Weekly Poem: 'Dispatch From the Future' August 13, 2012 |
Leigh Stein is the author of the book of poems "Dispatch from the Future," one of Publishers Weekly's "Best Summer Books of 2012," and the novel "The Fallback Plan."
Wednesday on the NewsHour: Olympic Poetry August 8, 2012 |
Poet Priscila Uppal of Canadian Athletes Now reads "Obsessive Compulsive Cycling Disorder."
Weekly Poem: 'How to Make Fatherhood Lyrical' August 6, 2012 |
Gibson Fay-LeBlanc is a writer and teacher. His first collection of poems, "Death of a Ventriloquist," won the Vassar Miller Prize and was published by the University of North Texas Press in 2012. He lives in Portland, Maine, with his family and is working on a novel.
Writer Gore Vidal Dies at Age 86 August 1, 2012 |
Gore Vidal, the American author, playwright and commentator who became a celebrity for his written works as much as for his outspokenness on the issues of the day, died Tuesday at the age of 86 in Los Angeles.
Tuesday on the NewsHour: Walter Dean Myers July 31, 2012 |
Tuesday on the NewsHour, Jeffrey Brown talks to award-winning author Walter Dean Myers, the Library Of Congress' National Ambassador For Young People's Literature.
Weekly Poem: 'Tavern. Tavern. Church. Shuttered Tavern,' July 30, 2012 |
Patricia Smith is the author of five volumes of poetry, including "Blood Dazzler," a finalist for the 2008 National Book Award, "Teahouse of the Almighty," a National Poetry Series selection, and most recently "Shoulda Been Jimi Savannah." She is a professor for the City University of New York and a Cave Canem faculty member.
Weekly Poem: 'Alone in Hell's Canyon' July 23, 2012 |
Michael McGriff's books include "Home Burial; Dismantling the Hills," "To Build My Shadow a Fire: The Poetry and Translations of David Wevill" and a co-translation of Tomas Transtromer's "The Sorrow Gondola." He is the founding editor of Tavern Books, a publishing house devoted to poetry in translation and the revival of out-of-print books.
Weekly Poem: 'Quarantine' July 16, 2012 |
Eavan Boland is one of Ireland's most prominent poets. Her poems often examine the lives of women, looking at larger cultural issues through the lens of the details of everyday life. She's published more than 10 books of verse, most recently, "New Collected Poems." She is also professor of English and director of the creative writing program at Stanford University.
Lou Beach Reads From '420 Characters' July 11, 2012 |
Last month, Jeffrey Brown talked to artist and author Lou Beach about his recent collection of short stories, "420 Characters," which began as status updates on Facebook. After the interview, Beach read several of the stories for us. At long last, here is that video.
Weekly Poem: From 'The Speed of Belief' July 9, 2012 |
Tracy K. Smith's poem is from her book "Life on Mars" (2011, Graywolf Press), which won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry earlier this year. She is the author of two other collections of poetry: "Duende" (Graywolf, 2007), winner of the 2006 James Laughlin Award of the Academy of American Poets, and "The Body's Question" (Graywolf, 2003), winner of the 2002 Cave Canem Poetry Prize. Smith is an assistant professor of creative writing at Princeton University.
Weekly Poem: 'Immigrant Picnic' July 2, 2012 |
Gregory Djanikian has written several books of poetry, including "So I Will Till the Ground" (2007), "Years Later" (2000), "Falling Deeply into America" (1989) and "The Man in the Middle" (1984). He directs the creative writing program at the University of Pennsylvania.
Weekly Poem: 'I'll Say It Again' June 25, 2012 |
Amanda Nadelberg is the author of "Bright Brave Phenomena" (Coffee House Press, 2012) and "Isa the Truck Named Isadore" (Slope Editions, 2006). Originally from Boston, she is a graduate of Carleton College and the University of Iowa, where she was a Truman Capote Fellow and a Teaching-Writing Fellow. She lives in Oakland, Calif.
On Wednesday's NewsHour: Poet Natalie Diaz June 20, 2012 |
A reading and extended interview with Natalie Diaz.
Weekly Poem: 'All My Friends' Barbecues Need Attending' June 18, 2012 |
Carrie Oeding is a native of Minnesota. She received her M.F.A. from Eastern Washington University and her Ph.D. in from Ohio University, where she was awarded the Claude Kantner Fellowship. She currently teaches as a visiting assistant professor at Marshall University.
With Expiration of 'Ulysses' Copyright, Bloomsday Celebrations Bloom June 15, 2012 |
On Saturday, James Joyce fans around the globe will commemorate "Bloomsday," a holiday that celebrates "Ulysses." This year is special, however, as it marks the first occasion that the copyright has expired on Joyce's work.
