on poetry

“Don’t you think details help you focus? Sometimes it’s only by listening in the falling darkness for the chittering of small invisible sparrows that you’re able to locate the Great Horned Owl.”
Forrest Gander
(b. January 21, 1956)

. . . . .
photo by Ashwini Bhat
quote

what are you listening to?

Are you listening to poetry? Now and then we offer up lists of poetry podcasts. Here are a few more:

• Frank Skinner’s Poetry Podcast
• The Haiku Pea
• Interesting People Reading Poetry
• Poetry Non-Stop
• Poetry Says
• Poetry Translation Centre Podcasts
• Quintessential Listening Poetry
• Uncut Poetry
• Wacky Poem Life

Put some poetry in your ears!

poetry in your ears

If recent publications are any indication, poetry readers are also eager to listen. Several poets have issued audio versions of their latest books at the same time as the books themselves. For example,
Margaret Atwood, Dearly
Jericho Brown, The Tradition
Barbara Kingsolver, How to Fly (In Ten Thousand Easy Lessons)
Aimee Nezhukumatathil, World of Wonders

In addition, here are some other places to find audio poetry:

• Audible – 10 Best Poetry Audiobooks for the Ultimate Lyrical Experience
• Audiobooks.com – poetry
• Book Riot – Rhyme and Rhythm: 6 Great Poetry Audiobooks
• Bustle – Poetry Audiobooks DO Exist — Here Are 6 Of Our Favorites
• Naxos AudioBooks – Collections of classical masterworks
• Overdrive/Libby – search for poetry audiobooks or by title
• Poetry Foundation – Audio Poem of the Day

Happy listening!

on poetry

“I’m glad I understand that while language is a gift, listening is a responsibility.”
Nikki Giovanni
(b. June 7, 1943)

. . . . .
quote
photo

the joy of listening

We occasionally mention the pleasures of listening to recorded poetry (for example, here and here and here). If you question the benefit of listening, or need a reminder of the particular benefit of hearing authors read their own work, take a quick look at Wyatt Mason’s New York Times article, “Letter of Recommendation: Audiobooks Read by the Author.”

If you’re looking for audio, here are a few resources (in addition to those in the posts linked above):

• Library of Congress guide to poetry audio recordings
• PennSound
• The Poetry Archive
• Poetry Everywhere from PBS
• Poetry Now from The Poetry Foundation
• Poetry Out Loud
• Tacoma’s Laureate Listening Project

. . . . .
image by Berthold Werner

listen

If you enjoy hearing poetry well read, listen up.

The Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature at the Library of Congress contains some two thousand items, which are gradually being made available online.

From the Fishouse a “free online audio archive showcases emerging poets (defined for this purpose as poets with fewer than two published books of poetry at the time of submission) reading their own poems, as well as answering questions about poetry and the writing process.”

The Poetry Streamer is The Cortland Review’s radio station of poetry. It streams all the publication’s poetry recordings from the past 15 years in random order.

Book Riot has posted a video collection of “10 More Famous Poems Recited by Famous People.”
. . . . .
image from Anatomy and Drawing by Victor Perard, 1928

the open mic…9

Here are some additional thoughts on open mics from Chris Jarmick:

“What better way to develop one’s voice than through sharing a poem out loud at a place where people are there to listen? …Can we hold someone’s attention for two minutes? Five minutes?

“…Do the words communicate with others? Can the words get responses and reactions from others? Are these responses and reactions what the writer intended or are they something different but no less valid?

“…Overcoming your fears gives you confidence in your abilities in other areas of your life… You will develop a stronger voice, both in terms of speaking and in terms of your writing.

“The open mic also serves an even more important purpose. It refines and develops your ability to listen…

“The open mic is one of the best educational experiences you will ever have. It will expose you to ideas, thoughts, experiences, techniques, cultures, opinions and much more than you ever imagined possible. You will also conquer fears and gain confidence as you participate. And more importantly if you want, you will learn how to become a better listener — which will enable you to continue growing, learning and creating.”