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KQED's Forum

How Poetry Serves Civic Life

KQED's Forum

KQED

News Commentary, News, Politics

4.2 • 727 Ratings

🗓️ 3 April 2025

⏱️ 57 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Three California poet laureates, Fresno’s Joseph Rios, El Cerrito’s Tess Taylor and San Francisco’s former poet laureate Tongo Eisen-Martin, received $50,000 from the Academy of American Poetry to fund literary projects in their cities. Their projects include new poetry curriculums, multi-generational workshops, and creating local anthologies. In addition to finding the next generation of poets, the laureates see their mission as creating spaces for people to reflect, connect and build empathy. We talk with them about why we need poetry now and how the artform serves civic life. Guests: Tongo Eisen-Martin, former San Francisco Poet Laureate Tess Taylor, El Cerrito Poet Laureate, edited the poetry anthology, "Leaning Toward Light: Poems for Gardens and; the Hands that Tend Them" Joseph Rios, Fresno Poet Laureate, author, "Shadowboxing: poems and impersonations" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Support for Forum comes from Rancho La Puerta, a wellness resort on 4,000 acres in the mountains of Baja, California, just 45 minutes from San Diego.

0:09.4

Family owned and operated since 1940, Rancho La Pueerta offers adult summer camp-like vacations for anyone who enjoys hiking, mindfulness, and fitness classes.

0:19.8

Special rates and offers are available for summer stays and

0:23.3

first-time guests. Learn more at Rancho LePuerta.com. Support for Forum comes from Broadway

0:29.4

SF, presenting Parade, the musical revival based on a true story. From three-time Tony-winning composer

0:36.8

Jason Robert Brown comes the story of Leo and Lucille Frank, a new story. From three-time Tony-winning composer Jason Robert Brown comes the story of Leo and

0:39.9

Lucille Frank, a newlywed Jewish couple struggling to make a life in Georgia. When Leo is accused

0:46.6

of an unspeakable crime, it propels them into an unimaginable test of faith, humanity, justice,

0:53.6

and devotion.

0:55.2

The riveting and gloriously hopeful parade plays the Orpheum Theater for three weeks only, May 20th through June 8th.

1:03.4

Tickets on sale now at Broadway, sF.com.

1:08.3

From KQED.

1:09.8

Music From KQED. From KQED. From KQED in San Francisco, I'm Alexis Madrigal.

1:24.9

This morning will be joined by three California poet laureates,

1:29.3

Fresno's Joseph Rios, El Cerritos, Tess Taylor, and San Francisco's former poet laureate,

1:35.4

Tango Eisen Martin. Each of them received a $50,000 award from the Academy of American Poetry

1:41.3

to fund literary projects in their cities.

1:44.7

They'll read us some poems of place,

1:47.0

and we'll talk about how they're putting the money to work,

1:49.1

finding the next generation of poets.

1:51.2

We talk about the role of poetry in communities

1:53.5

and how the art form serves civic life.

...

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