Jul 29 How this poet shows the way ‘racism hits the body’ By Courtney Vinopal In her book “Citizen,” the poet Claudia Rankine aims to show readers how Black people experience racism in their everyday lives. And to help tell that story, she reached out to visual artists. Continue reading
Jul 28 Watch 6:40 The ‘existential wound’ that fueled poet Natasha Trethewey’s acclaimed career By Jeffrey Brown, Anne Azzi Davenport Natasha Trethewey is a two-time U.S. poet laureate and a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for her collection “Native Guard.” Now, she has written a memoir about her childhood, the murder of her mother and her own career calling. Titled… Continue watching
Jul 21 In writing about Trayvon Martin, this poet saw the history of systemic racism By Courtney Vinopal In crafting her elegy for Trayvon Martin, poet Claudia Rankine sought to draw on the larger narrative of “terrorization, violence and murder” that Black Americans have faced throughout history. Continue reading
Jul 13 How a natural disaster prompted this poet to focus on race in America By Courtney Vinopal Our July 2020 pick for the PBS NewsHour-New York Times book club is Claudia Rankine’s “Citizen.”… Continue reading
Jun 30 ‘Citizen’ is our July book club pick By Courtney Vinopal Our July book club pick for Now Read This is Claudia Rankine's "Citizen: An American Lyric"… Continue reading
Apr 18 Watch 6:13 Landmark Oregon bookstore strains to survive the pandemic By Tom Casciato The independent book business has been battered in recent decades, as locally owned sellers strained to compete with the online-giant Amazon. But the COVID-19 crisis has forced many to close their doors, depriving both readers and writers the spaces they… Continue watching
Feb 13 Watch 3:43 Tongo Eisen-Martin’s Brief But Spectacular take on poetry as revolution Poet Tongo Eisen-Martin was born and raised in San Francisco, a city whose rapid gentrification he critiques in his work. Through his writing, Eisen-Martin seeks to “facilitate resistance” to a culture that he believes perpetuates domination of those who are… Continue watching
Nov 08 How veterans who write poetry can help bridge divides By James Dubinsky, The Conversation To better understand veterans' sacrifice, read their poems. Continue reading
Sep 19 Watch 7:23 U.S. poet laureate Joy Harjo on opening a ‘doorway of hope’ for indigenous artists By Jeffrey Brown, Kira Wakeam Joy Harjo, the new poet laureate of the United States, is the first Native American to achieve that honor. Jeffrey Brown recently sat down with Harjo, a member of Oklahoma's Muscogee Creek Nation, in Tulsa to discuss how arts shaped… Continue watching
Jun 26 Watch 6:10 At this D.C. jail, a book club offers a safe space By Jeffrey Brown, Rachel Wellford Reading and writing can provide a profession, a passion or an escape from reality. In Washington, D.C., the Free Minds Book Club positions the activities as mechanisms through which incarcerated people can express themselves in healthy and constructive ways. As… Continue watching