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After two years, two seasons and 443 episodes, Major Jackson is stepping down from the host chair. 


A Farewell to Major Jackson

To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.


Supported in Part by National Endowment for the Arts

Raising poetry to a more visible and influential position in American culture.


Produced in Partnership With the Poetry Foundation

Announcements

1362: For You Who Have Loved Old Dogs by Silas House

Today’s poem is For You Who Have Loved Old Dogs by Silas House.


Today’s poem is For You Who Have Loved Old Dogs by Silas House.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “My Boston terrier, Phoebe, is about to turn eleven, so if she were a human, she’d be a 77 year old woman. If Phoebe were one of the Golden Girls, she’d probably be Rose: quirky, loyal, a little dim-witted. We adopted her from a Boston terrier rescue organization when she was one and a half, in the spring of 2016. When people assumed that the best thing to happen to me in 2016 was my poem “Good Bones” going viral, I have to correct them. “Good Bones” changed my life, to be sure, but the best thing to happen to me that year was Phoebe. As she grows older—silver muzzle now, too—I get emotional when I’m reminded that my years with her are limited. We only have so much time.” 
Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp 

The Slowdown

1361: Earth, Sometimes I Try to Play It Casual, by Catherine Pierce

Today’s poem is Earth, Sometimes I Try to Play It Casual, by Catherine Pierce.


Today’s poem is Earth, Sometimes I Try to Play It Casual, by Catherine Pierce.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “I have zero chill when it comes to the natural world. My son and daughter would probably tell you I’m like a little kid: I gasp audibly at the clouds, the moon, the light coming through the leaves of trees. I shout “hawk!” when I see one on a walk or in the car. I take videos of hummingbirds in my neighbor’s mimosa tree and text them to people I care about. I call the albino squirrels in my neighborhood by name: Sugar (rest in peace), Flour, and Cloud. I’m delighted by what I see and hear and experience, and I don’t try to hide or downplay that delight. Why play it cool?” 
Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp 

1360: Wind, Blue Sky by Susan Aizenberg

Today’s poem is Wind, Blue Sky by Susan Aizenberg.


Today’s poem is Wind, Blue Sky by Susan Aizenberg.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem speaks to the challenge of staying in the present moment, and having gratitude for that moment, when memory is always doing what it does best: calling to us from afar.” 
Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp 


The Slowdown

Latest Episode

Recent Episodes

1362: For You Who Have Loved Old Dogs by Silas House

1361: Earth, Sometimes I Try to Play It Casual, by Catherine Pierce

1360: Wind, Blue Sky by Susan Aizenberg

Announcements

A Farewell to Major Jackson

Supported in Part by National Endowment for the Arts

Produced in Partnership With the Poetry Foundation

Other APM Podcasts

Truth Be Told

Ripple

The Splendid Table

The Slowdown

Latest Episode

Recent Episodes

1362: For You Who Have Loved Old Dogs by Silas House

1361: Earth, Sometimes I Try to Play It Casual, by Catherine Pierce

1360: Wind, Blue Sky by Susan Aizenberg

Get a poem handpicked by Maggie Smith every weekday. The email includes an abridged version of Maggie’s introduction.

Announcements

A Farewell to Major Jackson

Supported in Part by National Endowment for the Arts

Produced in Partnership With the Poetry Foundation

Other APM Podcasts

Truth Be Told

Ripple

The Splendid Table