“Sometimes I prefer to engage with art — to listen to a record or see a film — without expectations," host Maggie Smith (@maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social) shares in episode number 1392 of The Slowdown. Read “Local Mission" by Kai Carlson-Wee and our full episode transcript: bit.ly/47QaRVl

“Today’s poem is one I’ve carried around in my mind for years, one whose language I flash to instinctively when I see a flock of birds," @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social shares in episode 1391. Read "Never-ending Birds" by David Baker (@davidbakerpoet.bsky.social): bit.ly/4ouhPWU 📖: @wwnorton.com

“There is power in naming, as today’s poem reminds us," host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social shares in episode 1390 of The Slowdown. "Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Nor should you." Read “The Poem Climbs the Scaffold and Tells You What It Sees" by @natashaoladokun.bsky.social: bit.ly/49At8by

“Today’s poem introduced me to a new word for longing or yearning — and it showed me a way to use that expansive desire as a frame for the magic of everyday life," host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social shares in today's episode. Read “Sehnsucht" by @michaeldumanis.bsky.social: bit.ly/47Y85hR

“Today’s poem unexpectedly merges the playfulness of anagrams with the gravitas of a terminal diagnosis — the weight of reckoning with the end of one’s life," @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social shares in episode 1388. Read “When I learn Catastrophically " by the late Martha Silano: bit.ly/43SNIA9

“It can be so hard to accept help from others, especially if you pride yourself on being self-sufficient," host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social shares in episode 1387 of The Slowdown. Read “Different Kinds of Sadness" by @jennymolberg.bsky.social and our full episode transcript: bit.ly/4oIADBE

"Today’s poem has been a favorite of mine for years, and it seemed like the right choice for Halloween," host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social shares in today's episode. Read "Night of the Living, Night of the Dead" by Kim Addonizio and our full episode transcript: bit.ly/47iJbcx

"Today’s poem is by one of my favorite poets," host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social shares in episode 1385. "Stan understood the double bind of deep solitude: that for the poet, for the artist, it’s as lonely as it is necessary." Read "At Night" by Stanley Plumly: bit.ly/3WvzWQ4

We're looking for a new production intern! If you ... - love the art of podcast storytelling - are passionate about creating audio that resonates with diverse audiences - have an eye for creating impactful content ... we encourage you to apply! Learn more: bit.ly/4nPafpK

"Children are so talented at asking unanswerable questions. Questions that cut you to the quick," host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social shares in episode 1384. Read "I do not mention the war in my birthplace to my six-year-old son but somehow his body knows" by Julia Kolchinsky: bit.ly/48Yk4Nz

Thrilled about this little film the folks over at @slowdownshow.org made of my poem "Do You Consider Writing to Be Theraputic?" www.facebook.com/slowdownshow...

"This poem has me thinking more and more about chance, and about our circumstances," shares host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in today's episode of The Slowdown. Read "The Situation in Our City" by Ciona Rouse @cionarouse.bsky.social and our full episode transcript: bit.ly/3Lh50R3

“Today’s poem brought me right back to being a young girl with a beloved doll," shares host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in episode 1382. "Back then, it would have been unbearable to be separated." Read “Lamb" by Richie Hofmann and our full episode transcript: bit.ly/43FoFR0 📸: Ryan Hagerty

“Stories themselves are like seeds in our lives; so much can grow from them," host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social shares in episode 1380 of The Slowdown. Read "Like Apple from Seed" by Molly Johnsen and our full episode transcript: bit.ly/43pkHMd 📖: @greenwriterspress.bsky.social

Megan Peak’s poem “The Crux” was featured on The Slowdown, hosted by Maggie Smith! Check it out in the link in our bio, or where you listen to podcasts. Congratulations, Megan! 🌟 @slowdownshow.org @meganpeak.bsky.social @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social

“Today’s poem is as imagistic and musical as a song, and it’s deeply rooted in place," host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social says in episode 1379 of The Slowdown. "The poem borrows a refrain from a Lucinda Williams song." Read "Arkansabop" by @elizabethlinds.bsky.social: bit.ly/4n7J5ZW

“Today’s poem recounts a story of women outsmarting immigration officials who raid their factory, thanks to 'dios del chisme,' meaning 'the god of gossip,'" host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social shares in today's episode. Read "poem where no one is deported" by @joseolivarez.bsky.social: bit.ly/4hiRk44

