Interesting People Reading Poetry
Interesting People Reading Poetry is a short, sound-rich podcast where artists and luminaries read a favorite poem and share what it means to them. Created by Andy & Brendan Stermer, the show features thoughtful selections and personal reflections from a variety of guests. Each episode offers an intimate look at the poems that have shaped the lives of interesting people.
Episodes
IPRP Presents: Of Modern Poetry
This special episode introduces a new ambient album by Andy Stermer, who composes all of our music. Of Modern Poetry is inspired by a selection of poetic masterpieces from the mid-19th through mid-20th centuries, all of which have been featured previously on this show. The seven compositions, arranged chronologically according to the date of each poem’s first publication, offer what we hope you
Novelist Lisa Ko Reads Tracy K. Smith
In this episode, novelist Lisa Ko reads “Don’t You Wonder, Sometimes?” by Tracy K. Smith. Ko’s first book, The Leavers, was a 2017 National Book Award finalist. Her most recent book, Memory Piece (Riverhead Books, 2024) was described in Electric Literature as “a poignant meditation on late-stage capitalism: what it means to exist in an age of surveillance and government tracking, what it means to
Poetry Playlist: Long Track Blues
This IPRP Poetry Playlist features a selection of archival recordings from PennSound, a project of the Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing at the University of Pennsylvania. The PennSound website includes an extensive audio archive with free recordings of hundreds of poets reading their own work.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4LaSIL9xy50Zf8hhFutG7Y?si=rq4P94nZSemjjXV6CWMRtw
Tracklis
Advice Columnist Amy Dickinson Reads Roland Flint
In this episode, Amy Dickinson reads “Say It” by Roland Flint. Dickinson wrote the beloved daily advice column “Ask Amy,” which appeared in newspapers across the country from 2003 until her retirement in June of 2024. She is also the author of two memoirs and a new Substack newsletter.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Biu5xhk2gBgrbInN0mccP
Roland Flint was born in Park River, Nor
Poetry Playlist: You Are Here
In this IPRP Poetry Playlist, U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón reads three selections from the anthology You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World, out now from Milkweed Editions. The collection, edited and introduced by Limón, offers “fifty poems reflecting on our relationship to the natural world by our most celebrated contemporary writers.” Click here to learn more about the anthology,
Historian Roy Foster Reads William Butler Yeats
In this episode, Roy Foster reads “Sailing to Byzantium” by William Butler Yeats. Foster is Emeritus Professor of Irish History at the University of Oxford and the author of many books, including his classic, two-volume biography of Yeats, published in 1997 and 2003. In a review of the first volume published in the New York Review of Books, the Irish novelist John Banville wrote: “W.B.
Poetry Playlist: Forgotten Frequencies
In this IPRP Poetry Playlist, our host Brendan Stermer reads three poems from his debut chapbook, Forgotten Frequencies, out now from North Dakota State University Press. The books were printed in a limited edition at The Braddock News Letterpress Museum in Braddock, ND and assembled by hand by students in the publishing program at North Dakota State University in Fargo. Forgotten Frequencies was
Rapper Dessa Reads Alan Dugan
In this episode, musician and writer Dessa reads an excerpt from “Natural Enemies of the Conch” by Alan Dugan. Dessa first gained prominence as a rapper with the Twin Cities hip hop collective Doomtree, but has since worked across many genres and creative disciplines. She has collaborated with the Minnesota Orchestra, published a memoir and poetry collections, and even hosted a BBC science podcast
Poetry Playlist: Think of the Storm
For each IPRP Poetry Playlist, we curate a selection of three poems, loosely thematically related, presented with musical score, but without any commentary or historical context. We encourage you to approach these short episodes with the same relaxed attitude you might take toward a playlist on a burnt CD, given to you by a friend, which you casually pop in on a long road trip. Don’t worry a
Priest Tish Harrison Warren Reads Scott Cairns
In this episode, Tish Harrison Warren reads “Possible Answers to Prayer” by Scott Cairns. Warren is an Anglican priest and the author of two award-winning books, Liturgy of the Ordinary and Prayer in the Night. She also writes a weekly newsletter for the New York Times on “faith in private life and public discourse.” 
