Kwame Dawes introduces poems that interrogate loss and violence, transforming them in the flame of irony, elegy, and empathy. He discusses Lucille Clifton distilling “pure moments of tremendous poetry” (“lu 1958”), Michael S. Harper offering a haunting conclusion that serves as both memorial and gift (“We Assume: On the Death of our Son, Reuben Masai Harper”), and Terrance Hayes treading the line where outrage meets compassion (“Carolina Lullaby,” “A Poem That Does Nothing,” “The Poet Ai as Dylann Roof”). Dawes closes with an unpublished poem, “The House of Two Women,” which engages with the turbulent present of American life.

Find the full recordings of Clifton, Harper, and Hayes reading from the Poetry Center on Voca:

Lucille Clifton (November 1, 2007)
Michael S. Harper (April 4, 1973)
Terrance Hayes (February 4, 2016)

Full transcripts of every episode are available on Buzzsprout. Look for the transcript tab under each episode.

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