poetry Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Honoring women’s history through poetry

By Lauren Gallup March 1, 2023

The newspaper clipping that mentions Rachel Page. Photo courtesy of Cory Eberhart.

A group of poets in Kittitas County will honor eight important Washington women in verse. March is Women’s History Month, and this Friday at Gallery One in Ellensburg, the poets will perform their crown of sonnets, a succession of seven, separate sonnets, at the Women’s History Month Poetry Extravaganza. Read More

How Do We Experience The World Around Us? ‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 32 – With Petra Kuppers

By Mindy Malone August 16, 2022

Petra Kuppers is seen through a screen. She is in front of a pink background. Sueann sits at the computer. A microphone is in view.

Photo of disability culture activist Petra Kuppers. Petra Kuppers holds many titles: disability culture activist, community performance artist, disabled woman, academic and writer, among more. She’s written several books, primarily… Continue Reading Read More

Eastern Washington’s ‘Poet Laureate’ Hands Off Legacy

By Dori Luzzo Gilmour July 20, 2022

Jordan Chaney Listen (Runtime 1:59) Read Eastern Washington’s ‘unofficial’ Poet Laureate, Jordan Chaney, is leaving the state to explore new endeavors. A farewell show with the new directors of the… Continue Reading Eastern Washington’s ‘Poet Read More

How Can We Learn To Shape A Better Tomorrow? – With Community Organizer Nikkita Oliver

By NWPB June 21, 2022

Nikkita Oliver wearing a pair of headphones, a black flannel shirt and vest smiles while sitting on a black couch in front of a bookshelf.

Have you ever been inspired to make a change in your community after witnessing an issue within it? Nikkita Oliver, gender fluid abolitionist, artist, educator, poet and attorney, grew up… Continue Reading How Can We Learn To Read More

Tacoma’s Poet Laureate On The Art Form And Its Lasting Influence

By Lauren Gallup April 20, 2022

April is national poetry month. NWPB’s Lauren Gallup interviewed Tacoma’s poet laureate on the art form, and its lasting influence. Continue Reading Tacoma’s Poet Laureate On The Art Form And Its Lasting InfluenceRead More

WSU Senior Makenzie Campbell Published Her Third Poetry Book

By Murrow News - Sidney Gardner September 22, 2021

More Murrow News Stories PULLMAN WASH.- Like many students, Washington State University senior Makenzie Campbell is celebrating the start of a new school year, but that’s not the only thing… Continue Reading WSU Senior Makenzie Read More

‘Today, I Am A Witness To Change’: A Crowdsourced Poem Against Anti-Asian Hate

By NPR News April 13, 2021

A boy holding a sign takes part in a Stop Asian Hate rally in Oakland, Calif.

LISTEN BY RACHEL MARTIN April is National Poetry Month, a celebration of poets and poetry that’s been in place for 25 years. Last month, as the U.S. grieved over attacks… Continue Reading ‘Today, I Am A Witness To Read More

A Poem On How The Human Spirit Survives Overlapping Crises

By PBS Newshour April 5, 2021

House of Mercury poem as read by Dr. Fady Joudah

In Dr. Fady Joudah’s poem “House of Mercury,” a severe summer storm has blown over Houston. The storm’s destructive winds woke up the narrator’s father, who hears the “snaps and creaks” of the two oaks in the front yard. But it was a “nearly uprooted fig tree,” the poem notes, that brought the father to tears. Read More

Washington State Names Its First Native American Poet Laureate

By NWPB News April 3, 2021

On the first day of National Poetry Month, Bellingham-based Rena Priest is named the new Washington State Poet Laureate. She'll be a statewide ambassador for poetry during a two-year term. CREDIT: Lila Childs / Courtesy of Humanities Washington

The author of two poetry books and a member of the Lhaq'temish (Lummi) Nation, Priest is the sixth poet and first Native person to be selected for the two-year term, a program of the Washington State Arts Commission and Humanities Washington. Continue Read More

