This episode, the third and final in a special three-part series, chronicles Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith's travels to rural Kentucky in March 2018 as a pilot for her second-year project, 'American Conversations: Celebrating Poems in Rural Comm

Making "American Conversations": Part 2

Jan 31st, 2019 30m 34s

This episode, the second in a special three-part series, chronicles Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith's travels to rural South Carolina in February 2018 as a pilot for her second-year project, "American Conversations: Celebrating Poems in Rural Comm

Making "American Conversations": Part 1

Jan 24th, 2019 39m 22s

This episode, the first in a special three-part series, chronicles Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith's travels to rural New Mexico in January 2018 as a pilot for her second-year project, "American Conversations: Celebrating Poems in Rural Communitie

Poet Laureate Charles Wright

Jun 14th, 2018 28m 13s

On the eighth episode of "From the Catbird Seat," former Poet Laureate Charles Wright speaks with Rob Casper about his term as poet laureate, and we listen to highlights from Wright's inaugural reading at the Library of Congress in September 20

Bagley Wright Lecture Series

Jun 7th, 2018 31m 42s

On the seventh episode of "From the Catbird Seat," Rob Casper goes behind the scenes with Matthew Zapruder, editor at large of Wave Books and the former director of the Bagley Wright Lecture Series, about the six Bagley Wright lectures hosted a

National Book Festival Youth Poetry Slam

May 31st, 2018 28m 17s

On the sixth episode of "From the Catbird Seat," Rob Casper chats with former Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera about his experience serving as a judge for the 2015 National Book Festival Youth Poetry Slam, and what established writers can lear

Conversations with African Poets and Writers

May 24th, 2018 28m 57s

On the fifth episode of "From the Catbird Seat," Rob Casper goes behind the scenes with Ghanaian poet and editor Kwame Dawes about the February 2017 "Conversations with African Poets and Writers: African Poetry Book Fund Spotlight" event at the

Natasha Trethewey and Rosanne Cash

May 17th, 2018 26m 47s

On the fourth episode of "From the Catbird Seat," Rob Casper chats with former Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey, who reflects on her 2013 conversation with singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash at the Library of Congress. We'll listen to clips from tha

Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry

May 10th, 2018 29m 29s

On the third episode of "From the Catbird Seat," Rob Casper goes behind the scenes with Betty Sue Flowers, Mary Szybist, and Danielle Legros Georges, the jurors of the 2016 Bobbitt Prize for Poetry. They discuss their decision to award the priz

The Life of a Poet

May 3rd, 2018 29m 42s

On the second episode of "From the Catbird Seat," Rob Casper goes behind the scenes with Ron Charles, editor of The Washington Post's Book World, about the origins of "The Life of a Poet" series at the Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital in W

Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith

Apr 26th, 2018 36m 3s

On this inaugural episode of "From the Catbird Seat," Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith speaks with Head of the Poetry and Literature Center Rob Casper about her first term as laureate, and looks ahead to her second term. We'll also listen to clips

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