Conversation: Jonathan Gottschall, Author of 'The Storytelling Animal' June 13, 2012 |
In his new book, "The Storytelling Animal," Jonathan Gottschall explores the art of telling tales and the science behind what's at work in our minds when we hear things like "Once upon a time."
Weekly Poem: 'Je m'appelle Ivan' June 11, 2012 |
Heather Christle is the author of "What Is Amazing" (Wesleyan University Press), "The Difficult Farm" (Octopus Books, 2009) and "The Trees The Trees" (Octopus Books, 2011), which won the 2012 Believer Poetry Award.
Conversation: Lou Beach's '420 Characters' June 8, 2012 |
They began as status updates on Facebook, but Lou Beach came to see something more in the short pieces he was writing -- a new form of short story, in fact. And it's an interesting and compelling approach, indeed, in an age when books, blogs, tweets and more all coexist and tell stories in different ways.
Natasha Trethewey Named U.S. Poet Laureate June 7, 2012 |
Pulitzer Prize-winner Natasha Trethewey will be the 19th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry, the Library of Congress announced on Thursday.
Ray Bradbury Dies at Age 91 June 6, 2012 |
Ray Bradbury, the author of the classic books "Fahrenheit 451" and "The Martian Chronicles" died Tuesday night at the age of 91. The highly influential author had continued working into his 90s, writing everyday at his home in Los Angeles.
Weekly Poem: 'Abecedarian Requiring Further Examination of Anglikan Seraphym Subjugation of a Wild Indian Rezervation' June 4, 2012 |
Natalie Diaz reads "Abecedarian Requiring Further Examination of Anglikan Seraphym Subjugation of a Wild Indian Rezervation," a poem from her book "When My Brother Was an Aztec."
Tuesday on the NewsHour: Toni Morrison May 29, 2012 |
Toni Morrison reads an excerpt from her novel "Home."
Friday on the NewsHour: Stephen Greenblatt, Author of 'The Swerve' May 25, 2012 |
Pulitzer prize-winning author Stephen Greenblatt reads an excerpt of "The Swerve."
Weekly Poem: 'Visiting Auschwitz' May 21, 2012 |
Elana Bell is the author of "Eyes, Stone" (2012, LSU Press), winner of the Walt Whitman Award for 2011. Her poems have appeared in Harvard Review, Massachusetts Review, CALYX, and elsewhere. Bell is the writer-in-residence at the Bronx Academy of Letters and lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Conversation: Kristen Dupard, 2012 Poetry Out Loud National Champion May 18, 2012 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to Kristen Dupard, the 2012 Poetry Out Loud National Champion.
Carlos Fuentes and His American Life May 16, 2012 |
Carlos Fuentes had aged so beautifully you might have subconsciously assumed he would live forever, like a character in a Latin American novel. He moved easily through the complicated world of the second half of the 20th century, at home in multiple languages, crowned in a silver mane, his voice easy to listen to, laughing easily and well.
In Moscow, Writers Lead Anti-Putin Protest May 16, 2012 |
From Aleksandr Pushkin to Aleksandr Griboyedov, there is a long history in Russia of writers confronting government authority. Last weekend, the tradition continued when a group of 12 well-known authors drew a crowd of around 10,000 to follow them on a "controlled walk" between statues of the two Aleksandrs in downtown Moscow.
Weekly Poem: 'Your Village' May 14, 2012 |
Elana Bell is the author of "Eyes, Stone" (2012, LSU Press), winner of the Walt Whitman Award for 2011. Her poems have appeared in Harvard Review, Massachusetts Review, CALYX, and elsewhere. Bell is the writer-in-residence at the Bronx Academy of Letters and lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Friday on the NewsHour: Leslie Maitland, Author of 'Crossing the Borders of Time' May 11, 2012 |
Leslie Maitland reads from her book, "Crossing the Borders of Time."
Conversation: Poet Natalie Diaz May 11, 2012 |
A profile of poet Natalie Diaz and her language preservation work will air on the NewsHour soon, but here below is sneak peek of our interview with the 33-year-old writer, conducted along the banks of the Colorado River.
Maurice Sendak Dies at Age 83 May 8, 2012 |
Maurice Sendak, the author and illustrator of children's literature who was best known for his book, "Where the Wild Things Are," died early Tuesday in Danbury, Conn., at age 83. He had suffered a stroke on Friday.
Weekly Poem: 'Cinco de Mayo' May 7, 2012 |
Naomi Shihab Nye is the author of several books of poems, including most recently, You "Transfer" (BOA Editions, 2011) and "Yours" (BOA Editions, 2005), which received the Isabella Gardner Poetry Award.
