Doug Anderson: Live Myth
I would believe in the unicorn if it stood heaving and slathered, snapping flies off its flank with its tail. It does not smell of sweat and stable, does not … Continue reading
Michael Simms: The Very American Poetry of Jose Padua
What are poets for in destitute times? — Hölderlin . Every poem is a subversive act. In an age when our senses are benumbed by competing media screaming for our … Continue reading
Video: The Moth — Janna Levin “Life on a Möbius Strip”
In this performance from The Moth, a young astrophysicist tells a story about an improbable love affair and its parallels with her research into black holes and finite mathematics.
Audio: Leon Redbone & Zooey Deschanel — “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”
Leon Redbone and Zooey Deschanel have fun covering this American classic written by Frank Loesser in 1944. Although a perennial holiday favorite, the song has become controversial in recent years.
Edna St. Vincent Millay: First Fig
My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends— It gives a lovely light! . Edna St. Vincent Millay … Continue reading
Video: Women Wage Peace — “Prayer of the Mothers”
. First Published on Nov 15, 2016. Yael Deckelbaum, Lubna Salame, Daniel Rubin, Miriam Tukan, Rana choir, the Hebrews of Dimona and singers from all sectors and religions of Israeli society. … Continue reading
Stephen Dobyns: Napatree Point
A mile from where I live is a beach where in winter I walk the dog, console myself with the ocean’s beauty and ponder the imponderables, like what to do … Continue reading
Video: Leonard Cohen — “Hallelujah” sung in English and Hebrew
. Leonard Cohen’s official video for his live performance of Hallelujah. Email subscribers may click on the title of this post to watch the videos. . Hallelujah Now, I’ve heard … Continue reading
Leslie McGrath: An Anniversary
(Newtown, CT December 14, 2012) Cue the half-mast flags sagging eleven listless days before Christmas and the entreaties to return to our senses. It takes nearly a month, an advent … Continue reading
Michael Simms: Two Thefts
When I was in college, I committed larceny twice. Forty years later, I still feel pleased by the first theft and ashamed of the second. I was living with a … Continue reading
Philip Levine: Salts And Oils
In Havana in 1948 I ate fried dog believing it was Peking duck. Later, in Tampa I bunked with an insane sailor who kept a .38 Smith and Wesson in … Continue reading
Michael Simms: Going Deaf
Now is the time for drowsy tanagers. -– E.S. . First I lost the tick of snowflakes hitting glass. Then the sound of the cat’s tongue running over her fur. … Continue reading
Video: Marconi Union and Lyz Cooper perform “Weightless”
Listen to Marconi Union and Lyz Cooper perform “Weightless” — said to be the most relaxing piece of music ever composed. [8 minutes]
Video: “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe read by Christopher Lee
. . “The Raven,” written in 1845, stands today as Poe’s best-known work; he later claimed that he wrote it with “the intention of composing a poem that should suit … Continue reading
