New Letters on the Air

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New Letters on the Air

This radio/podcast companion to the literary quarterly, New Letters, was founded in 1977, by David and Judy Ray. Past guests include U.S.

The weekly half hour program features poets, novelists, playwrights, and essayists reading from and discussing their work. New Letters on the Air, hosted by Angela Elam, is the half-hour radio companion to the literary quarterly magazine New Letters. Poets Laureate Ted Kooser, Rita Dove, Billy Collins; Pulitzer Prize-winning playwrights August Wilson, Suzan-Lori Parks, Tony Kushner and novelists J

im Harrison, Jane Smiley, Richard Russo, and others. The program, which also features emerging writers of poetry, fiction, drama and creative non-fiction, is produced by the University of Missouri-Kansas City and distributed via the Public Radio Satellite System's Content Depot, and the Public Radio Exchange.

09/07/2022

Now Streaming: The rigors and joys of work are celebrated in this special anthology program entitled Working Class Poets. B.H. Fairchild, Susan Gubernat, Robert Stewart, and Dorianne Laux read from their work and share how their working class jobs and roots inform their writing. Listen to the full show on our PRX page at: https://bit.ly/3es1AdW

“Now : The rigors &joys of work are celebrated in this anthology program entitled Working Class Poets. B.H. Fairchild, Susan Gubernat, Robert Stewart & Dorianne Laux read from their work& discuss how their former jobs inform their writing. Listen@ https://t.co/hTrAnS18Rs”

08/22/2022

Now Streaming: Fiction writer Ron Tanner, the author of the 2022 short story collection Far West, talks about the similarities between renovating a house and writing, which inspired his earlier memoir, From Animal House to Our House. Hear the love story behind fixing up an old frat house with his girlfriend led to their marriage and the recent founding of a writers retreat at Good Contrivance Farm in Maryland. The home has been featured in This Old House magazine and is also the subject of Ron Tanner's website www.houselove.org. He discusses how the renovations helped him to examine his relationships and his work as a writer. He also reads from his short story book, A Bed of Nails, winner of the G.S. Sharat Chandra Fiction Prize from BkMk Press. Listen to the full show on our PRX page at: https://bit.ly/3PFxG2U

“Now : Fiction writer Ron Tanner, author of the 2022 short story collection Far West, talks about his memoir, From Animal House to Our House and also reads from his collection of award-winning short stories, A Bed of Nails from . Listen@ https://t.co/xUJhYU1DcO”

08/03/2022

Award-winning poet Shin Yu Pai, who has been featured on New Letters on the Air, hosts this podcast "about commonplace objects and the people who transform them into something remarkable. From a Chinese-English dictionary passed from father to son to an old califone playing records left behind by Japanese Americans incarcerated during WWII, The Blue Suit will reexamine what gets elevated to heirloom status." Stream new episodes every Monday at: https://bit.ly/3zyxegV

07/31/2022

Now Streaming: In July 2022, Ada Limón, a Californian who transplanted herself to NYC and now lives in Kentucky, was named the 24th U.S. Poet Laureate to take over the post in the fall from Joy Harjo. This seems appropriate, since she was already handed the torch for the Poetry Foundation's podcast The Slowdown by the 22nd U.S. Poet Laureate, Tracy K. Smith. Limón is the author of six poetry books, including The Hurting Kind in 2022. She talks about her first three collections in this 2011 interview that also reveals her early influences--from her first poetry teacher, Philip Levine (another U.S. Poet Laureate) to her job as a copy editor for magazines in New York. And you'll hear her views on how poetry can help and inspire people to reconnect and recommit to our world. Listen to the full show on our PRX page at: https://bit.ly/3OMul1t

“Now : We revisit this 2011 interview with now US Poet Laureate Ada Limón. She talks about her first 3 collections & reveals her influences from her first poetry teacher, Philip Levine to her job as a copy editor for magazines in New York. Listen@ https://t.co/qzWu40Zti0”

