"Responding to Loss": All three poems in this episode reflect on the loss of a person, when loss is final. Perhaps one or more of these poems speak to feelings you have experienced but could not define quite like these poets do. Are poems and songs useful for facing one's own demise or for dealing with the loss of one close to us? You might think about that while listening to these poems. Tony Hoagland, "In the Waiting Room with Leonard Cohen," from Priest Turned Therapist Treats Fear of God (Graywolf Press, 2018). Maxine Kumin, "Oblivion," from Where I Live: New and Selected Poems, 1990-2010 (W. W. Norton and Company), used by permission of the Maxine Kumin Literary Trust. Kevin Young, "Charity," from Book of Hours (Knopf, 2014). The show's theme music is Philip Aaberg's "Going-to-the-Sun," from his CD Live from Montana (available at Sweetgrassmusic.com) and used with kind permission of Philip Aaberg.
"Poems About Writing": When you were a student, did you find joy in the writing tasks required of you? Did self-disclosure make you uncomfortable,...
"Unlived Lives": What prompted you to make personal life-altering choices? Do you believe a sky-god or some other cosmic force oversees your personal choices? ...
“Meta-Verse”: The four poems on this episode make a virtue out of being self-conscious. Each poem comments on the very poem we’re reading. The...