I'm Major Jackson, and this is the slowdown.

Last week, our team attended the 2025 AWP conference in Los Angeles.

AWP is the Association of Writers and Writing Programs.

The conference is an annual moment to gather together colleagues across the writer world.

This week's episodes include audio we recorded on-site, bringing together many voices,

slowdown style.

Many of us make choices all day. What to eat, what to watch, who to love, where to put our money.

In our digital age, many feel exhausted by the wealth of choices.

What do we do with all of this freedom?

And is it real freedom?

Today's poem explores our subjectivity, exposing the beauty and the ridiculousness in our impermanence. As Freedom is a Breakfast Food by E.E. Cummings.

As freedom is a breakfast Food by E.E. Cummings.

As freedom is a breakfast food, or truth can live with right and wrong or molehills are from mountains made. Long enough and just so long will being pay the rent of seam. And genius

please the talent gang,

and water most encouraged flame.

As hat racks into peach trees grow,

or hopes dance best on bald men's hair,

and every finger is a toe.

And any courage is a fear.

Long enough, and just so long, will the impure think all things

pure, and hornets wail by children stung? Or, as the seeing are the blind, and robins never welcome

spring? Nor flat folk prove their world is round, nor dingsters die at break of dawn.

...