Poetry Lectures

Malena Mörling and Jonas Ellerström discuss Swedish poetry and the challenges of translation, and they read some poems in both Swedish and English from their anthology, The Star By My Head.

Christopher Merrill speaks with Harris Khalique about literary traditions in Pakistan, the cultural influences of different cities, and the important role of women in Pakistani literature.

Kwame Dawes speaks with Matthew Shenoda about Shenoda's poetry and identity as an Egyptian American, and the poetry of the African diaspora. Need a transcript of this episode? Request a transcript here.

South African poet Gabeba Baderoon speaks with Matthew Shenoda about poetry and apartheid in South Africa.

American poet Kevin Young talks to Les Murray about Australian poetry and culture.

Burmese poet Zeyar Lynn and English poet and translator James Byrne speak with Ilya Kaminsky about poetry from Burma. Need a transcript of this episode? Request a transcript here.

Irish poets Patrick Cotter and Matthew Sweeney discuss the history and current state of Irish poetry.

Matthew Shenoda talks with Chris Abani about poetry in Nigeria, the oral and religious traditions in African poetry, and the one-sided conversation between African and European poets.

Italian poet Patrizia Cavalli and American poet Geoffrey Brock speak with Ilya Kaminsky about Contemporary Italian Poetry and translation. Need a transcript of this episode? Request a transcript here.

Vera Pavlova from Russia and Valzhyna Mort from Belurus speak with the director of the Harriet Monroe Poetry Institute, Ilya Kaminsky.

Native American poet Simon Ortiz reads at the University of Arizona in 1975. The recording is used with permission of the University of Arizona Poetry Center and Simon Ortiz. The full recording, and many others, are permanently available on voca, the Poetry Center's online audio video library. Need a transcript of this episode? Request a transcript here.

Egyptian-American writer Matthew Shenoda speaks with poet Kwame Dawes about African poetics, reggae, and poetry of the African diaspora. Need a transcript of this episode? Request a transcript here.

Polish poet Adam Zagajewski talks to American translator Clare Cavanaugh and Ilya Kaminsky about contemporary Polish poetry. Need a transcript of this episode? Request a transcript here.

Robin Blaser talks at “The Recovery of the Public World” Conference—devoted to his poetry—at the University of British Columbia in June 1995. The recording of this program is used by permission of the Bennett Library Special Collections and Rare Books, Simon Fraser University; and the Estate of Robin Blaser.

Fady Joudah and Ghassan Zaqtan discuss Palestinian poetry with Ilya Kaminsky. Need a transcript of this episode? Request a transcript here.

An informal conversation remembering the life and work of Elizabeth Bishop, with Lloyd Schwartz, Frank Bidart, Rosanna Warren, Gail Mazur, and Megan Marshall. Conducted at Harvard University in March 2012, and used by permission of the participants and the Woodberry Poetry Room, Harvard College Library. Watch the event video on Youtube here.

German poet Jan Wagner discusses some of the major German poets of the twentieth century with Ilya Kaminsky.

A reunion of the Dark Room Collective at the Poetry Foundation in April 2012. This reading features Nehassaiu deGannes, John Keene, Kevin Young, Sharan Strange, Major Jackson, Thomas Sayers Ellis, and Natasha Trethewey. Need a transcript of this episode? Request a transcript here.

American poet Katie Ford talks to Iraqi poet Dunya Mikhail about how the experience of natural and human disasters inform their work.

An informal conversation between poets John Ashbery and Ron Padgett, remembering the life of Frank O’Hara. Conducted at Harvard University in April 2011, and used by permission of Ron Padgett, John Ashbery, and the Woodberry Poetry Room, Harvard College Library. To see the event video, click here.