I haven't been updating this blog lately with information about the interviews I've been doing for Writers at Cornell. But I wanted to mention it today for two reasons--first, I just posted a new interview with former Poet Laureate Billy Collins, wherein we discuss the trouble with rules of thumb, not liking to compare poetry to jazz, and the secret government plot against poetry. It's a good one, so please give it a listen.The other reason I bring up the podcast is to tell you that it is now available on iTunes. Just click this link to bring it up, or type "Writers At Cornell" into the iTunes search bar. All new interviews, and about half the archives (so far anyway) are available for download there. Don't know why I didn't do this sooner.
Collins is reading tonight at Cornell, and we're expecting a big crowd--I don't think America's got a better known poet. (We do talk in the interview a little bit about the mixed blessing of there being such a thing.)
4 comments:
Nice. I'm always looking for new writing/writer podcasts, so I'll add this to the ipod!
I laughed when I saw the line about the "secret government plot against poetry." I've sometimes thought that there's a conspiracy there, too.
There was something in the Washington Post recently about pushing for federal education standards K through 12. Under federal standards, fourth graders would learn to explain differences between poetry and prose, and they'd have to be able use terms like stanza, meter, rhythm, etc., when they write or speak about a poem.
I wonder if such a federal mandate would change anything. I guess, though, a lot depends on the teacher and the energy s/he invests in the lesson.
I do think it's all about the teacher. But that is an interesting proposal, to be sure!
Great reading from Collins last night--he is a crowd pleaser extraordinare.
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