Essential American Poets: Recent Episodes
Poetry Foundation
Listen to Donald Hall's selection of classic American poets reading from their work. These recordings are being made available as the result of a collaboration between US and UK poet laureates Donald Hall and Andrew Motion.
Recordings of poet Lorine Niedecker with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded at home in 1970. Recording courtesy of PennSound.
Recordings of poet Gertrude Stein, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded in 1934. Recording courtesy of PennSound.
Recordings of former poet laureate Charles Simic, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded 2003, Key West, FL.
Recordings of poet Alan Dugan, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded in 1962, New York City, New York.
Recordings of poet Gary Snyder, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded in 1966, Library of Congress, Washington DC.
Recordings of poet Adrienne Rich, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded in 2002 at the Audio Workshop in London
Recordings of poet Richard Hugo, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded in 1975, Library of Congress, Washington DC.
Recordings of former poet laureate Robert Pinsky, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded in 2007, in studio, Boston, MA.
Archival recordings of poet Michael Palmer, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded in 1995 at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Archival recordings of poet A.R. Ammons, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded in 1963 at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Archival recordings of poet Jorie Graham, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded in 1995 and 1998 at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Archival recordings of poet Robinson Jeffers, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded in 1941 at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Archival recordings of poet Carolyn Kizer, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded in 1958 and 1973 in Seattle, WA, and at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Archival recordings of poet Muriel Rukeyser, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded in 1962 at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Archival recordings of the poet Robert Creeley, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded in 1961, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Archival recordings of poet Lucille Clifton, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded 1973 and 1989 at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Archival Recordings of former poet laureate poet Mona Van Duyn, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded in 1966.
Recordings of poet Kenneth Rexroth, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded October 25, 1965, Library of Congress, Washington DC.
Recordings of poet Louis Simpson, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded 1959 and 1966, Library of Congress, Washington DC.
Archival recordings of the poet Wallace Stevens, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded in 1954, YMHA Poetry Center, New York, NY.
Recordings of the poet Thylias Moss, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded 2007, in studio, WBEZ, Chicago.
Archival recordings of former poet laureate Stanley Kunitz, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded 2001, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Archival recordings of the poet Robert Hayden, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded 1968 and 1977, Library of Congress, Washington DC.
Recordings of the poet Robert Bly, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded 2008, in studio, New York, NY.
Archival recordings of Conrad Aiken reading his poems, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded 1959, Library of Congress, Washington DC.
Archival recordings of the poet Denise Levertov, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded 1976, Library of Congress, Washington DC.
Archival recordings of the poet Anthony Hecht, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded at Harvard University.
Archival recordings of the poet Allen Tate, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded in 1947, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Archival recordings of the poet Carl Sandburg, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded in 1954, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Archival recordings of the poet Josephine Miles, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded in 1981, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Archival recordings of the poet William Matthews, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded in 1979, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Archival recordings of the poet George Oppen, with an introduction to his life and work.
Recordings of the poet Carolyn Forché, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded 2008, in studio, New York, NY.
Archival recordings of the poet Delmore Schwartz, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded at the National Poetry Festival, in 1962.
Archival recordings of the poet Jane Kenyon, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded 1988, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Archival recordings of poet Robert Duncan, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded 1976, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Recordings of poet W.S. Merwin, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded 1999, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Archival recordings of poet Barbara Guest, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded 1969, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Recordings of poet Thomas McGrath, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded 1960, KPFK Radio, Los Angeles, CA.
Archival recordings of poet E.E. Cummings, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded at the YMHA Poetry Center New York, NY in 1959.
Archival recordings of poet W. D. Snodgrass, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded 1963, Library of Congress, Washington DC, and 2007, Baldwinsville, NY.
Archival recordings of poet Howard Nemerov, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded 1962 and 1964, Library of Congress, Washington DC.
Archival recordings of poet Anne Sexton, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1960.
Archival recordings of poet Weldon Kees, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded in Berkeley, California in 1952.
Archival recordings of poet James Schuyler, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded at the Chelsea Hotel in New York in 1986, and at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1989.
Archival recordings of poet William Stafford, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded 1970 and 1978, Library of Congress.
Recordings of John Ashbery, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded 2008, New York, NY.
Recordings of Robert Hass, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded 2007, New York, NY.
Recordings of poet Kenneth Koch, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded in 1960 and 1976, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Recordings of Mark Strand, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded 2008, New York, NY.
Archival recordings of poet James Tate, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded at the Library of Congress in 1976.
Recordings of poet Gerald Stern, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded in New York, NY and Austin, TX.
Recordings of poet Louise Bogan, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded at the Library of Congress in 1944 and 1968.
Archival recordings of poet Yvor Winters, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded July 2, 1945, Stanford University, Stanford, CA.
Recordings of Li-Young Lee, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded March 3, 2008, New York, NY.
Recordings of poet Amy Clampitt, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded 1988, at the Library of Congress.
Recordings of Philip Levine, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded September 13, 2007, New York, NY.
Archival recordings of J. V. Cunningham, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded 1958, Cambridge Massachusetts, and 1968, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Recordings of poet Linda Gregg, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded 2008, New York, NY.
Recordings of poet William Carlos Williams, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded 1942, New York, NY, and May 5, 1945, Recording Laboratory, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Recordings of David Wagoner, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded 2008, in Seattle.
Archival recordings of former poet laureate Elizabeth Bishop, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded in New York City in 1947 and at the Library of Congress in 1974.
Recordings of poet Charles Wright, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded in 2008, in studio, Charlottesville, Virginia.
Recordings of August Kleinzahler with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded October 2, 2007, in studio, New York, NY.
Recordings of Yusef Komunyakaa, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded April 5, 2007, in studio, New York, NY.
Recordings of poet Marilyn Hacker, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded February 28, 2007, in studio, Atlanta, GA.
Recordings of former poet laureate Maxine Kumin, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded September 27, 2007, in studio, New York, NY.
Recordings of poet C.K. Williams, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded May 16, 2007, in studio, New York, NY.
Recordings of poet Ted Kooser, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded July 10, 2007, Lincoln, NE.
Recordings of poet Heather McHugh, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded September 21, 2007, New York, NY.
Recordings of poet Galway Kinnell, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded September 19, 2007, New York, NY.
Archival recordings of Theodore Roethke, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded 1950s, YMHA Poetry Center, New York, NY. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Recordings of poet Jean Valentine, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded July 10, 2007, in studio, New York, NY.
Recordings of poet Rodney Jones, with an introduction to his life and work. Recorded March 1, 2008, in studio, New York, NY.
Archival recordings of Hayden Carruth, with an introduction to his life and work. All recordings are from Hayden Carruth: A Listener’s Guide. Copper Canyon Press, 1999.
Recordings of current poet laureate Kay Ryan, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded September 11, 2007, in studio, San Francisco, CA.
Archival recordings of former poet laureate Brooks, with an introduction to her life and work. Recorded January 19, 1961, Recording Laboratory, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.