Weekly Poem: 'Johnny One Note' April 30, 2012 |
2012 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize-winner W.S. Di Piero reads "Johnny One Note," from his book "Nitro Nights" (2011, Copper Canyon Press).
Conversation: W. S. Di Piero, Winner of the 2012 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize April 27, 2012 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to W. S. Di Piero, the winner of the 2012 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, a $100,000 award given by the Poetry Foundation.
Weekly Poem: 'I lost my pen, I lost my keys' April 23, 2012 |
Marianne Boruch is the author of seven collections of poetry, including "The Book of Hours" (Copper Canyon, 2011), two volumes of essays on poetry and a memoir. Her honors include two Pushcart Prizes and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
'Los Angeles Review of Books' Makes Launch April 19, 2012 |
There's a brand new entry into the world of books and publishing. It's call the Los Angeles Review of Books, and you'll find it online.
Weekly Poem: 'Tonight' April 16, 2012 |
Rowan Ricardo Phillips is a poet, critic and translator. His first collection of poetry is "The Ground," forthcoming in June by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Phillips is associate professor of English at Stony Brook and director of the Poetry Center and director of Graduate Studies.
Weekly Poem: 'Metamorphosis' April 9, 2012 |
Katherine Larson won the 2010 Yale Younger Poets Prize and the 2012 Kate Tufts Discovery Award for her book "Radial Symmetry." She is also the recipient of a Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowship.
Weekly Poem: 'Revisionist History' April 2, 2012 |
Michael Dumanis is the author of "My Soviet Union" (University of Massachusetts Press, 2007), winner of the Juniper Prize for Poetry, and co-editor of "Legitimate Dangers: American Poets of the New Century" (Sarabande, 2006). He is director of the Cleveland State University Poetry Center and an assistant professor of English at Cleveland State University.
Weekly Poem: 'Arias' March 26, 2012 |
Sean Thomas Dougherty is the author of nine books, including "Sasha Sings the Laundry on the Line" (2010, BOA Editions), "Nightshift Belonging to Lorca," a finalist for the Paterson Poetry Prize, and "Except by Falling," winner of the 2000 Pinyon Press Poetry Prize from Mesa State College.
Weekly Poem: 'Journey Through the Past' March 19, 2012 |
Matthew Zapruder is the author of three collections of poetry: "American Linden," "The Pajamaist" and "Come On All You Ghosts" (Copper Canyon, 2010). He is editor for Wave Books.
On the NewsHour: Poet Katherine Larson March 14, 2012 |
Katherine Larson won the 2010 Yale Younger Poets Prize and the 2012 Kate Tufts Discovery Award for her book "Radial Symmetry." She is also the recipient of a Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowship.
Weekly Poem: 'The House on Laurel Hill Lane' March 12, 2012 |
Megan Snyder-Camp is the author of "The Forest of Sure Things," which won the Tupelo Press/Crazyhorse Award for an outstanding first book.
Conversation: Eavan Boland March 9, 2012 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to Irish poet Eavan Boland.
Weekly Poem: 'November Full Moon' March 5, 2012 |
Peter Blair is the author of "Farang" (Autumn House Press, 2010), "The Divine Salt" (Autumn House Press, 2003) and "Last Heat" (Word Works Press, 1999). He teaches at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.
Weekly Poem: 'Other Denver Economies' February 27, 2012 |
Susan Briante is the author of "Pioneers in the Study of Motion" (Ahsahta Press, 2007) and "Utopia Minus" (Ahsahta Press, 2011). She teaches at the University of Texas-Dallas.
Conversation: Rosenblatt's 'Kayak Morning' February 21, 2012 |
Jeffrey brown talks to Roger Rosenblatt about his new book, "Kayak Morning: Relfections on Love, Grief, and Small Boats."
Weekly Poem: 'City Out of Time' February 20, 2012 |
Mark Conway is the author of the poetry collections "Any Holy City" (Silverfish Review Press, 2005) and "Dreaming Man, Face Down" (Dream Horse Press, 2010). He directs the Literary Arts Institute at the College of Saint Benedict.
Weekly Poem: 'Chocolate' February 13, 2012 |
Rita Dove served as the U.S Poet Laureate from 1993-1995 and for the past two decades she has taught at the University of Virginia.
Weekly Poem: 'haiku (failed)' February 6, 2012 |
Nick Flynn is a poet, playwright and memoirist whose most recent book is "The Captain Asks for a Show of Hands" (2011, Graywolf Press), a collection of poems that are linked to his latest memoir, "The Ticking is the Bomb" (2010, W. W. Norton & Company). He teaches creative writing at the University of Houston.
