Richard Blanco joins Jim and Margery on Boston Public Radio to share “winter weather poems” that reflect the stark beauty and nuance of the season in this latest edition of “Village Voice.”
Enjoy the conversation and read along with the poems listed, which explore themes of surrender, loneliness; what winter does to us psychologically. read more…
Richard Blanco joins Jim and Margery for another edition of “Village Voice.” This week’s theme is the Aubade poem, an ode or lament to the dawn, and “the love songs of departing lovers.”
“A perennial theme stemmed in medieval times, it’s said to have begun when the watchmen’s cry would announce the end of the night… Not a poem, but a classic example is from “Romeo and Juliet” when they depart in the morning, Oh say it is not the lark! …Of course, there are many variations in contemporary contexts that do not include a lover. But there’s always the contrast of sweetness, ecstasy, or desire, against isolation and separation.” read more…
Arts & Letters Live, the literary series at the Dallas Museum of Art, commissioned poet Richard Blanco to write a new poem inspired primarily by works of art in the DMA’s “My|gration” exhibition that was on view at the Center for Creative Connections through 2021. The new poem, “Imaginary My|grations,” synthesizes many of the themes in the exhibition: notions of migration, home, and family. In this video, Blanco reads the new poem and shares insights about his creative process.
Funding for this commission is provided by: The Bonnie Pitman Education Endowment to Do Something New at the Dallas Museum of Art.
In the latest episode of “Village Voice,” Richard Blanco celebrates poetry by January Gill O’Neil.
“…this is something that we find with January’s work, the poems start deceivingly simple, or very generous or accessible, but then really deepen in their content and meaning. And the things she’s able to put together, to connect and make a big statement — like Okra, like a casual comment at a New Year’s Eve party — I love that about her.” read more…
Richard Blanco joins Jim and Margery on Boston Public Radio to share poems that reflect the beauty and nuance of the season in this latest edition of “Village Voice.”
Among the poems, thoughts were shared on climate change and the “dependability of the seasons.” Blanco read discussed poems by Robert Frost, January Gill O’Neil, Alberto Ríos, and James Wright – all of which are listed below. read more…
Richard Blanco continues the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month in this latest edition of “Village Voice.” From the living cultures of bodegas, to Spider-Man in Times Square, to coming of age in a Mexican family, these poems highlight the nuances of what it means to be Hispanic, a hyphenated-American.
Tune in for the conversation and read along with the poems listed below. read more…
In this episode of “Village Voice,” Boston Public Radio and Richard Blanco share poems to commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month. From “Florida-grown mameyes” that are a shadow of the Cuban mamey, to grandmothers returning lost countries and cultures to the homelands of memory, as first-generation poets could have written it.
Tune in for the conversation and read along with the poems listed below. read more…
Richard Blanco shares selected quotes, emblematic of what poetry means, in this latest edition of “Village Voice.” Tune in to hear the conversation sparked by each.
“Good poetry answers questions great poetry asks them.”
Richard Blanco read more…
On the latest segment of Village Voice, using poetry to better understand our lives and times, Richard Blanco highlights satirical poetry by John Lithgow. Blanco and Lithgow were the two poets in attendance at this year’s Sun Valley Writers’ Conference.
“These poems, while they’re satirical and fun, they’re also very accomplished…masterful use of rhyme and meter…People often feel that rhyme for rhyme’s sake makes a poem, but it’s really what rhymes that makes a poem interesting.” read more…
In this episode of “Village Voice,” Jim and Margery discuss the historic protests in Cuba with poet Richard Blanco.
The discussion centers on the complexities of the Cuban saga. read more…