The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Latest Episodes:

1328: Forge by Ethel Rackin Apr 08, 2025

Show notes

Today’s poem is Forge by Ethel Rackin.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “Today’s poem reminds me, in the midst of rapid changes and the assault on freedoms, that we must find ways to protect our health and each other, to harness our capacity for joy, to shore up our hearts, minds, and bodies.”

Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

1327: Gertrude: In the Rooms by Kate Daniels Apr 07, 2025

Show notes

Today’s poem is Gertrude: In the Rooms by Kate Daniels.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual.

In this episode, Major writes… “Given the challenges we face on the daily, it is human for us to seek out those who seem to have it figured out, be they mentors or people who we think of in the face of some crisis. When faced with any crucial decision, my friend Salvatore frequently utters, ‘What would such and such do?’ However, what happens when even our role models lose clarity, when the world is bereft of understanding?”

Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

1326: The Slowdown Live Apr 04, 2025

Show notes

Today’s episode was recorded live onstage at The Crawford in Pasadena, in partnership with our friends at LAist. Listen to hear conversation, poems, and some fun and games with our host Major Jackson and our guests Pádraig ÓTuama, Samiya Bashir, and Jason Schneiderman.

The full episode transcript is available on our website at slowdownshow.org.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

1325: Flame by C.D. Wright Apr 03, 2025

Show notes

Today’s poem is Flame by C.D. Wright.

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 onsite, bringing together many voices, Slowdown style.

Today’s poem catalogs the chaos of disaster, forming a portrait of the speaker’s experience, minute observation by minute observation.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

1324: Why I Write Poetry by Major Jackson Apr 02, 2025

Show notes

Today’s poem is Why I Write Poetry by Major Jackson.

In this episode, Major shares an important announcement.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

1323: The Ways of Remembering Women by Lynne Thompson Apr 01, 2025

Show notes

Today’s poem is The Ways of Remembering Women by Lynne Thompson.

Today’s poem, by Los Angeles’ most recent poet laureate, begins with one of the city's most famous mysteries — and goes on to consider reclaiming the stories of women in this land of reinvention.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual.

Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

1322: [as freedom is a breakfastfood] by E.E. Cummings Mar 31, 2025

Show notes

Today’s poem is [as freedom is a breakfastfood] by E.E. Cummings.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

1321: The Running of Several Simulations at Once May Lead to Murky Data by Heather Christle Mar 28, 2025

Show notes

Today’s poem is The Running of Several Simulations at Once May Lead to Murky Data by Heather Christle.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “Some might call it fantastical, but in fact, for many, magic is our orientation, or the place where we began as children and never experienced the rupture that befalls most when they become adults.” Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today.

Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

1320: mulberry fields by Lucille Clifton Mar 27, 2025

Show notes

Today’s poem is mulberry fields by Lucille Clifton.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “American poetry gently mediates our rich and complicated history. It points the way to healing and affirms timeless values that secure all Americans' freedoms.”

Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

encore [902]: Morning in a City by J. Mae Barizo Mar 26, 2025

Show notes

Our episode today is one of many from the archives. We’ll be back tomorrow with more new poetry and reflection!

Today’s poem is Morning in a City by J. Mae Barizo.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “Today’s poem, an homage to poet Robert Hass, suggests one possible way of retaining is to live in the music of our existence, where memories though fleeting and at our peripheries, still carry indulgences of delight.”

Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

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