Perhaps no one has done more to spread the spirit and craft of poetry more than Naomi Shihab Nye, a Palestinian American whose award winning books for both adults and children explore themes of loss and exile, the pace of modern life, family ties and spirituality – often with humor. I spoke with her while she visited New York in her capacity as chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. (Photo: Chehalis Hegner)

In 2008 and 2009, Kay Ryan served as America’s 16th poet laureate, tapped by the Librarian of Congress to be ambassador for American poetry. She has published nine books of poems. and is cherished for her compact, vivid and accessible verse. She is also widely celebrated in the Lesbian community. This profile is based on my interview with her at the Academy of American Poetry in New York City.

Here is a link to the VOA story I did about her and includes audio links to an extended excerpt from our interview and sound files of Ryan reading several of her poems. Also soon to be uploaded: my extended raw interview with Ryan.

See also my profiles of US Poet Laureates Charles Simic and Donald Hall.

This is a story about some of the most beautiful short poetry I have ever come across. Edited by the poet Jane Hirshfield (see “Given Sugar, Given Salt” elsewhere in this blog), it is a collection of short erotic haiku-like poems written by Ono No Komachi and Izumi Shikibu, who were part of the Japanese medieval court. The themes – transience, love, loneliness, and erotic longing – are eternal, but the words come across both artful and vividly personal (not to mention steamy) across the centuries.

For nearly 60 years, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gary Snyder has combined an environmental awareness shaped by America’s Far West with a Zen Buddhist perspective that celebrates and reveres the natural world.

This is my tribute to the great Ginsberg, whom I interviewed at length before his death. The subject was him but necessarily included major leitmotifs including Buddhism, activism, psychedelics, the Beats, being gay and being Jewish and being a mystic and gentle outlaw, much beloved.. (all this in addition to his poetry, per se). Give a listen! (Full interview below this post)

In which the California poet (and Buddhist) discusses her poetry with Adam, and reads excerpts from several of her poems with explanations….