Poetry (Audio)

World-renowned poet Diane di Prima, one of the preeminent writers to emerge from the Beat generation, wrote in Manhattan for many years before relocating to San Francisco, where she has been for nearly four decades. Her 43 books of poetry and prose have been translated into over twenty languages. Series: "Lunch Poems Reading Series" [Humanities] [Show ID: 13564]

Arthur Sze is an internationally known writer and celebrated translator. A recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and two grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Sze teaches at the Institute of American Indian Arts, and is the first poet laureate of Santa Fe, where he resides. Series: "Lunch Poems Reading Series" [Humanities] [Show ID: 13563]

Born in Mexico City, Monica de la Torre came to the United States in 1993 on a Fulbright scholarship to study at Columbia University. Her poetry explores with great depth both the boundaries and the permeability of imposed identity, combining a playful use of form and dry humor with a hint of hopefulness. Series: "Lunch Poems Reading Series" [Humanities] [Show ID: 13562]

Revolutionary poet, playwright, and activist Amiri Baraka is recognized as the founder of the Black Arts Movement, a literary period that began in Harlem in the 1960s and forever changed the look, sound, and feel of American poetry. Series: "Lunch Poems Reading Series" [Humanities] [Show ID: 13561]

Rich in its landscapes and its search for personal discovery, John Matthias’ poetry encompasses vast territories of history and culture. He has published more than twenty-five books, twelve of which are poetry, and is the editor of Notre Dame Review. This is his first visit to the west coast in over twenty-five years. Series: "Lunch Poems Reading Series" [Humanities] [Show ID: 13560]

Considered by literary critics to be one of the finest living English language poets, Walcott also is a playwright, author, visual artist, and professor. His presentation includes poetry and commentary [Humanities] [Show ID: 12192]

A prominent figure in California’s poetry scene for decades, Joanne Kyger writes poetry influenced by her practice of Zen Buddhism and her ties to the poets of Black Mountain, the San Francisco Renaissance, and the Beat Generation. Series: "Lunch Poems Reading Series" [Humanities] [Show ID: 11962]

Born in Seoul, Korea, Myung Mi Kim travels to the root of language, connecting speech and culture in a rich web of immaculate phrases. Kim strips words to the bone, using fragments and white space to enhance her themes of dislocation and first language loss. Series: "Lunch Poems Reading Series" [Humanities] [Show ID: 11961]

Iraqi poet Dunya Mikhail immigrated to the United States in 1996 after increasing harassment over her poetry, which confronts war and exile with subversive depictions of suffering. In 2001 she was awarded the UN Human Rights Award for Freedom of Writing. Series: "Lunch Poems Reading Series" [Humanities] [Show ID: 11960]

Part antiphonal rant, part rhythmic whisper, Nathaniel Mackey reads from his new book of poetry and talks about his writing to an audience at UC Santa Cruz where he is a professor of literature. Mackey recently received the 2006 National Book Award for poetry. [Humanities] [Show ID: 12221]