As March slips into April, Michigan Public will kick off National Poetry Month will a series of special poetry-themed programs. Every day at 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm, we'll explore the power of poetry to help us make sense of the world and to help us heal. We'll look at how the women's movement shaped poetry and we'll wrap up the week with an examination of Bob Dylan— the poet.
Monday, March 30 (3:00 pm and 8:00 pm)
At a time when grief, injustice, and loss seem overwhelming, Joy Harjo offers something both fragile and fierce: the claim that poetry can still sing us awake. In this Poetry Week special, she looks back at her childhood, her roots in Muscogee Creek history, and the radical gift of being seen. She reads the poem Overwhelm, which speaks of her father’s pain and the trail of generations, and invites us into the sacred act of bearing witness.
Tuesday, March 31 (3:00 pm and 8:00 pm)
Actress Meryl Streep narrates this documentary special about how the Women’s Movement changed poetry, and how women poets changed the culture.
Wednesday, April 1 (3:00 pm and 8:00 pm)
Poetry isn't just words on a page. Instead it's a form that lets people express themselves in a way that's often far more deep, emotional, and complex than other forms of communication. The Poems, The Poets, The Power with Al Letson explores why we write and perform poems and the venues poets find themselves. This show features poets from New York and across the United States.
Thursday, April 2 (3:00 pm and 8:00 pm)
This is a good time to reflect on the role of poetry in the face of tragedy. A poet laureate shares how poetry can heal in the wake of loss.
Friday, April 3 (3:00 pm and 8:00 pm)
Bob Dylan, the poet, has been singing more than 50 years, but have you ever really stopped to listen to the words?