The Life, Work of Poet Wislawa Szymborska February 2, 2012 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to Wislawa Szymborska's longtime translator, Clare Cavanagh, professor of Slavic languages and comparative literate at Northwestern University, about the poet's life and work.
Adam Johnson Reads From His Novel, 'The Orphan Master's Son' January 31, 2012 |
Adam Johnson reads from his novel, "The Orphan Master's Son."
Weekly Poem: 'Around' January 30, 2012 |
Rae Armantrout is the author of 11 books of poetry and winner of numerous other awards, including the Pulitzer prize. She is also a professor of writing and literature at the University of California-San Diego.
Friday on the NewsHour: Poet Rae Armantrout January 27, 2012 |
An extended interview and reading with Rae Armantrout.
Weekly Poem: 'Tale' January 23, 2012 |
Natasha Saje was born in Germany and grew up in New York City and northern New Jersey. She is the author of two books of poems: "Red Under the Skin" (Pittsburgh, 1994) and "Bend" (Tupelo Press, 2004). She teaches at Westminster College in Salt Lake City and in the Vermont College MFA in Writing program.
Weekly Poem: 'Root' January 16, 2012 |
Terrance Hayes is the author of four books of poems: "Muscular Music" (1999); "Hip Logic" (2002, National Poetry Series winner); "Wind in a Box" (2006); and "Lighthead" (2010), which won the National Book Award for poetry.
Weekly Poem: From 'Movements Forward, Movements Away' January 9, 2012 |
Peter Conners is the author of several books, including the poetry collections "The Crows Were Laughing in Their Trees" and "Of Whiskey and Winter." He is publisher of the not-for-profit literary press BOA Editions.
Conversation: Joan Didion January 6, 2012 |
Mortality is a subject Joan Didion has grappled with in recent years, both in life and on the page. In the span of roughly two years, her husband, the writer John Gregory Dunne, and their only child, Quintana Roo, both died. Her new book is "Blue Nights."
Weekly Poem: 'Rime Riche' December 26, 2011 |
Monica Ferrell is the author of the collection of poems "Beasts for the Chase" (2008, Sarabande Books) and the novel, "The Answer Is Always Yes" (2008, Dial Press).
On the NewsHour: Poet Mark Doty December 21, 2011 |
On Wednesday's NewsHour, Mark Doty read his poem, "Messiah (Christmas Portions)." We'll post that poem here later this evening. He shared another of poems with us, below, called "A Display of Mackerel."
Conversation: The Year in Fiction December 21, 2011 |
What was 2011 like for fiction? And what was it like for books themselves? I recently talked with Washington Post book critic Ron Charles about the novels and authors who stood out from the others and about the business of publishing in a big year for e-readers like the Kindle.
Weekly Poem: '4th Grade Logic' December 19, 2011 |
P.F. Potvin is the author of "The Attention Lesson" (2006, No Tell Books). He serves on the staff of the online literary journal Drunken Boat. and has been a visiting writer at Emory University and the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
Conversation: Michael Ondaatje December 16, 2011 |
The fictional voyage in Michael Ondaatje's new novel, "The Cat's Table," is like one that he took long ago before becoming the much honored writer of such works as "The English Patient" and "Anil's Ghost" and "Divisadero." Jeffrey Brown talks with Ondaatje.
Friday on the NewsHour: Rita Dove December 16, 2011 |
An extended interview and reading with poet Rita Dove.
Weekly Poem: 'Crossings' December 12, 2011 |
Ravi Shankar is founding editor of the online journal of the arts Drunken Boat. He teaches at Central Connecticut State College where he is poet-in-residence and in the MFA program at City University of Hong Kong.
Weekly Poem: 'Prayer for the Hanoi Man Who Waits for Breakdowns on His Block' December 5, 2011 |
Jennifer Richter is author of the collection, "Threshold," winner of the 2009 Crab Orchard Series in Poetry Open Competition.
Conversation: Andrew Graham-Dixon, Author of 'Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane' December 2, 2011 |
Michelangelo Caravaggio was one of the great painters in the history of Western art. He also remains one of the most mysterious and elusive of artistic geniuses. A new biography wrestles with the man, his times and his work. "Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane" is by Andrew Graham-Dixon, an art critic, historian and television host of documentaries on art for the BBC.
Weekly Poem: 'The Radioactive Dating Game' November 28, 2011 |
Mala Radhakrishnan is an assistant professor at Wellesley College and is the author of a book of poems about chemistry called "Atomic Romances, Molecular Dances." Her aim is to use poetry, but also easy-to-understand analogies to teach such subjects as thermodynamics, kinetics and molecular reactions.
