MPR has had a keen ear for capturing the words and meter of poetry. Minnesota is home to many nationally renowned poets, city and state poet laureates, spoken word artists, and individuals young and old that have simply created work for the sake of the form. The state is also a magnet for poets all throughout the world. Here is a wonderful breadth of those readings, speeches, thoughts, and histories of the poet.
February 26, 2009 - MPR’s Marianne Combs presents a profile of acclaimed Minnesota poet and essayist Bill Holm, who passed away at the age of 65. Segment includes excerpts of Bill Holm speaking, and remembrances from those who knew him.
February 27, 2009 - Essayist and poet Bill Holm, who was nationally known for his distinctly Minnesotan writing, died at age 65. On this program, Midday features some highlights from Holm's many public appearances and rememberences from those who knew him.
March 9, 2009 - Some of the state's best high school poets competed for the state championship, with eighteen students from across the state took part in the 'Poetry Out Loud' contest. They were judged by a panel on seven criteria, including physical presence and level of difficulty. The champion, Thandisizwe Jackson-Nisan, was named after three rounds of poems.
April 16, 2009 - MPR’s Marianne Combs reports on the University of Minnesota three-day international conference celebrating the work of Minnesota poet Robert Bly.
September 10, 2009 - Jim Perlman, founder of Holy Cow Press, discusses collection of poems "Beloved on the Earth" from Duluth based publisher. The book focuses poems about grief, mourning - and celebration.
December 22, 2009 - Say what you will about the frivolity of the holiday buying season, Minneapolis poet Todd Boss has discovered a new reason to indulge in mechanical marble-tumble toys.
June 16, 2010 - Minnesota poet Philip Bryant has some words of comfort for the residents of the Gulf Coast in the face of the undersea oil gusher. Bryant, who teaches English at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, has seen hope return after a disaster.
July 5, 2010 - MPR’s Marc Sanchez presents a profile of Scott King, owner of Red Dragonfly Press in Red Wing. King creates books the old-fashioned way. He publishes poetry, usually in the form of small "chap" books. Each letter of each word is set in place by hand and then printed one page at a time.
August 4, 2010 - MPR’s Kerri Miller interviews spoken word poets Matthew Rucker, Sierra DeMulder, and Khary Jackson about the National Poetry Slam being held in St. Paul. Segment also includes excerpt of performer in Haiku style verse as a NPS side event.
September 16, 2010 - St. Paul Poet Todd Boss sends us this look back at his summer road trip in his poem, "Luckenbach."