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On Being with Krista Tippett

Poetry From the On Being Gathering — Marilyn Nelson

On Being with Krista Tippett

On Being Studios

Sociology, Spirituality, Religion & Spirituality, Krista Tippett, Arts, Culture, On Being, Society, Society & Culture, Science, Social Sciences

4.710.2K Ratings

🗓️ 24 September 2018

⏱️ 21 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A morning of poetry with Marilyn Nelson from the third day of our On Being Gathering. This year, we were thrilled to host our very first On Being Gathering — a four-day coming-together of the On Being community for reflection, conversation, and companionship — at the 1440 Multiversity in the redwoods of Scotts Valley, California. We greeted each day with verse from some of our most beloved poets — and now we’d like to share these delightful moments with all of you. Here is how Marilyn Nelson opened our Sunday morning. Marilyn Nelson is professor emerita of English at the University of Connecticut and a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. She is the 2012 recipient of the Poetry Society of America’s Frost Medal for “distinguished lifetime achievement in poetry.” Her books include “The Fields of Praise: New and Selected Poems,” “Mrs. Nelson’s Class,” and “The Meeting House.” Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Poetry reading framed the on-being gathering this year.

0:03.8

And we are so happy now to share these slices of beauty,

0:07.2

elation, and contemplation with you.

0:10.1

Here's how Marilyn Nelson opened our Sunday morning.

0:13.1

Good morning.

0:20.1

Good morning.

0:23.1

So.

0:30.1

Am I read just some poems?

0:32.1

Pardon?

0:35.1

I thought I would read a couple of longish poems

0:42.1

and a couple of short poems.

0:45.1

I'm going to start with one of the longish poems.

0:51.1

And I think what I have to say about it,

0:55.1

I write narratives, and that's what this is.

0:59.1

It has three voices.

1:01.1

One is my voice.

1:04.1

One is the voice of a taxi driver.

1:07.1

And one is the voice of my muse.

1:11.1

And I'll change my voice so that you can recognize the changes.

1:16.1

It's called Faster Than Light.

1:18.1

And I decided to read it last night,

1:23.1

late last night, after meeting my housemate Natalie

...

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