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The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily — Arts
The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Host Maggie Smith is your daily poetry companion. Poetry is one of the greatest tools we have to wield our own attention — to consider our own lives and the lives of others, to help us live creatively and compassionately, to use that attention to lean into wonder, and joy, and truth, and to find hope — to keep hoping. The Slowdown community knows that reflecting on a poem, every weekday, can connect us to our inner world and the world around us. Listen as you make your morning coffee, as you go on a walk in your neighborhood, as you pull away from the to-do list, as you resist the dismal, endless scroll to share five minutes of perspective through the lens of poetry, from poets old and new, well-loved and emerging onto the scene. Brought to you by American Public Media, in partnership with the Poetry Foundation.

Copyright: © Copyright 2026 Minnesota Public Radio

Latest Episodes:

1349: [encore] Sati by Vandana Khanna Oct 21, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Sati by Vandana Khanna.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem is a persona poem from the point of view of a Hindu goddess, Sati. The practice of a widow throwing herself on her husband’s funeral pyre is named after Sati, who, in this poem, gets to speak. I think you’ll be moved by what she has to say.”

This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate

1345: [encore] Arrangements by Adrienne Chung Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Arrangements by Adrienne Chung.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem speaks to the things we are drawn to, and to the compromises that must happen when we share space with others, and when there just isn’t room for everything.”

This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate

1344: [encore] Cento Between the Ending and the End by Cameron Awkward-Rich Oct 19, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Cento Between the Ending and the End by Cameron Awkward-Rich.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “In times that feel divisive and fragmented, today’s poem is a reminder of what we can do and BE together. It’s a reminder of the whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.”

This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate

Alynda Segarra: Holes by Eileen Myles (Extended Version) Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Holes by Eileen Myles, with special guest Alynda Segarra of Hurray for the Riff Raff.

Alynda Segarra is a singer-songwriter and frontperson of the band Hurray for the Riff Raff. Their music is genre-bending, drawing from punk, indie, and Americana roots.The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Alynda shares… “Memories are the way we integrate that which we've lost into our lives. They are our mental holey sweaters. We wear them around, they slowly disintegrate, but we are proud to wear them. Kind of like the bandana around your neck. You're holding on to this place or time or person that you don't have anymore.”

This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate

Alynda Segarra: Holes by Eileen Myles Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Holes by Eileen Myles, with special guest Alynda Segarra of Hurray for the Riff Raff.

Alynda Segarra is a singer-songwriter and frontperson of the band Hurray for the Riff Raff. Their music is genre-bending, drawing from punk, indie, and Americana roots.The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Alynda shares… “It was through art that I saw many different examples of people who had created a life for themselves that they were told was impossible. So I fully committed to the path of an artist. It's a path that's allowed me freedom from gender or any other confines that were placed upon me.”

This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate

1342: [encore] And Then It Was Less Bleak Because We Said So by Wendy Xu Oct 14, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is And Then It Was Less Bleak Because We Said So by Wendy Xu.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “When the world is on fire, it can feel frivolous to go dancing, to go to concerts, to host parties, to take vacations. Today’s poem so beautifully addresses the importance of holding onto joy—and onto one another—when the world feels dismal.”

This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate

1339: [encore] Wind-Related Ripple in the Wheatfield by Mikko Harvey Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Wind-Related Ripple in the Wheatfield by Mikko Harvey.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Who might I have been—or with whom, or where—if the timing had been different? Did I arrive too late to certain parts of my life, or too early? Or am I right on time? The “Choose Your Own Adventure” aspect of life is something on my mind a lot. I suspect it was on this poet’s mind, too.”

This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate

1338: [encore] Are you bringing fruits, plants, seeds, by Karen Llagas Oct 12, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Are you bringing fruits, plants, seeds, by Karen Llagas.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem looks at the anxiety and the absurdity of America: How many people seem fixated on the dangers outside our borders without acknowledging the dangers within.”

This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate

R.K. Russell: They/Them by Danez Smith (Extended Version) Oct 09, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is They/Them by Danez Smith, with special guest R.K. Russell.

R.K. Russell is an NFL legend, writer, and social justice advocate who made history by becoming the first out active NFL player to identify as bisexual.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, R.K. shares… “Oftentimes we see writing as a reflection of society, when really writing is where we bend society. It's where we bend the rules. Society is not shaping what we write. What we write is shaping society. Identity and relationships are what bust down the framework.”

This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate

R.K. Russell: They/Them by Danez Smith Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is They/Them by Danez Smith, with special guest R.K. Russell.

R.K. Russell is an NFL legend, writer, and social justice advocate who made history by becoming the first out active NFL player to identify as bisexual.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, R.K. shares… “When you start to want to live authentically as yourself, there are also sacrifices that must be made. A lot of those sacrifices are rooted in your relationships. How people view you, how people want you to give to them and love them and care for them.”

This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate

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