Displaying episodes 1 - 30 of 114 in total
December 4th, Wednesday | Hiatus Week: The Walrus and the Carpenter
Hiatus Week Day 3: A very odd and sort of a ‘trickster’ poem by none other than Lewis Carroll.
December 3rd, Tuesday | Hiatus Week: Legend of the Indian Summer
Hiatus Week Day 2: A belated autumnal poem to explain the Indian Summer phenomenon.
December 2nd, Monday | Hiatus Week: The Courtship of Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo
Our first ever hiatus week doesn't mean we won't be sharing some daily culture with you - find out what this week's content-theme theme is!
November 29th, Friday | Mom and Baby Barack
Imagine a baby Barack Obama in a little carrier, set upon a desk in a large lecture hall. His mom is there too of course. She's the one taking the classes, taking care...
November 28th, Thursday | A Thanksgiving Poem
Today we're grateful for all our listeners. A reflection on gratitude is baked into one timely poem for today's holiday. Happy Thanksgiving!
November 27th, Wednesday | Fanny Kemble stirs up trouble
Fanny Kemble stirs up trouble in her marriage...but over what? The first big-time Asian American actor makes waves in Hollywood, finding his place after a fight-happy ...
November 26th, Tuesday | Peanuts Creator was no Pauper!
Charles Schulz basically made a killing with Peanuts! A fiercely independent American surgeon shares a birthday with the cartoonist. Poem by Lewis Carroll.
November 25th, Monday | A Million Dollar Lady
A million-dollar Lady deserves a million-dollar question: Can you name the most ethnically diverse country in South America? Plus, a completely unrelated poem.
November 22nd, Friday | The Real George Eliot Lived in Sin
Toy Story premiered in theaters – and it was well worth the investment! George Eliot lived in sin as an adult and was considered by her father to be unattractive. She ...
November 21st, Thursday | "Un Petit Volontaire"
A female Dutch playwright rises to fame and French thinker Voltaire named himself. Plus, a modern poem for a special birth-day.
November 20th, Wednesday | Selma Lagerlöf wins it all
The first woman to win a Nobel Prize in Literature was Swede Selma Lagerlöf. Plus, a star-inspired poem and a thank you.
November 19th, Tuesday | Hiram Bingham's Big (re)Discovery
An amateur explorer makes the re-discovery of an iconic ancient city. Which fictional character did he inspire? Plus, a poet watches the sunset.
November 1st, Friday | A Very Vietnam War
1955 saw the start of the Vietnam War - though the fighting had been going on for some time. In today's poem, the speaker attempts to forget his own war experiences.
October 31st, Thursday | Of Course We're Gonna Talk About Halloween!
It's Halloween so you know what that means...a closer look into this sort of weird holiday (if you think about it!). Plus, a spooky poem from an Aussie poet.
October 30th, Wednesday | A Kentucky Writer & Tourette
An American writer and Gilles de la Tourette share a birthday. What else was Tourette an expert in? The answer may surprise you!
October 29th, Tuesday | The Biggest (and Easiest) Jewel Heist
The biggest (most priceless) jewel heist happens at the American Museum of Natural History. It’s arguably also the easiest. Poem by Robert Frost.
October 28th, Monday | Edna Mode-I mean Edith Head!
Costume designer Edith Head, who holds the record for most Oscar wins, shares a birthday with an Irish poet and 16th century philosopher.
September 10th, Tuesday | The Barefoot Gold Medalist
An Olympic Gold Medalist wins the marathon in bare feet. An American writer travels to England and decides she doesn’t want to leave.
September 9th, Monday | The Colonel of KFC
Harlan David Sanders got a late start on his masterpiece, Kentucky Fried Chicken, but was “Colonel’ed” by Kentucky around 1930 for good deeds.
September 6th, Friday | La-fay-ette! And Ze-li-a!
Marquis de Lafayette and MesoAmerican scholar Zelia Nuttall share a birthday. Poem honors ’Fayette. Plus, an announcement as we near our 100th episode.
September 5th, Thursday | Amy Beach & Robert Fergusson
Composer Amy Beach and a short-lived Scottish poet share a birthday. Plus, an elegy for a friend’s shorn hair is today’s poem.
September 4th, Wednesday | Ahem, it's "The City of the Queen of the Angels"
Los Angeles was first “The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels.” Luckily for the postal system, that name didn’t stick.
September 3rd, Tuesday | A Blind Mathematician & Sarah Jewett
A blind mathematician (literally) and an American regionalism writer share a birthday. A poem from the birthday poet about a still Sunday morning.
August 30th, Friday | Mary Shelley and the Birth of Frankenstein
A little bit on Labor Day for the upcoming holiday on Monday. Plus, Mary Shelley’s birthday and her day of labor over Frankenstein.
August 29th, Thursday | Wendell Holmes, Sr & Vivien Thomas
A doctor remember for his poetry, and an assistant surgeon that has saved countless young lives share a birthday. Poem by birthday poet.
August 28th, Wednesday | MLK's "I have a dream..."
In 1963, MLK, Jr. gave his momentous “I Have a Dream” Speech to 250 thousand people on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
August 27th, Tuesday | The Famous Five (of Canada)
The Famous Five (of Canada) ask a clarifying question. A poet rejects his father’s lifestyle, despite benefitting from it. Plus, a translated poem.
August 26th, Monday | A Small-Town Writer & Hot Air Balloon Man
The first female to win a Pulitzer for Drama and the French inventor of the hot air balloon. Poem by the birthday writer.
August 23rd, Friday | One for the Books! Events from 1944, 1973, &1991
What a day in history! Completely unrelated events from 1944, 1973, and 1991. In keeping with the theme, an arbitrary poem by Melville.
August 22nd, Thursday | Bradbury & Debussy
Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451, is today’s spotlight. S.O. to Debussy too (see show notes for longer Debussy bio). Poem by Whitman.