Poetry Collection ‘Love And Other Poems’ Promises That Love Will Find Us

By NPR News February 11, 2021

The book is guided by the structure of time. We go full circle from June through to May; summer through to spring. There is a poem for each month, just as there is a poem for each feeling. Pleasure, annoyance, boredom, spiritual awakening — we feel it all. And as the poems travel through time, the poet's vulnerability and loneliness are palpable enough to, perhaps Read More

New Translation Shares The Voice Of A Danish Poet Who Wrote As Intensely As She Lived

By NPR News February 3, 2021

The Copenhagen Trilogy, by Tove Ditlevsen Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Tove Ditlevsen's brilliance is evident when you read her confessional memoir, The Copenhagen Trilogy, which is newly available in a crisp translation by Tiina Nunnally and Michael Favala Goldman. Told in a sneakily plain, highly addictive voice, it's the portrait of the artist as a young woman who wrote as hard as she lived. Read More

Amanda Gorman’s Poetic Response To Pandemic Grief: ‘Do Not Ignore The Pain’

By PBS Newshour January 26, 2021

Poet Amanda Gorman speaks at the inauguration of U.S. President Biden on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. CREDIT: Alex Wong/Getty Images

When Amanda Gorman wrote her poem, “The Miracle of Morning,” it was early on in the coronavirus pandemic, when we were only beginning to comprehend the scale of national mourning to come. But even then, she wanted to acknowledge the promise of healing, like the light of morning, that springs from despair. Read More

‘Not Broken But Simply Unfinished’: Poet Amanda Gorman Calls For A Better America At Inauguration

By NPR News January 20, 2021

Amanda Gorman echoed, in dynamic and propulsive verse, the same themes that Biden has returned to again and again and that he wove throughout his inaugural address: unity, healing, grief and hope, the painful history of American experience and the redemptive power of American ideals. Read More

Poetry Challenge: Honor Martin Luther King Jr By Describing How You Dream A World

By NPR News January 18, 2021

Martin Luther King Jr. addresses the crowd at the March On Washington D.C., on Aug. 28, 1963. CREDIT: CNP/Getty Images

As we enter 2021, we can all draw inspiration from both King and Hughes. Morning Edition resident poet Kwame Alexander and host Rachel Martin suggest we write our way out of the unprecedented events of the past year and into a space of possibility. Read More

‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 7: Ross Gay On Tenderness And Finding Delight

By Mia Hunt December 1, 2020

Photo of Ross Gay from a recording of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella

In this episode of 'Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella,' poet and professor Ross Gay discusses ways to recognize and incorporate tenderness into your life. Ramella and Gay cover everything from the benefits of gardening to why he doesn't often give advice. Read More

Elizabeth Acevedo’s Poetry Extends A Helping Hand In Our Lonely Time

By PBS Newshour November 30, 2020

The way loneliness skulks in one of Elizabeth Acevedo’s poems probably would have felt familiar even before the pandemic forced us into more isolating situations. Continue Reading Elizabeth Acevedo’s Poetry Extends A Helping Hand In Our Read More

‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 5: Pulitzer Winner Jericho Brown On The Importance Of Name And Truth

By McKayla Fox November 17, 2020

Photo of Jericho Brown from a recording of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella

Pulitzer-winning poet Jericho Brown shares how growing up in a Black church exposed him to the art of performative poetry at a young age and how that propelled him to dedicate his life to poetry starting in his early twenties. Continue Reading ‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 5: Pulitzer Read More

‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 2: Poet Jordan Chaney On Acknowledging, Learning From And Healing Racism

By Mia Hunt October 27, 2020

Photo of Poet Jordan, second guest on Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella

Poet Jordan Chaney, from Pasco, Washington, joins this episode of "Traverse Talks" and gives advice on how to be a true ally and setting and respecting boundaries when talking about race. Continue Reading ‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 2: Poet Jordan Chaney On Acknowledging, Read More