Weekly Poem: 'Radio Crackling, Radio Gone' November 21, 2011 |
Lisa Olstein is the author of the collections, "Radio Crackling, Radio Gone" (Copper Canyon Press, 2006), winner of the Hayden Carruth Award, and "Lost Alphabet" (Copper Canyon Press, 2009). She is associate director of MFA Program for Poets and Writers at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
Ward, Finney Are Among 2011 National Book Award Winners November 16, 2011 |
The 2011 National Book Awards were announced at a ceremony in New York Wednesday night.
Tuesday on the NewsHour: 'Midnight Rising' November 15, 2011 |
Tony Horwitz reads from his book, "Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid that Sparked the Civil War."
Weekly Poem: 'Leaf at the End' November 14, 2011 |
Lily Brown is the author of "Rust or Go Home" (Cleveland State University, 2010).
Conversation: Stephen Mitchell, Author of the New Translation of Homer's 'The Iliad' November 11, 2011 |
Stephen Mitchell is a poet and one of the preeminent translators and interpreters of ancient and modern classics. His works include "Gilgamesh," "Tao Te Ching," "The Book of Job," "The Gospel According to Jesus" and "The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke."
Conversation: Julian Barnes, Winner of the 2011 Man Booker Prize November 8, 2011 |
The Man Booker Prizeis given annually to a novel by an author in Britain, Ireland or one of the Commonwealth nations. It is highly prestigious, as well as often highly contentious and controversial. This year was no exception. This year's prize went to one of Britain's leading writers, winning for his first time, Julian Barnes.
Weekly Poem: 'Olives' November 7, 2011 |
"Olives" is the title poem of A.E. Stallings' forthcoming collection, which comes out in the spring. A poet and translator, Stallings was one of this year's MacArthur Award winners.
'Pulphead' Tours the Geography of American Culture November 2, 2011 |
John Jeremiah Sullivan's new collection of essays, "Pulphead," forms a patchwork image of Americana.
Weekly Poem: 'Half-Finished Bridge' October 31, 2011 |
Jim Tilley is the author of the poetry collection, "In Confidence." His poems have appeared in numerous literary journals and have won several awards.
Weekly Poem: 'Death of a Naturalist' October 24, 2011 |
Nobel winning poet Seamus Heaney reads "Death of a Naturalist."
In 'The Death-Ray,' Clowes Takes on the Powers of a Teenage Superhero October 20, 2011 |
You may not yet recognize artist, writer and cartoonist Daniel Clowes by name, but there's a growing chance that you've been exposed to his work. His latest work to be published into hardcover form is "The Death-Ray," a very different take on the superhero genre.
Weekly Poem: 'See You Tomorrow Night' October 17, 2011 |
Terri Witek is the Art & Melissa Sullivan Chair in Creative Writing at Stetson University. She is the author of "The Shipwreck Dress," (2008, Florida Book Award Winner), "Carnal World" (2006), "Fools and Crows" (2003), and "Courting Couples" (2000 Center for Book Arts Prize).
Susan Orlean Charts the Rise of America's Most Beloved Dog, Rin Tin Tin October 12, 2011 |
After nearly a decade of research, animal lover and famed author Susan Orlean has written a comprehensive biography of arguably America's most loved dog, Rin Tin Tin.
In Pursuit of the Great White Whale, via Paintbrush October 10, 2011 |
In August 2009 Matt Kish, a librarian by trade and artist by night, decided to draw one image for every page of of his long-time favorite novel - "Moby-Dick". Kish spent the next 543 days in pursuit of his own white whale - the illustration of his book's 552 pages.
Weekly Poem: 'Fiat Lux' October 10, 2011 |
Traci Brimhall is the author of "Our Lady of the Ruins" (forthcoming from W.W. Norton), winner of the 2011 Barnard Women Poets Prize, and "Rookery" (Southern Illinois University Press, 2010), winner of the 2009 Crab Orchard Series in Poetry First Book Award.
Transtromer, Swedish Poet With 'Tinge of Modernism, Surrealism,' Wins Nobel October 6, 2011 |
The 2011 Nobel Prize for Literature has gone to Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer, the first poet to win the award since 1996. Judges selected Transtromer because, they wrote, "through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality."
Poet Philip Schultz Shares His Work October 5, 2011 |
Philip Schultz is a poet, fiction writer and educator. He has been teaching creative writing for nearly 30 years. In 1987, he founded the Writers Studio in New York. He won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for "Failure."
Poet Donald Hall Reflects on Love, Death and New Hampshire October 5, 2011 |
"Love, death and New Hampshire," Donald Hall once said when asked what he writes about. It remains true in the former US Poet Laureate's newly published book of poems, "The Back Chamber."
