MPR’s John Biewen profiles poet Thomas McGrath. Report includes excerpts of interview and readings by McGrath.

Transcript:

(00:00:00) In his 67 years McGrath has received a lot of praise and some notable blame first the praise since studying at Oxford as a Rhodes scholar McGrath has written 19 volumes of poetry and one novel that have earned him several Awards and fellowships his admirers include poet Robert Bly who calls McGrath's poetry buoyant cunning harsh Celtic and best-selling author Studs Terkel who declares McGrath our most powerful political poet. The Los Angeles Times called Echoes inside the Labyrinth American Poetry at its most physical eccentric and courageous. Although McGrath seems genuinely unimpressed by such accolades. He clearly is proud of his work and when he reads one of his poems A Satisfied smile comes to his
(00:00:47) face oftentimes. I remember the circumstances writing the poem or what Set It Off. And sometimes that's the wear them smile comes from or sometimes. It's because I see a joke or an implication that I had forgotten or missed when I was writing it and it's always nice to see that the poem is a little richer than I thought it was that's really very pleasant thing to see one very notable
(00:01:18) group. That didn't find McGrath's poetry Pleasant was the house on American Activities Committee of the 1950s. The committee blacklisted McGrath from teaching and he was forced to work as a documentary film writer until the anti-communist hysteria led up in the early 60s McGrath's writing is full of radical criticism of American society. And he says artist should eagerly accept the role of social critic one of his poems on that subject is entitled higher criticism.
(00:01:47) The spirit is in love with beauty. So the Philosopher's tell us and the poet's a bit absent-minded agree counting their breaths. The artist nods complacent blowing his abstract nose framing a worn-out mattress to hang in the new Museum. Meanwhile, Injustice fills the street like tear gas covers the city and the lacrimal fog seeps in through the broken windows of the poorhouses and muffles the cries of children with the stench of modern times
(00:02:24) McGrath social views. Don't fit on the spectrum of American electoral politics. He says races like the current presidential campaign are a
(00:02:32) circus because there's no difference between the Republic rats and the Democrats. The both the capital of it, they're both wounds of the single capitalist
(00:02:43) party McGrath retired from teaching at Morehead State two years ago after a long career at several universities. He says he had looked forward to retirement to traveling and more freedom to write but those plans have been frustrated by poor health. He says he lacks The energy needed to travel and is not as productive a writer as he once was
(00:03:04) in a strange place here. At this time, I don't know really where I am in terms of my life suddenly. It seems that it's over or next to being over and I wasn't as I say I wasn't prepared for that. I thought there would be quite a length of time before
(00:03:26) that yet. Those words are spoken more with annoyance than with despair McGrath is finishing his most Monumental single work letter to an imaginary friend a nearly 400 page. Um, he's been working on for decades the poet speaks and writes about his own life in self-deprecating yet accepting tones.
(00:03:46) I fed on Flesh on till that honey was bitter as Gall then Drew drunk on the souls lightning and alcohol. Now flesh and soul both stink lightning and honey. Paul bitter grows sweet at last and laughter is
(00:04:05) all poet Thomas McGrath. He'll accept an American book award from the before Columbus Foundation this weekend in Los Angeles. This is John be one in Moorhead.