‘The Writing On The Wall’ Finds Poetry Behind Bars, Projects It Onto Buildings

By NPR News October 25, 2020

"The Writing On The Wall" art installation projects writings by incarcerated people onto the sides of buildings, such as The New York State Supreme Court Building, above. Chemistry Creative

"Look at all the wisdom, look at all the heart that is imprisoned in our society," says Hank Willis Thomas, cofounder of the art installation project. Continue Reading ‘The Writing On The Wall’ Finds Poetry Behind Bars, Read More

Nobel Prize In Literature Awarded To U.S. Poet Louise Glück

By NPR News October 8, 2020

Poet Louise Glück received the the National Humanities Medal from President Barack Obama in 2016. On Wednesday, Glück was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature. CREDIT: Carolyn Kaster/AP

The 2020 Nobel Prize in literature was awarded to U.S. poet Louise Glück "for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal." Continue Reading Nobel Prize In Literature Awarded To U.S. Poet Louise Read More

Anthology Of Native Nations Poetry Is A ‘Doorway,’ Says Editor And Poet Laureate Joy Harjo

By NPR News September 14, 2020

U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo has authored numerous books of poetry, two children's books and a memoir, Crazy Brave. She is a member of the Mvskoke Nation. Shawn Miller/Library of Congress

When the Light of the World Was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through collects the work of more than 160 poets. "A poem opens up time, it opens up memory, it opens up place," says Harjo, U.S. Poet Laureate. Continue Read More

In ‘Finna,’ Poet Nate Marshall Is ‘All About What Happens Next’

By NPR News August 10, 2020

Playwright, musician, and author Nate Marshall has a new book of poetry out, called Finna. He says the title comes from the common Southern phrase "fixing to," which is all about what happens next. Continue Reading In ‘Finna,’ Read More

Rudolfo Anaya, A Founding Father Of Chicano Literature, Dies At 82

By NPR News June 30, 2020

President Barack Obama presents the National Humanities Medal to author Rudolfo Anaya at a ceremony in September

Anaya's 1972 classic Bless Me, Ultima — about a young Mexican American boy and his curandera mentor in New Mexico in the 1940s — inspired a generation of Chicano writers. Continue Reading Rudolfo Anaya, A Founding Father Of Chicano Read More

2020 Pulitzer Prize Winners Include ‘This American Life’ With Inaugural Audio Award. See The Full List

By NPR News May 4, 2020

The Pulitzer Prize board awarded suffragist Ida B. Wells a special citation for her reporting on lynching.

This year's Pulitzer Prize Board awarded its first Audio Reporting award to the staff of This American Life, for a piece on the Trump administration's "remain in Mexico" policy. Continue Reading 2020 Read More

‘If The Trees Can Keep Dancing, So Can I’: A Community Poem To Cope In Crisis

By NPR News April 30, 2020

Kwame Alexander, NPR's poet in residence, reads the latest crowdsourced poem, this one focused on how you've been affected by and coping during the global coronavirus pandemic. Continue Reading ‘If The Trees Can Keep Dancing, So Read More

Yo-Yo Ma Calls For #SongsOfComfort During Pandemic. Here’s How You Can Join The Effort

By PBS Newshour March 26, 2020

File photo. Yo-Yo Ma plays selections from Bach's Cello Suites at NPR Music's Tiny Desk.

Yo-Yo Ma has brought joy to listeners for decades with his virtuosic musicianship. Now, he is using his music to offer some comfort to a global audience in the midst of a pandemic that has sparked widespread anxiety and pain. Read More

BOOK REVIEW: With A Legacy Of Colonization, ‘Postcolonial Love Poem’ Empowers Native Voice

By NPR News March 7, 2020

Poet Natalie Diaz returns, interrogating the lasting effects of colonization asking: If a colonizer's influence can't be eradicated from a culture, how can you push back against violence and erasure? Continue Reading BOOK Read More

‘Where I’m From’: A Crowdsourced Poem That Collects Your Memories Of Home

By NPR News August 29, 2019

A cloud in the shape of a house floating against a clear blue sky. CREDIT: A cloud in the shape of a house floating against a clear blue sky.