Weekly Poem: Remembering Taha Muhammad Ali October 3, 2011 |
Taha Muhammad Ali was born in 1931 in the Galilee village of Saffuriya. After fleeing to Lebanon during the Arab-Israeli war of 1948, Muhammad Ali and his family settled in Nazareth where they have lived since. He and his sons have been operating a souvenir shop there for decades. Muhammad Ali died on Sunday, October 2 in Nazareth.
Conversation: A.E. Stallings, Poet and Translator Inspired by the Classics September 30, 2011 |
The MacArthur Awards were recently announced, and one of the winners this year was the poet and translator A.E. Stallings.
Extended Interview: Russell Banks Discusses 'Lost Memory of Skin' September 28, 2011 |
A squalid encampment under a causeway in an American city is the unusual and charged setting for a new novel, "Lost Memory of Skin," which explores some deep issues of American life rarely raised and rarely seen by most of us.
Weekly Poem: 'The Field Has a Girl' September 26, 2011 |
Laurel Snyder is the author of two books of poems, "Daphne & Jim: a choose-your-own-adventure biography in verse" (Burnside Review Press, 2005) and "The Myth of the Simple Machines" (No Tell Books, 2007);
Weekly Poem: 'Crossword' September 19, 2011 |
Sally Bliumis-Dunn is the author of "Second Skin" (Wind Publications, 2010) and "Talking Underwater" (Wind Publications, 2007)". She teaches teaches modern poetry and creative writing at Manhattanville College.
Conversation: Tom Piazza, Author of 'Devil Sent the Rain' September 16, 2011 |
Tom Piazza's works of fiction include the novel, "City of Refuge" and those of non-fiction include "Why New Orleans Matters." His new book is a collection of essays on a wide array of topics, titled "Devil Sent the Rain."
Weekly Poem: 'Duration' September 12, 2011 |
Valerie Nieman is the author of the poetry collection, "Wake Wake Wake" (Press 53, 2006); three novels, "Blood Clay" (Press 53, 2011), "Survivors" (Van Neste Books, 2000) and "Neena Gathering" (Pageant Books, 1988); and a collection of short fiction, "Fidelities" (West Virginia University, 2004). She teaches at North Carolina A&T State University.
Preview of 'America Remembers 9/11': Reading by Poets Billy Collins, Nancy Mercado September 8, 2011 |
For our "America Remembers 9/11" special program, we invited two poets -- Billy Collins and Nancy Mercado -- to each read a poem to mark the anniversary.
Conversation: Amy Waldman, Author of 'The Submission' September 7, 2011 |
What if a jury selected a design for the new 9/11 memorial and then discovered that its architect was a Muslim? Ten years after the terrorist attack, the actual memorial is just about to open. But an alternative history is imagined in the new novel, "The Submission."
Weekly Poem: 'All I Know About Love' August 29, 2011 |
Lynnell Edwards is the author of two collections of poetry, both from Red Hen Press: "The Highwayman's Wife" (2007) and "The Farmer's Daughter" (2003). She teaches at the University of Louisville.
In 'Salvage the Bones,' Jesmyn Ward Tells Personal Story of Hurricane Katrina August 26, 2011 |
"Salvage the Bones," a new novel by Jesmyn Ward, tells the story of a Mississippi Gulf Coast family in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall in the U.S. now six years ago this week.
President Obama's Shelf Awareness August 23, 2011 |
Like many Americans, presidents often turn to a good book to ease a troubled mind, and dissecting their summer reading lists has become a bit of an annual tradition.
Weekly Poem: 'Something Touched My Heart' August 22, 2011 |
Travis Nichols is an editor at the Poetry Foundation and the author of the collection of poems, "See Me Improving" (2010, Copper Canyon Press).
Gertrude Stein's 'Four Saints in Three Acts' Achieves a Good Afterlife August 16, 2011 |
Besides being featured in two major art shows, where works collected by Gertrude Stein and her family in Paris during the early days of the 20th century are on display, an avant garde opera written by Stein and composer Virgil Thompson is set to open on Thursday at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
Weekly Poem: 'Observation' August 15, 2011 |
Jenn 's work has appeared in several literary journals. She teaches English at Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs.
Conversation: Esmeralda Santiago, Author of 'Conquistadora' August 12, 2011 |
Set in the 1800's, Esmeralda Santiago's epic novel, "Conquistadora," tells two coming-of-age stories: one of its heroine, Ana Cubillas, the daughter of Spanish aristocrats who becomes head of a plantation in the new world, and the other of Puerto Rico itself.
