The Talking Poem Podcast run by Charlie Green was my first podcast appearance, and a juicy one!
A professor of English literature and creative writing at Cornell University, Charlie lends his fierce enthusiasm for pop and music culture and a sensibility both erudite and goofy to his joy at discussing the favorite poems of various poets.
I was the lucky such guest on March 17, 2024, digging in to one of the most delightful, emotional, and memorable poems I've ever encountered, "The Flower" by 17th century metaphysical poet George Herbert.
Spirituality and sensuality, or we might say religion and sex, and the wrenching, impassioned relationship of the poet with God are expressed in vivid and often colloquial language about nature in this Flower.
And I got to discuss Herbert's influence on my poetry and to read the first poem in my new book God in Her Ruffled Dress, "God No. 2," charting Herbert's inspirational impact throughout it.
Charlie topped off our rather excited chat with a little test he gave me: Guess the Exact Lyrics, often spoken, in songs by selected, white rock/rap musicians. It was quite a shift, but fun.
Your favorite podcast links to the episode here:
Deezer (search for Lisa B Lisa Bernstein "The Flower")
Charlie features a distinguished array of contemporary poets (David Baker, Kevin Young, Jorie Graham, Franny Choi, Patricia Spears Jones, Lorenzo Thomas, William Matthews, Natalie Diaz, Russell Edson, Louise Gluck, Carl Phillips, Kim Addonizio, A.R. Ammons, Ocean Vuong) and those coming before us (Robert Hayden, Emily Dickinson, Thomas Hardy, Edgar Allan Poe, Sir Walter Raleigh, Edna St. Vincent Millay), to name just some of the poets you'll find on The Talking Poem Podcast, so be sure to explore it.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for adding your voice!