Host Maggie Smith is your daily poetry companion. Poetry is one of the greatest tools we have to wield our own attention — to consider our own lives and the lives of others, to help us live creatively and compassionately, to use that attention to lean into wonder, and joy, and truth, and to find hope — to keep hoping. The Slowdown community knows that reflecting on a poem, every weekday, can connect us to our inner world and the world around us. Listen as you make your morning coffee, as you go on a walk in your neighborhood, as you pull away from the to-do list, as you resist the dismal, endless scroll to share five minutes of perspective through the lens of poetry, from poets old and new, well-loved and emerging onto the scene. Brought to you by American Public Media, in partnership with the Poetry Foundation.
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
1350: [encore] Real Estate by Richard Siken
#19 trending · Performing Arts
Today’s poem is Real Estate by Richard Siken.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem unpacks some of what happens when
Oct 22 5 min
1349: [encore] Sati by Vandana Khanna
#25 trending · Performing Arts
Today’s poem is Sati by Vandana Khanna.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem is a persona poem from the point of view
Oct 21 6 min
1345: [encore] Arrangements by Adrienne Chung
Today’s poem is Arrangements by Adrienne Chung.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem speaks to the things we are draw
Oct 20 5 min
1344: [encore] Cento Between the Ending and the End by Cameron Awkward-Rich
Today’s poem is Cento Between the Ending and the End by Cameron Awkward-Rich.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “In times that f
Oct 19 5 min
Alynda Segarra: Holes by Eileen Myles (Extended Version)
Today’s poem is Holes by Eileen Myles, with special guest Alynda Segarra of Hurray for the Riff Raff.
Alynda Segarra is a singer-songwriter and frontperson of the band H
Oct 16 12 min
Alynda Segarra: Holes by Eileen Myles
Today’s poem is Holes by Eileen Myles, with special guest Alynda Segarra of Hurray for the Riff Raff.
Alynda Segarra is a singer-songwriter and frontperson of the band
Oct 15 7 min
1342: [encore] And Then It Was Less Bleak Because We Said So by Wendy Xu
Today’s poem is And Then It Was Less Bleak Because We Said So by Wendy Xu.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “When the world is
Oct 14 5 min
1339: [encore] Wind-Related Ripple in the Wheatfield by Mikko Harvey
Today’s poem is Wind-Related Ripple in the Wheatfield by Mikko Harvey.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Who might I have been—
Oct 13 5 min
1338: [encore] Are you bringing fruits, plants, seeds, by Karen Llagas
Today’s poem is Are you bringing fruits, plants, seeds, by Karen Llagas.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem looks a
Oct 12 6 min
R.K. Russell: They/Them by Danez Smith (Extended Version)
Today’s poem is They/Them by Danez Smith, with special guest R.K. Russell.
R.K. Russell is an NFL legend, writer, and social justice advocate who made history by becomi
Oct 9 16 min
R.K. Russell: They/Them by Danez Smith
Today’s poem is They/Them by Danez Smith, with special guest R.K. Russell.
R.K. Russell is an NFL legend, writer, and social justice advocate who made history by becomi
Oct 8 6 min
1337: [encore] New York Address by Linda Gregg
Today’s poem is New York Address by Linda Gregg.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this encore episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem captures that feeling wh
Oct 7 5 min
1335: [encore] Bonfire Opera by Danusha Laméris
Today’s poem is Bonfire Opera by Danusha Laméris.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this encore episode, Maggie writes… “Yes, I have new lines around my eyes
Oct 6 5 min
1334: [encore] Étude by Amy Gerstler
Today’s poem is Étude by Amy Gerstler.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this encore episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem is a celebration of sound, and als
Oct 5 5 min
David Duchovny: Dream Song 1 by John Berryman (Extended Version)
Today’s poem is Dream Song 1 by John Berryman, with special guest David Duchovny.
You know him from his breakout role as Fox Mulder on The X-Files, as well as appearanc
Oct 2 9 min
David Duchovny: Dream Song 1 by John Berryman
Today’s poem is Dream Song 1 by John Berryman, with special guest David Duchovny. You know him from his breakout role as Fox Mulder on The X-Files, as well as appearances
Oct 1 6 min
1333: [encore] Crossing the Line by E. Ethelbert Miller
Today’s poem is Crossing the Line by E. Ethelbert Miller.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem reads to me like a lov
Sep 30 5 min
1430: [encore] Earth Shovel by Dan Albergotti
Today’s poem is Earth Shovel by Dan Albergotti.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem, which looks at the fragility of
Sep 29 6 min
1359: [encore] Lotioning My Mother’s Back by Ama Codjoe
Today’s poem is Lotioning My Mother’s Back by Ama Codjoe.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “The world feels like a hard place r
Sep 28 5 min
[encore] 1501: at the baggage claim in JFK by Lo Naylor
Today’s poem is at the baggage claim in JFK by Lo Naylor. This episode was originally released on April 24, 2026.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episo
Sep 25 6 min
Chart trend
Position in the Performing Arts chart (US), last 90 days.
#1#15#28JulAugSepOct
#2
all-time peak
2
days in the top 3 since Nov 2024
Chart positions
Where The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 22, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
And today, Maggie your choice brought me to grateful tears. Waiting on the porch of the Old Faithful Inn soaking in the poker straight pines and geysers in a distance decided to flip on the slowdown. And to listen to a poem about the beauty of our Earth and stopping life to notice it- a little more magic added to an already otherworldly magical day. You are the best!! The Slowdown is a gift
Climgirl · Sep 2025
I love that Slowdown consistently offers beautiful, accessible poetry read by someone passionate about life and the craft. I often use the slowdown in the classroom and professional development teaching workshops as a powerful opener to spark curiosity and discussion. I shared the “Chaos Theory” episode with 125 students in our last class of the academic year. What a gift! Thanks for all that you do, Major.
Allie 🐊 · May 2024
Major takes me back to the 1980s when I was a teenager and when I was judged, and when I judged, based on the radio station I listened to. The voices of my favorite DJs are recorded in my memory like a beloved mixtape. I counted on them to wake me up, introduce me to the latest songs, and lull me to sleep. I listen to Major every morning. He is my current day DJ. I count on him for inspiration, wisdom, and messages so beautiful I am dazzled all day long.
Roblox_lover♥️♥️♥️♥️ · Mar 2024
I remember when Tracy left the show and I thought, “oh my gosh - it will never be the same” and then Ada, and then Major showed up and I was like “oh my gosh - this is amazing” and then there is a guest host and I think “this is going to be horrible!” and then I get a hot take that thrills me from Jason Schneiderman or Shira Erlichiman and I’m again reminded that change is good. I love the voices and reflections on the poems. The intros are often poems themselves. We listen in the car as the sun comes up on our way to work. Communing silently as we listen. Sometimes only a sigh or breath is heard for a few minutes after a particularly powerful episode. Thank you all so very much.
erinbryn · Oct 2023
I want to love this podcast as I appreciate the content and the host, however the pace of speech is so unnatural and scripted that it feels forced and difficult to engage with as a result. Talk to us like we’re sitting over a cup of coffee or tea together instead.
&7eju385 · Jul 2026
The quadruple skip to start the program should get you past the obligatory Nissan Ariya ad + de jour ad; it’s the same format every day, at least when Tracy or Ada did it they would occasionally start the program with their voice, or something other than predictable ads.
Jackson just feels like a less enthusiastic host and when paired with the idiosyncratic ads just being plugged and played, it feels drastically lazier than it’s Limon and K Smith led counterparts. It happens.
Snibblers · Apr 2023
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About The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily on Reason.fm
Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