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1AbkP0s1yJuIkhp82QU4lS
“Possible Answe
Poetry Playlist: Vocalism
Vocalism, measure, concentration, determination, and the divine power to speak words; Are you full-lung’d and limber-lipp’d from long trial? from vigorous practice? from physique?
–WALT WHITMAN
What would it be like to experience a selection of poems with the same relaxed attitude you might take toward a playlist on a burnt CD, given to you by a friend, which you casually pop in on a l
Journalist Alissa Rubin Reads Homer
In this episode, Alissa Rubin reads an excerpt from the ancient Greek epic The Iliad. Rubin is a Senior International Correspondent for The New York Times. She worked previously as the Bureau Chief in Baghdad, Paris, and Kabul. In 2016, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting for “thoroughly reported and movingly written accounts giving voice to Afghan women who were fo
Painter Makoto Fujimura Reads T. S. Eliot
In this episode, Makoto Fujimura reads an excerpt from “Burnt Norton” by T. S. Eliot. Fujimura is a leading contemporary painter whose work fuses abstract expressionism with traditional Japanese painting styles. He is also the author of several books, including Art + Faith: A Theology of Making, out now from Yale University Press.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/22qWbZwSKOZFHnuq7jxzb2
T. S. E
Journalist Theo Padnos Reads Arthur Rimbaud
In this episode, Theo Padnos reads “The Drunken Boat” by Arthur Rimbaud. Padnos is an American writer and journalist. In 2012, he was kidnapped and held captive for two years by an Al Qaeda affiliate in Syria. His new book about the experience, Blindfold: A Memoir of Capture, Torture, and Enlightenment, was described in the Atlantic as “the best of the genre, profound, poetic, and sowerful.&
Musician Hrishikesh Hirway Reads William Butler Yeats
In this episode, Hrishikesh Hirway reads “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by William Butler Yeats. Hirway is the creator and host of several acclaimed podcasts, including Home Cooking (with Samin Nosrat), The West Wing Weekly (with Joshua Malina), and Song Exploder (which is now also a Netflix original series). On top of all that, Hirway manages a career as a composer and recording artist.
Editor Dawn Davis Reads Edna St. Vincent Millay
In this episode, Bon Appétit Editor-in-Chief Dawn Davis reads “Sonnet 171” by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Davis joined Bon Appétit in November 2020 following a long career in book publishing. Through her visionary work at Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins, Davis oversaw the publication of numerous influential best sellers — from “The Pursuit of Happyness” by Chris Gardner to “The Known World” by
Songwriter Grian Chatten Reads Gerard Manley Hopkins
In this episode, Grian Chatten reads “The Windhover” by Gerard Manley Hopkins. Chatten is the frontman of the Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C., recently described by NME as “the new heroes of the rock resurrection.” The members of the group met while attending music college in Dublin and initially bonded over a shared love for Irish literature. Their second album, A Hero’s Dea
Photographer Alec Soth Reads Wallace Stevens
In this episode, Alec Soth reads “Of Modern Poetry” by Wallace Stevens. Soth is a photographer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has published over twenty-five books and has been called a “living legend” and “one of the most important photographers working today” by the Washington Post.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6U9XgyQuamdVdEDw1P9ZNm
Soth’s r
Counselor Sheryl Paul Reads Walt Whitman
In this episode, Sheryl Paul reads from “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman. Paul is a counselor working in the tradition of Jungian depth psychology. She runs the popular blog and website, Conscious Transitions, and is the author, most recently, of The Wisdom of Anxiety: How Worry & Intrusive Thoughts Are Gifts to Help You Heal. Paul writes of anxiety not as a disorder to be eradicat
Filmmaker Jennifer Crandall Reads Mark Strand
In this episode, Jennifer Crandall reads “Keeping Things Whole” by Mark Strand. Crandall is a documentary filmmaker and journalist. She is the creator, most recently, of Whitman, Alabama – a must-watch web series in which Alabama residents recite passages from Walt Whitman’s poem, “Song of Myself.” Crandall has described the project as “an experiment in using do
