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Sources and methods, the crown jewels of the intelligence community, shorthand for,

how do we know what's real, who told us? If you have those answers, you're on the inside,

and NPR wants to bring you there, from the Pentagon to the State Department to spy agencies,

listen to understand what's really happening and what it means for you. Sources and Methods,

the new National Security podcast from NPR.

From KQED.

Welcome to Forum.

I'm Alexis Madrigal.

If you've ever doubted you could enjoy poetry, appreciate poetry, think with poetry,

let me introduce Tracy K. Smith, the Harvard professor and Pulitzer Prize winning poet.

Today she's here in her role as lover of poetry. Love in the Harvard professor and Pulitzer Prize winning poet. Today she's here in her role

as lover of poetry, love in the sense of appreciation, but also in the sense of deep knowing

and respect and intense attraction. Her new book is called Fearless, Poetry for Periless

Times, and it proves that nobody can take apart and put together a poem quite like Tracy K. Smith.

She's out here making Emily Dickinson sing again, sing for us. She's exploring Joy Harjo's amazing poem.

She had some horses. She's using the words used at the founding of the nation to rewrite its foundational beliefs.

This book is a pleasure start to finish, and my only problem is that it's a book that drives

you inward, into yourself, into consciousness, and it made me feel a little tender and skinless,

but having slept and absorbed it this morning, I feel grateful for the experience of reading

poetry with these eyes, eager to share with you all.

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