Morning Edition's resident poet Kwame Alexander compiled your poems inspired by memories of home, and the final crowdsourced poem is full of rich details of where you're from. Continue Reading ‘Where I’m From’: A Read More

Beach Adventures And Falling In Love: Summer In A Haiku

By NPR News July 4, 2019

Cotton candy smiles/and merry go round horses/in soft sudden rain — Cindy Guentherman, Loves Park, Ill. CREDIT: Scott Bakal for NPR

The haiku that listeners sent us about summer evoked all kinds of memories. Some said the season reminds them of ice cream or trips to the beach. Others shared precious memories of young love. Continue Reading Beach Adventures And Falling In Love: Summer Read More

Joy Harjo Becomes The First Native American U.S. Poet Laureate

By NPR News June 19, 2019

Joy Harjo will become the 23rd poet laureate of the United States, making her the first Native American to hold the position. Shawn Miller/Library of Congress

Poet, writer and musician Joy Harjo — a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation — often draws on Native American stories, languages and myths. But she says that she's not self-consciously trying to bring that material into her work. If anything, it's the other way around. Read More

Celebrate National Poetry Month By Submitting Your #NPRPoetry Tweets

By NPR News April 7, 2019

It's Poetry Month. Tweet us your mini poems all April using the hashtag #NPRPoetry. bortonia/Getty Images

It's that time of the year when we tip our hats — and yours — to the art of the verse. All month, tweet your mini poems with the hashtag #NPRPoetry, and we'll pick some to feature on-air and online. Continue Reading Celebrate National Read More

A Lost ‘Little Boy’ Nears 100: Poet And Publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti

By NPR News March 20, 2019

The Beat Generation icon and owner of City Lights bookstore and press in San Francisco is still writing. He celebrates his centennial March 24, and his new autobiographical novel is out now. Continue Reading A Lost ‘Little Boy’ Read More

Celebrate Women’s History Month With Special Programs

By Gillian Coldsnow March 6, 2019

Four programs this March examine myriad aspects of women’s history, from poetry. Tina Fey takes you into the hidden world of girls around the world, Meryl Streep narrates a program… Continue Reading Celebrate Women’s History Month With Special Read More

Beloved Poet Mary Oliver, Who Believed Poetry ‘Mustn’t Be Fancy,’ Dies At 83

By NPR News January 17, 2019

Poet Mary Oliver speaks at the 2010 Women's Conference in California. CREDIT: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Oliver wasn't always appreciated by critics, but she was still one of the country's most popular poets. In 2012, she told NPR, "Poetry, to be understood, must be clear." Continue Reading Beloved Poet Mary Oliver, Who Believed Poetry Read More

Pulled Into Poetry: Northwest Poet Savannah Slone Releases First Book

By T.J. Tranchell January 2, 2019

After finishing her degree in CWU’s Professional and Creative Writing program and an MFA from Lindenwood University, the 23-year-old Savannah Slone is releasing her first chapbook, 'Hearing the Underwater,' on January 4 with Finishing Line Press. Read More

Poetry Might Make The Perfect Gift (Especially For The Time-Crunched On Your List)

By NPR News December 7, 2018

Poet Tess Taylor says a good poem can "reroute your day" in under five minutes. She offers suggestions for poetry that "takes you to a different place, and then allows you to return a little altered." Continue Reading Poetry Read More

These Wicked Dia De Los Muertos Poems Don’t Spare Anyone

By PBS Newshour November 3, 2018

For the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, writing rhyming poems called calaveras literarias — mocking epitaphs for the dead or satire targeting the living — has become a proud tradition. Continue Reading These Wicked Dia De Los Read More