Share

cover art for 22. Censorship & Controversy - "the mother" by Gwendolyn Brooks

Preston's Poetry Podcast

22. Censorship & Controversy - "the mother" by Gwendolyn Brooks

Ep. 22

CONTENT WARNING: Abortion


Today I'll be addressing a heavy but beautiful poem by Gwendolyn Brooks, "the mother." Some say it's a pro-, some say it's an anti-abortion poem. It's actually neither -- rather, it's a good example of what the role of the poet is in the middle of controversy, hatred, judgment, peril, and political divide.


Used/Reprinted by Consent of Brooks Permissions


Producer Gustav Worm-Leth

Outro Yentl Tijssens




More episodes

View all episodes

  • 21. 21. Tradition (and its limits) - "We Real Cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks

    25:04||Ep. 21
    In this episode, I will have the immense pleasure of introducing you to one of my all-time favorite poets, Gwendolyn Brooks. We'll be talking about "THE CANON" and how we can look to poets like Gwendolyn Brooks to know where the limits of our reverence for tradition should lie -- with a really cool, short, jazzy poem, "We Real Cool."Used/Reprinted By Consent of Brooks Permissions.-----Outro Yentl TijssensProducer Gustav Worm-Leth
  • 20. 20. Haiku with Bashō and Ezra Pound

    16:52||Ep. 20
    I'll be rapid-firing haiku! We'll talk about the history of Haiku (Hoku + Haikai) and how to read them! If you wanna check out more on Haiku, check out this great youtube video by Kent Morita and Takahiro Dunn.Guest starring: a teacher in Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan!Production Gustav LethOutro Yentl Tijssens
  • 19. 19. Ekphrasis 2.2 - "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus", William Carlos Williams

    12:04||Ep. 19
    In this two-part miniseries about two poets' takes on Pieter Bruegel's The Fall of Icarus (c. 1560), I'll be looking at William Carlos Williams' sober take in his Landscape with the Fall of Icarus.Intro: Johnny Loves MeProduction Gustav Worm-LethOutro Yentl Tijssens
  • 18. 18. Ekphrasis 2.1- "Musee des Beaux Arts" by WH Auden

    16:04||Ep. 18
    In this two-part mini-series on Ekphrastic poems, we'll be looking at the first of two poets to write ekphrastic poems about Pieter Bruegel's The Fall of Icarus (c. 1560), starting with WH Auden's Musee des Beaux Arts.Producer: Gustav Worm-LethOutro: Yentl Tijssens
  • 17. 17. Ekphrastic Poems - "Cloud Study" by (and featuring!) Donald Platt

    24:00||Ep. 17
    We've got a very special episode today by living poet Dr. Donald Platt (Purdue Univ.). We'll be discussing Ekphrastic poems, which are poems written about a work of art. Today's poem, called Cloud Study after John Constable's 1820s Study of Clouds, will be read by the poet himself!You can purchase Platt's Swansdown from the publisher, Grid Books here!Audio and Poem used by Author's permission.Production Gustav Worm-LethOutro Yentl Tijssens
  • 16. 16. Form Follows Function 2 - "Miniver Cheevy" by Edwin Arlington Robinson

    23:06||Ep. 16
    In this episode, I'll be revisiting my grand idea that poetic form follows function. We'll be looking at Edwin Arlington Robinson's great loser, Miniver Cheevy, to address how he uses a system of sound in poetry called prosody to make his point. By the end of this episode, you should have a clearer idea of how I think the form of a poem out to match the content, even enhance it!NOTE: This episode was recorded on different equipment than usual. Let me know if you love it or hate it.Production Gustav Worm-LethOutro Yentl Tijssens
  • 15. 15. Form Follows Function - "My Own Heart" by Gerard Manley Hopkins

    16:34||Ep. 15
    We'll be looking at a poem I revisit often. It has stuck with me through the years, and still to this day delivers. I quote it all the time. It's a poem that will enrich your life -- but poetically speaking, it's a good introduction to poetic form(s) because many of Hopkins' works have a kind of congruence and synchronicity between the content and the form. It's My Own Heart Let Me More Have Pity On.NOTE: This episode was recorded on different equipment than usual. Let me know if you love it or hate it.Production Gustav Worm-LethOutro Yentl Tijssens
  • (Not an) Exam LIVE Special - "Leaves of Grass" by Walt Whitman ft. Tsead Bruinja

    01:12:26|
    What is so special about the work of the American poet and luminary Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892), also known as 'The National Poet of the United States'? And how does his literature provide an answer to complex issues? In this special live edition of Preston's Poetry Podcast, poet and writer Preston Losack (originating from Dallas, Texas) welcomes poet Tsead Bruinja, and together they dive into the world of poetry while exploring his monumental work, Leaves of Grass. Tsead and Preston will read excerpts from this timeless masterpiece, share their insights, and discuss Tsead's experience translating America's Bard. Immerse yourself in a sensory journey that is just as captivating, sensual, and inspiring today as it was in 1855.Grasbladen vertaald door 21 dichters (Querido, 2005)Sponsored by: Explore the North, Leeuwarden UNESCO City of Literature, Culturele ApotheekFeaturing (former) Dichter des Vaderlands (2019-2020), Tsead BruinjaOutro composed: Yentl TijssensProducer: Gustav Worm-LethAnd Nicole.