Poetry Lectures

Malena Mörling and Jonas Ellström: International Poets in Conversation

Malena Mörling and Jonas Ellerström discuss Swedish poetry and the challenges of translation, and they read some poems in both Swedish and English from their anthology, T

Harris Khalique: International Poets in Conversation

Christopher Merrill speaks with Harris Khalique about literary traditions in Pakistan, the cultural influences of different cities, and the important role of women in Pak

Matthew Shenoda: International Poets in Conversation

Kwame Dawes speaks with Matthew Shenoda about Shenoda's poetry and identity as an Egyptian American, and the poetry of the African diaspora. Need a transcript of this ep

Gabeba Baderoon: International Poets in Conversation

South African poet Gabeba Baderoon speaks with Matthew Shenoda about poetry and apartheid in South Africa.

Les Murray: International Poets in Conversation

American poet Kevin Young talks to Les Murray about Australian poetry and culture.

Zeyar Lynn: International Poets in Conversation

Burmese poet Zeyar Lynn and English poet and translator James Byrne speak with Ilya Kaminsky about poetry from Burma. Need a transcript of this episode? Request a transc

Patrick Cotter & Matthew Sweeney: International Poets in Conversation

Irish poets Patrick Cotter and Matthew Sweeney discuss the history and current state of Irish poetry.

Chris Abani: International Poets in Conversation

Matthew Shenoda talks with Chris Abani about poetry in Nigeria, the oral and religious traditions in African poetry, and the one-sided conversation between African and Eu

Patrizia Cavalli: International Poets in Conversation

Italian poet Patrizia Cavalli and American poet Geoffrey Brock speak with Ilya Kaminsky about Contemporary Italian Poetry and translation. Need a transcript of this epis

Vera Pavlova & Valzhyna Mort: International Poets in Conversation

Vera Pavlova from Russia and Valzhyna Mort from Belurus speak with the director of the Harriet Monroe Poetry Institute, Ilya Kaminsky.

Simon Ortiz

Native American poet Simon Ortiz reads at the University of Arizona in 1975. The recording is used with permission of the University of Arizona Poetry Center and Simon Or

Kwame Dawes: International Poets in Conversation

Egyptian-American writer Matthew Shenoda speaks with poet Kwame Dawes about African poetics, reggae, and poetry of the African diaspora. Need a transcript of this episod

Adam Zagajewski: International Poets in Conversation

Polish poet Adam Zagajewski talks to American translator Clare Cavanaugh and Ilya Kaminsky about contemporary Polish poetry. Need a transcript of this episode? Request a

Robin Blaser

Robin Blaser talks at “The Recovery of the Public World” Conference—devoted to his poetry—at the University of British Columbia in June 1995. The recording of this progra

Ghassan Zaqtan: International Poets in Conversation

Fady Joudah and Ghassan Zaqtan discuss Palestinian poetry with Ilya Kaminsky. Need a transcript of this episode? Request a transcript here.

Oral History Initiative: On Elizabeth Bishop

An informal conversation remembering the life and work of Elizabeth Bishop, with Lloyd Schwartz, Frank Bidart, Rosanna Warren, Gail Mazur, and Megan Marshall. Conducted a

Jan Wagner: International Poets in Conversation

German poet Jan Wagner discusses some of the major German poets of the twentieth century with Ilya Kaminsky.

Dark Room Collective

A reunion of the Dark Room Collective at the Poetry Foundation in April 2012. This reading features Nehassaiu deGannes, John Keene, Kevin Young, Sharan Strange, Major Jac

Dunya Mikhail: International Poets in Conversation

American poet Katie Ford talks to Iraqi poet Dunya Mikhail about how the experience of natural and human disasters inform their work.

Oral History Initiative: On Frank O'Hara

An informal conversation between poets John Ashbery and Ron Padgett, remembering the life of Frank O’Hara. Conducted at Harvard University in April 2011, and used by perm