07/20/2022

Now streaming: With all the new telescope photos in the news, we revisit a classic reading from the 2012 Pulitzer Prize winning book Life on Mars by Tracy K. Smith, as she shares poems in tribute to her late father, a Hubble Telescope engineer. These works are also in the 2021 book, Such Color: New and Selected Poems by the U.S. Poet Laureate (2017-19) . Listen to the full show on our PRX page at: https://bit.ly/3OmwAs6

“Now : U.S. Poet Laureate (2017-19) Tracy K. Smith reads from her 2012 Pulitzer Prize book, Life on Mars, a tribute to her late father, a Hubble Telescope engineer. Hear poems now also in her 2021 book, Such Color: New & Selected Poems on at: https://t.co/snjmaQpyvD”

07/12/2022

Now Streaming: In this classic 2005 interview, the late E.L. Doctorow discusses his novel, The March, winner of both the National Book Critics Circle and PEN/Faulkner Awards. Listen to the full show on our PRX page at: https://bit.ly/3c84Z0v

“Now : In this classic 2005 interview, the late E.L. Doctorow discusses his novel, The March, winner of both the National Book Critics Circle and PEN/Faulkner Awards. Listen to the full show on our page at: https://t.co/fS1x9bi6Og”

07/02/2022

Now Streaming: The Augurs: Women of an Age, is a special public poetry reading, featuring a group of women poets, all over the age of 60, sharing their work and views on America. Eleanor Wilner, Alice Friman, Alicia Ostriker, Robin Becker, the late Michelle Boisseau, and others read from work that is both poignant and political. Listen to the full show on our PRX page at: https://bit.ly/3bKE22q

“Now : This public poetry reading features a group of women poets, all over the age of 60, sharing their work and views on America. Listen to Eleanor Wilner, Alice Friman, Alicia Ostriker, Robin Becker & the late Michelle Boisseau on our PRX page@ https://t.co/E9F6SwyJHM”

06/24/2022

Now Streaming: In this classic show, Leonard Pitts Jr. talks about race, family, and the process of writing his syndicated column which won him a Pulitzer Prize in 2004. Pitts also reads from his 2012 novel, Freeman, about former slaves and a return to the south after the Civil War in search of their scattered families. Listen to the full show on our PRX page at: https://bit.ly/3OF109z

“Now : Leonard Pitts Jr. talks about race, family, and the process of writing his syndicated column which won him a Pulitzer Prize in 2004 and reads from his 2012 novel, Freeman. Listen to the full show on our page at: https://t.co/vhYBOXBLTT”

06/17/2022

Now Streaming: For Pride Month we revisit this classic interview with Rigoberto González, winner of the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award from Association of Le****ns and Gay Men in Publishing. He discusses his work in poetry, fiction, memoir and criticism. Listen to the full show on our PRX page at: https://bit.ly/3b8UqK1

“Now : For we revisit this interview w/ Rigoberto González, winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award from Association of Le****ns and Gay Men in Publishing. He discusses his work in poetry, fiction, memoir & criticism. Listen at: https://t.co/KXlxWzvvS5”

06/07/2022

Now Streaming: In this classic interview, acclaimed short story writer George Saunders talks about his creative process and how he approached the writing of his debut novel, Lincoln in the Bardo. Listen to the full show on our PRX page at: https://bit.ly/3NvcxrQ

“Now : In this classic interview, acclaimed short story writer George Saunders talks about his creative process and how he approached the writing of his debut novel, Lincoln in the Bardo. Listen on our page at: https://t.co/4Kc5LQUuO2”

05/31/2022

Now Streaming: We conclude Asian Heritage Month with this classic interview with novelist Lisa See. She talks about the real world inspiration for her novel China Dolls and discusses how her research shaped this book. Listen to the full show on PRX at: https://bit.ly/3x4vAU2