Biblical Translator Robert Alter Reads the Song of Songs
In this episode, Robert Alter reads from his translation of the Song of Songs. Alter is a literary critic and translator based at the University of California, Berkeley. In 2018, he published a landmark, one-man translation of the entire Hebrew Bible – the culmination of over two decades of scholarship.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/30aHgozRmfI887FcizwpPe
The Song of Songs – sometimes ref
Painter Enrique Martínez Celaya Reads Miguel Hernández
In this episode, Enrique Martínez Celaya reads “Elegy for Ramón Sijé” by Miguel Hernández. Martínez Celaya is a world-renowned painter, sculptor, and the author of On Art & Mindfulness, among other books. He lives and works in Los Angeles.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/65qUKBK1KAGjRdvaL1f57r
Miguel Hernández (1910-1942) was an early 20th-century Spanish poet. The elegy featured in this
Composer Libby Larsen Reads Bill Holm
In this episode, composer Libby Larsen reads “Wolf Song in Los Angeles” by Bill Holm. Larsen is one of the most prolific and most performed living American composers. Bill Holm (1943 – 2009) was a poet and essayist who lived in western Minnesota. Throughout the episode, you’ll hear excerpts from Larsen’s musical setting of “Wolf Song in Los Angeles” – performed by Clara Osowski, with p
Journalist Krista Tippett Reads Rainer Maria Rilke
In this episode, On Being Project founder and CEO Krista Tippett reads “God speaks to each of us as he makes us” by Rainer Maria Rilke. She shares how the poem gave her courage and resolve during the creation of her public radio show, Speaking of Faith, in 2003. In the years since, Speaking of Faith has grown and evolved into The On Being Project, a media and public life initiative exploring
U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar Reads Warsan Shire
In this episode, U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar reads “Conversations about home (at the deportation centre)” by Warsan Shire and reflects on the many meanings of home. On November 6, 2018, Omar became the first Somali American, and one of the first two Muslim women elected to U.S. Congress. She represents Minnesota’s 5th congressional district. This interview was recorded in 2017,
Entomologist Marla Spivak Reads Rumi
In this episode, entomologist Dr. Marla Spivak reads “When Grapes Turn to Wine” by Rumi and discusses how Rumi can teach us to “think like bee.” Dr. Spivak is a MacArthur “genius” Fellow known for her groundbreaking research on bee behavior and biology.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2xyntSd8WxczMfrBoaPgfP
“When Grapes Turn to Wine” by Rumi, translated by Robert Bly, appears in the b
Playwright Harrison David Rivers Reads Essex Hemphill
In this episode, playwright Harrison David Rivers reads “For My Own Protection” by Essex Hemphill and discusses the use of the poem in his recent play, This Bitter Earth. Rivers is the recipient of fellowships from the McKnight and Jerome Foundations and is a core writer at the Playwright’s Center.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1prSuXPitknNPj26IItVnr
“For My Own Protection” by Essex Hemph
Writer Chris Kraus Reads Steve Levine
In this episode, writer Chris Kraus reads “Miserable Life” by Steve Levine and discusses how New York School poetry influenced the development of her distinctive style. Kraus is the author of I Love Dick (now an Amazon Original Series) and, most recently, After Kathy Acker.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Iz5hjra5tUmof9lteqMIz
“Miserable Life” is used by permission from To and For (Coffee House
Chef Amy Thielen Reads Jim Harrison
In this episode, Amy Thielen reads “Death Again” by Jim Harrison and explores the relationship between great food and great literature. Amy Thielen is a chef and two-time James Beard Award-winning writer. She’s the author of The New Midwestern Table (a cookbook) and Give a Girl a Knife (a memoir). She’s also the host of Heartland Table on Food Network.
https://open.spotif
DJ Rekha Reads Audre Lorde
In this episode, DJ Rekha reads “A Litany for Survival” by Audre Lorde and discusses dancing as an antidote to fear. DJ Rekha is a producer, curator, and educator based in New York City. Her classic debut album, DJ Rekha presents Basement Bhangra, was released in 2007. Her monthly party, Basement Bhangra, ran from 1997 to the summer of 2017 – making it one of the most influential
Chris Koza & Malena Handeen: Live!