Levine Named Next U.S. Poet Laureate August 10, 2011 |
The Library of Congress announced Wednesday that Philip Levine will be the 18th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry for 2011-2012. Levine, 83, succeeds W.S. Merwin.
Weekly Poem: 'Elegy VII (Last Moment)' August 8, 2011 |
Jason Schneiderman is the author of "Striking Surface," winner of the Richard Snyder prize from Ashland Poetry Press, and "Sublimation Point" (Four Way Books). He directs the Writing Center at the Borough of Manhattan Community College.
Q&A: Norwegian Poet Cathrine Grondahl August 4, 2011 |
Art Beat talk to Norwegian poet Cathrine Grondahl, the author of four books of poetry, about the July 22 attacks.
Weekly Poem: 'Sheriff Ed Rebuffed Her ('Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey!'), Then He Fell' August 1, 2011 |
K. Silem Mohammad is the author of "Breathalyzer" (Edge Books, 2008), "A Thousand Devils" (Combo Books, 2004) and "Deer Head Nation" (Tougher Disguises, 2003). He is also editor of the magazine Abraham Lincoln.
Conversation: Norwegian Author Anne Holt on the Lessons of Oslo July 29, 2011 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to crime writer Anne Holt about the situation in Norway in the aftermath of the July 22 attacks by Anders Behring Breivik. Holt is one of Scandinavia's most successful crime writers, but she's also had quite a career before that.
Weekly Poem: (Interior Life of Tumbler: July 25, 2011 |
Julie Sheehan is the author of three poetry collections: "Thaw" (2001); "Orient Point" (2006), which won the Barnard Women Poets Prize; and "Bar Book: Poems and Otherwise" (2010). She teaches in the MFA program at Stony Brook Southampton.
It's the End for Borders, but How Are Independent Bookstores Faring? July 21, 2011 |
When Borders established itself as a major chain in the 1990s, it became, along with Barnes & Noble, and later, online retailers like Amazon, a main competitor of small, independent bookstores around the country. Today, having outlived Borders, small stores are facing some old challenges (the recession) as well as some new challenges (like e-books).
Weekly Poem: 'Morning, and as sun is born' July 18, 2011 |
Joan Houlihan has published three books, including "The Us" (2009, Tupelo Press). In 2004, she founded the Concord Poetry Center, and in 2006 she established the Colrain Poetry Manuscript Conference for advanced writers. She teaches at Lesley University's low-residency M.F.A. in Creative Writing program.
Weekly Poem: 'Excuse Me, Where Is Varick Street?' July 11, 2011 |
Joy Katz is the author of two poetry collections, "The Garden Room" (2006, Tupelo Press) and "Fabulae" (2002, Southern Illinois University Press). She teaches in the graduate writing program at the University of Pittsburgh and is an editor-at-large for Pleiades.
Historian David McCullough's 'The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris' July 8, 2011 |
More of Jeffrey Brown's conversation with historian David McCullough, author of "The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris."
Weekly Poem: From 'Severance Songs' July 5, 2011 |
Joshua Corey is the author of "Severance Songs" (Tupelo Press, 2011), "Fourier Series" (Spineless Books, 2005) "Selah" (Barrow Street, 2003) and two chapbooks. He teaches at Lake Forest College in Illinois.
Monday on the NewsHour: Josh Ritter July 4, 2011 |
Josh Ritter reads from his novel, "Bright's Passage," and performs his song, "Girl in the War."
Conversation: Eleanor Henderson, Author of 'Ten Thousand Saints' July 1, 2011 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to Eleanor Henderson, author of "Ten Thousand Saints," a novel that's garnering strong reviews for its treatment of teens, an underground youth culture and troubled family relationships.
Ever Been Rejected by Poetry Magazine? You're in Very Good Company June 29, 2011 |
The Poetry Foundation opened its new home in Chicago last weekend, and as it celebrates this achievement, we decided it would be fun to ask for people's stories about being rejected from the foundation's time-honored literary journal, Poetry magazine. If you're a writer and you've sent out work to journals, you know the feeling.
Weekly Poem: 'Georgi Borrisov in Paris' June 28, 2011 |
John Balaban is the author of 12 books of poetry and prose, including four volumes which together have won the Academy of American Poets' Lamont prize, a National Poetry Series Selection and two nominations for the National Book Award. He is poet-in-residence and professor of English at North Carolina State University.
Brooke Gladstone's Graphic Commentary of Media's 'Influencing Machine' June 24, 2011 |
Brooke Gladstone is the long time co-host and managing director of WNYC's On The Media. Her new book about media in society is "The Influencing Machine," a comic book illustrated by Josh Neufeld.