“Now : We conclude with this classic interview with novelist Lisa See. She talks about the real world inspiration for her novel China Dolls and discusses how her research shaped this book. Listen to the full show on PRX at: https://t.co/8LITqHx8Nk”

05/19/2022

Now Streaming: We continue Asian American Heritage Month with Taiwanese-American poet Shin Yu Pai. She reads from her seventh collection, Adamantine, and her earlier work, Sightings. Listen to the full show on our PRX page at: https://bit.ly/3NriEgw

“Now : We continue with Taiwanese-American poet Shin Yu Pai. She reads from her seventh collection, Adamantine, and her earlier work, Sightings. Listen to the full show on our page at: https://t.co/hWcIbuG7Aw https://t.co/xjvYjXHVoc”

05/14/2022

Now Streaming: Poet Beth Ann Fennelly discusses her roles as poet, teacher, mother and wife. She reads from her early poetry books and talks about her non-fiction collection, Great with Child: Letters to a Young Mother. Listen to the full show on our PRX page at: https://bit.ly/3wwi89W

“Now : Poet Beth Ann Fennelly discusses her roles as poet, teacher, mother and wife. She reads from her early poetry books and talks about her non-fiction collection, Great with Child: Letters to a Young Mother. Listen at: https://t.co/GFCItia9q0 https://t.co/tqAWCc1CPo”

05/06/2022

Now Streaming: For Asian American Heritage Month, we're revisiting this interview with Filipino poet Patrick Rosal. He talks about the impetus to capture break dancers & hip-hop artists in his poetry and reads from his award-winning books. Listen to the full show on our PRX page at: https://bit.ly/3kQimTU

“Now : For we're revisiting this interview with Filipino poet Patrick Rosal. He talks about the impetus to capture break dancers & hip-hop artists in his poetry & reads from his award-winning books. Listen on our page at: https://t.co/tALRU49bTk https://t...

04/21/2022

We're celebrating National Poetry Month with a nod to what Missouri-born poet T.S. Eliot called The Cruelest Month. Listen to ten poets, reflecting on love in all its forms, including U.S. Poets Laureate Billy Collins, Charles Simic, Kay Ryan, Juan Felipe Herrera, Rita Dove, and Donald Hall, along with other prize-winning poets along with Elizabeth Alexander,Randall Mann, Debra Marquart and Alberto Rios in this special anthology of New Letters on the Air. Listen to the full show on our PRX page at: https://bit.ly/3rEDK2b

“Now : We continue with a group of poets reflecting on love including Billy Collins, Charles Simic, Kay Ryan, Juan Felipe Herrera, Rita Dove, Donald Hall, Elizabeth Alexander,Randall Mann, Debra Marquart& Alberto Rios. Listen@ https://t.co/ZYq6yCBcIz https://t.co...

04/14/2022

Now Streaming: We're celebrating National Poetry Month with a look back at influential feminist poets who led the the next generations into the 21st century including Maxine Kumin, Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, and Carolyn Kizer. Listen to the full show on our PRX page at: https://bit.ly/3MbgrVT

“Now : We're celebrating with a look back at influential feminist poets who led the the next generations into the 21st century including Maxine Kumin, Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, and Carolyn Kizer. Listen at: https://t.co/Cjtoq4xuGS https://t.co/GPYSORTUDz”

03/24/2022

Now Streaming: We continue Women's History Month with this classic 2008 show featuring poet Victoria Chang. She talks about approaching poetry from the business world and the influence of her Taiwanese immigrant parents on her work. She reads from Salvinia Molesta and Circle. Listen to the full show on our PRX page at: https://bit.ly/3tzXy8v

“Now : In this 2008 show, poet Victoria Chang talks about approaching poetry from the business world, and the influence of her Taiwanese immigrant parents on her work. She reads from Salvinia Molesta and Circle. Listen at: https://t.co/TAxuyzuUPm https://t.co/FRfQT4e7...