We’re celebrating the last episode of our first season with a special double feature, recorded live at Java River Cafe in Montevideo, Minnesota. Our guests are Chris Koza and Malena Handeen.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/56kICspS4nhXkqOVJ02gQT
Chris Koza is the frontman of the Americana rock band Rogue Valley. In this interview, he reads a poem by U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith th
Comedian Mary Mack Reads Roald Dahl
In this episode, comedian Mary Mack reads “Attention Please! Attention Please!” by Roald Dahl. Mack is a nationally touring stand-up comic, beloved for her singular oddball folk humor. She’s been on Conan and WTF with Marc Maron. Her latest album is Ms. Taco Man.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6oriFW3sFt7escNtRWmnDC
“Attention Please! Attention Please!” by Roald Dahl appears in
Lawyer Nekima Levy-Pounds Reads Maya Angelou
In this episode, Nekima Levy-Pounds reads “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou and discusses the strength she draws from the resilience of her ancestors. Pounds is a decorated attorney, ordained Reverend, and former president of the Minneapolis NAACP.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/10ebQ6GtMKVEsCEeU0BKj3
“Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou appears in the collection And Still I Rise, published b
Writer Kao Kalia Yang Reads Mai Der Vang
In this episode, Kao Kalia Yang reads “To the Placenta of Return” by Mai Der Vang and discusses the sacrifices mothers made to protect their families during America’s Secret War in Laos. Over the course of two award-winning memoirs, Yang has charted the physical, political, emotional, and spiritual terrain of the Hmong journey to the United States in the aftermath of that war. He
Epidemiologist Rob Wallace Reads Derek Walcott
In this episode, evolutionary biologist Rob Wallace reads “The Sea is History” by Derek Walcott and discusses the importance of questioning historical narratives that justify the status quo. Wallace was alt-CDC before it was a Twitter handle. He blogs at Farming Pathogens and is the author of “Big Farms Make Big Flu: Dispatches on Infectious Disease, Agribusiness, and the Nature of Sci
Songwriter Gaelynn Lea Reads E. E. Cummings
In this episode Gaelynn Lea reads “53” by E.E. Cummings and discusses the importance of acknowledging the duality of light and darkness in life. Lea is a folk singer, disability advocate, and the winner of the 2016 NPR Tiny Desk Contest. The music in this interview is from Lea’s album, The Songs We Sing Along the Way. Her latest album is Learning How to Stay.
https://open.spotify
Activist Waziyatawin Reads John Trudell
In this episode, Waziyatawin reads “Cry Your Tears” by John Trudell and explores the complexities of solidarity. Waziyatawin is a leading Dakota intellectual, activist, and the executive director of Makoce Ikikcupi, a non-profit dedicated to Dakota land recovery. Her influential book, What Does Justice Look Like? is available from Living Justice Press.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/
Novelist Benjamin Percy Reads Brian Turner
In this episode, Benjamin Percy reads “At the Lowe’s Home Improvement Center” by Brian Turner. Percy writes the Green Arrow and Teen Titans series’ for DC Comics, and recently published a terrifying fourth novel, “The Dark Net.”
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ZC1YpjADluDA1k7mLfy9L
“At the Lowe’s Home Improvement Center,” by Brian Turner, appears in his collection, Phantom
Composer Maria Schneider Reads Ted Kooser
In this episode, composer Maria Schneider reads “Walking by Flashlight” by Ted Kooser and discusses the process of setting poems to music. Schneider’s 2016 album, The Thompson Fields, won the Grammy for Best Large Ensemble Jazz Album and includes a musical setting of “Walking by Flashlight.”
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4u6u1ct7RZBPTWDHnqqRDS
“Walking by Flashligh
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