Weekly Poem: From 'The Last Usable Hour' June 22, 2011 |
Deborah Landau is the author of "Orchidelirium," which won the Anhinga Prize for Poetry, and "The Last Usable Hour" (2011, Copper Canyon Press). She is the director of the NYU Creative Writing Program.
Weekly Poem: 'To Television' May 23, 2011 |
Former poet laureate Robert Pinsky reads "To Television" from his "Selected Poems."
Weekly Poem: From 'My God, It's Full of Stars' May 16, 2011 |
Tracy K. Smith is the author of three collections of poetry: "Life on Mars" (Graywolf Press, 2011); Duende (Graywolf, 2007), winner of the 2006 James Laughlin Award of the Academy of American Poets; and "The Body's Question" (Graywolf, 2003), winner of the 2002 Cave Canem Poetry Prize.
Weekly Poem: 'These Arms of Mine' May 9, 2011 |
David Kirby is the author of several books of criticism, essays, children's literature and poetry, including most recently, "Talking about Movies with Jesus" (2011) and "The House on Boulevard Street: New and Selected Poems" (2007), a finalist for the National Book Award. Kirby is the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of English at Florida State University.
Conversation: Karen Russell, Author of 'Swamplandia!' May 6, 2011 |
Karen Russell's novel, "Swamplandia!" centers around the Bigtree family, which runs an amusement park in the Florida everglades. But this isn't a Disney-style park -- alligator wrestling is the major draw.
Conversation: Nathacha Appanah, Author of 'The Last Brother' May 5, 2011 |
"The Last Brother" is Nathacha Appanah's fourth novel and her second translated into English. The book centers on the unlikely friendship of two young boys, Raj and David, as they both struggle with intense loneliness and the impact of their violent pasts.
A Reading List for the Post-9/11 Era May 3, 2011 |
A roundup of NewsHour conversations with writers over the last decade about books that address, directly and indirectly, how 9/11, Osama bin Laden and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have influenced how we live today.
Weekly Poem: 'This is a fugue for the lost art of aching' May 2, 2011 |
Heather Hartley is the author of "Knock Knock," which was a finalist in the 2007 National Poetry Series.
Conversation: More Reflections on Writing from Roger Rosenblatt April 29, 2011 |
We've invited Roger Rosenblatt, author of 'Unless It Moves The Human Heart: The Craft and Art of Writing', back to our newsroom to continue a conversation we began in January.
Conversation: PEN World Voices Festival Director Laszlo Jakab Orsos April 28, 2011 |
Now in New York until May 1, more than 100 writers from around the world have gathered for the annual PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature.
Weekly Poem: 'Miracle Blanket' April 25, 2011 |
Erika Meitner is an assistant professor of English at Virginia Tech, where she teaches in the MFA program. She has published three books of poems: "Inventory at the All-Night Drugstore," "Ideal Cities" and "Makeshift Instructions for Vigilant Girls."
Weekly Poem: 'Love Poem' April 18, 2011 |
Dora Malech earned a BA in Fine Arts from Yale College in 2003 and an MFA in Poetry from the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop in 2005. Her first full-length collection of poems, "Shore Ordered Ocean," was published in 2009, and the Cleveland State University Poetry Center published her second collection, "Say So," in 2011.
Conversation: Howard Jacobson April 15, 2011 |
British novelist Howard Jacobson was the winner of the 2010 Man Booker Prize for "The Finkler Question." Jacobson's touring now with a novel called "The Might Walzer," which is being published for the first time in the United States.
Weekly Poem: 'Fear and Greed Index:' April 11, 2011 |
Daniel Khalastchi is a first-generation Iraqi Jewish American and was born and raised in Iowa. His book, "'Manoleria,'":http://www.tupelopress.org/books/manoleria won the Tupelo Press/Crazyhorse First Book Prize earlier this year. A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and a recent fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Khalastchi is a visiting assistant professor of English at Marquette University. He also co-edits "Rescue Press":http://www.rescue-press.org/.
Iowa Writers' Workshop Turns 75 April 7, 2011 |
More of Jeffrey Brown's report on the Iowa Writers' Workshop, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.
Weekly Poem: 'Paper Kisses, Paper Moon' April 4, 2011 |
Haines Eason was the 2010 winner of the Beau Boudreaux Poetry Prize from Cream City Review. He has published poems in many journals, including New England Review, Yale Review and American Letters & Commentary. His chapbook, "A History of Waves," was chosen by Mark Doty for a 2010 PSA Chapbook Fellowship.
Conversation: Tea Obreht, Author
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After 31 Years, Robinson Takes Final Bow
Weekly Poem: 'Not a Verbal Equivalent'
Weekly Poem: 'Child Support Hearing'
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