03/16/2022

Now Streaming: We continue Women's History Month with Kathryn Nuernberger, who discusses how she once shied away from being a "woman writer" and why she now embraces it. She reads from her 2017 essay collection, Brief Interviews with the Romantic Past, and shares pieces from her three poetry books, including her third collection, Rue. Listen to the full show on our PRX page at: https://bit.ly/37rrWcs

“Now : We continue w/ Kathryn Nuernberger who discusses how she once shied away from being a "woman writer" and why she now embraces it, as she reads from her three poetry books, including her third collection, Rue. Listen@ https://t.co/EDh1B7VzcC https://t.co/bbu...

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Videos

Rick Barot Now Streaming

Now Streaming: We continue Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with Filipino-American poet Rick Barot who discusses how the writing process should be one of self-exploration and realization & reads from his early collections The Darker Fall and Want. Listen to the full show on our page on PRX at: https://bit.ly/3yrCX6Q

Ellen Bass

Now Streaming: In this classic New Letters on the Air show, poet Ellen Bass talks about her childhood in Philadelphia and reads from her collections Like a Beggar and The Human Line. Listen to the full show on our PRX page at: https://bit.ly/3xYwgsD

Monica Youn

Now Streaming: Lawyer turned poet Monica Youn reads from her three award winning collections, Barter, Ignatz, and Blackacre, and talks about her Korean heritage as well as discusses the use of Greek and Nordic myth within her work. Listen at: https://bit.ly/3b84boJ

Joy Harjo

Now Streaming: We conclude National Poetry Month with this archive interview featuring current U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo. Listen to the full show on our PRX page at: https://bit.ly/3u57y7z

Cruelest Month

Now Streaming: We're continuing National Poetry Month by recalling the lines “April is the Cruelest Month” from T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land”, as we look at love in its many forms with works by former U.S. Poets Laureate Billy Collins, Rita Dove, Charles Simic, Donald Hall Kay Ryan, and Juan Felipe Herrera, along with several other award-winning poets. Listen to the full show at: https://bit.ly/3aDvvuQ

Kooser Streaming

Now Streaming: We begin National Poetry Month with this classic episode featuring former U.S. Poet Laureate & Pulitzer Prize-winner Ted Kooser. Listen to the full show on our PRX page at: https://bit.ly/39M7pxN

Naomi Shihab Nye

Now Streaming: In this interview, Naomi Shihab Nye, the Poetry Foundation's Young People's Poet Laureate, reads from her book, Tender Spot, including her poem "Famous" that was recently turned into picture book. Listen to the full show on our PRX page at: https://bit.ly/3rzCn23

Feminist Poets

Now Streaming: Women's History Month continues with these recording from our audio archives featuring the Past American Voices of feminist poets Maxine Kumin, Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, and Carolyn Kizer. Listen to the full show at our page on PRX: https://bit.ly/3sjBjka

Black Women Writers in History

Now Streaming: We continue Women's History Month with Black Women Writers in History. This archival show features the works of Margaret Walker, Gwendolyn Brooks, Rita Dove and more. Listen to the full show on our PRX page at: https://bit.ly/2OImjgX

Women Writing Women

Now Streaming: We're celebrating Women's History Month with this anthology program featuring novelist Meg Wolitzer and poet & biographer Molly Peacock talking about the importance of writing about the lives and work of women. Listen to the full show at: https://bit.ly/3qxcoI3

Finney 2

Now Streaming: In the second part of this interview with Nikky Finney, she reads more from her collection Head Off and Split and shares a poetic tribute to her father, the first African American Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court. Listen to the full show at: https://bit.ly/3sVzPwt

Wilson Streaming

Now Streaming: We continue Black History Month with this 2002 interview with the late playwright August Wilson, whose play Ma Rainey's Black Bottom was turned into a 2020 film. Listen as he talks about his approach to writing characters and his process at: https://bit.ly/3qUKsz1