Internationally known for his “talk pieces”— improvisational blends of comedy, story and social commentary that have been described as a mix of Mark Twain and Gertrude Stein, poet David Antin will explore how language can be regarded as essentially political.

Simon Armitage, one of the pivotal voices in contemporary British poetry, explores the influence of childhood and landscape on the work of fellow Yorkshire poet Ted Hughes (1930-1998).

(Full Audio, approx. 50 mins)

Funded by the New York Council for the Humanities

Poet and translator Dick Davis expands our understanding of the period that gave rise to such voices as Rumi and Omar Khayyam by exploring several poems from the canon of Medieval Persian literature, including the Sufi allegory The Conference of Birds.

(Full Audio, approx. 1 hour)

Poet Patricia Spears Jones discusses the life and work of Lorenzo Thomas (1944-2005), a pivotal figure in the Black Arts Movement and author of such poetry books as Chances are Few and Dancing on Main Street.

(Full Audio, approx. 50 mins)

Copper Canyon Press editor Sam Hamill introduces readings by Heather Allen, Erin Belieu, Stephen Berg, Timothy Liu, Jane Miller, Karen Swenson, Elaine Terranova in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Copper Canyon Press and the release of the anthology The Gift of Tongues, chronicling one of the finest poetry presses in the nation.

(Full Audio, approx 1 hour)

Poet Agha Shahid Ali reads the poems of Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911-1984), considered the greatest Urdu poet of the second half of this century, examining his use of classical forms such as the ghazal, and discuss the difficulties of translation.

(Full Audio, approx. 55 mins)

Poet Hettie Jones delivers her talk "The Beats Go On!"

(Full Audio, approx 50 mins.)

Part of Branching Out: Poetry for the 21st Century, a joint initiative with the Poetry Society of America, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Poet Susan Stewart delivers her talk "Akhmatova, Poet of the Future"

(Full Audio, approx. 50 mins.)

Part of Branching Out: Poetry for the 21st Century, a joint initiative with the Poetry Society of America, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Poet Ron Padgett delivers his lecture, "Taking a Walk with Frank O'Hara and Kenneth Koch: The Beauty and Uses of Literary Friendship"

(Full Audio, approx. 1 hr. 20 mins.)

Part of Branching Out: Poetry for the 21st Century, a joint initiative with the Poetry Society of America, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Poets House co-founder Stanley Kunitz reads and discusses one of Russia's most significant poets, in celebration of the re-release of his translations with the late Max Hayward. As an unwavering witness to the turmoil of the first half of the twentieth century, Anna Akhmatova (1889-1966) still speaks eloquently to us of crisis and survival.

(Full Audio, approx. 55 mins)