“There were times when mothering felt overwhelming," shares host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in episode 1377 of The Slowdown. "Now, I always want more of them. It’s funny how that works, isn’t it?" Read “The Crux" by @meganpeak.bsky.social and our full episode transcript: bit.ly/47i2L7o

“A big part of loving someone, whether they’re a friend or a family member or someone you’re romantically involved with, is embracing them exactly as they are," says @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in episode 1376. Read “Laura, I Want You Pulling Your Hair Back" by Natalie Dunn: bit.ly/4nWVIbC

"Today’s poem is so relatable, because the speaker is doing what I so often do: watching videos on the internet in the middle of the night," says host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in episode 1375. Read “Dear Absent," by @poetmarcuswicker.bsky.social and our full episode transcript: bit.ly/4nUopG3

“When I got divorced, I remember the mixed feelings," says host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in episode 1374. "The future is unwritten, and we get to decide what the story will be. We get to choose what comes next." Read “The Terror of New Love!" by Tiana Clark: bit.ly/4n9JuuJ

"I admire the way we’re invited into the speaker’s consciousness, to see her mind at work," says host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in today's episode. Read “Protection Spell Jar" by @cynthiamhoffman.bsky.social and our full episode transcript: bit.ly/3J9U8Uw 📖: Persea Books

Thank you @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social for introducing “My Body Knows Its Limits” today on The Slowdown. “One of the things I’m wary about when it comes to ‘AI’ specifically, is [a] . . . lack of embodiment. What is a brain without a body?” @slowdownshow.org www.slowdownshow.org/episode/2025...

“I know we often think of our intelligence as being related to our brains ... But the body has its own intelligence," says host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in episode 1372 of The Slowdown. Read “My Body Knows Its Limits" by @pagestar.bsky.social: bit.ly/3L7PiYl

“The future is full of possibility. Some of life’s surprises are heartbreaking, yes—but some are heart-repairing," shares host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in today’s episode. Read "At Last the New Arriving" by @gabbat.bsky.social and our full episode transcript: bit.ly/4mShV9s 📖: Persea Books

“Today’s poem is a poem that inspires me to ask better questions about the world, and about the soul, and about the idea of God," shares @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in today’s episode. Read "Soot" by Kaveh Akbar: bit.ly/4n0LAxi 📷: Charles Bakofsky 📖: @alicejamesbooks.bsky.social

“Today’s poem tells a story about a tense encounter in the woods. I so admire how this poet unfolds the narrative then leaves me sighing deeply at the end," shares @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in today’s episode. Read "Six Hours Lost, Land Between the Lakes" by Kathleen Driskell: bit.ly/3KA11ii

Honored to be read in such a generous and thoughtful way by @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social for the @slowdownshow.org. Thanks to Maggie and the Slowdown team!

“The next time I’m asked if writing is therapy, I may just respond by reading today’s poem," shares host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in today’s episode. Read "Do You Consider Writing to be Therapeutic?" by @andypgrace.bsky.social: bit.ly/42ZdKkR

"Today’s poem rejoices in something at the heart of this podcast: the pleasure of sharing our favorite poems with others, rather than reading them alone,” shares host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in today’s episode. Read “Abundance" by Rick Barot: bit.ly/4nYHAOu 📖: @milkweededitions.bsky.social

Our 2019 Dartmouth Poet-in-Residence @mattminicucci.bsky.social popped in earlier this week, and was just featured on @slowdownshow.org Read his poem “Nostalgia" here: bit.ly/3WiinTo

“Today’s poem beautifully captures the pain of distance, of longing, of wanting to be somewhere, or with someone, when you can’t be," shares host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in today’s episode. Read “Nostalgia" by @mattminicucci.bsky.social: bit.ly/3WiinTo 📸: Ryan Maurer

I will always pause for a good dog poem.

“Today’s poem is one you’re going to lose yourself in for these few minutes," shares host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in today’s episode. "I love getting a little bit lost." Read “Noise Cancelling" by @madamesosostris.bsky.social and our full episode transcript: bit.ly/4gHyinP

“Today’s poem speaks to me because, at its heart, is a deep curiosity about the world—a desire to know more and more," shares host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in today’s episode. Read "Hiking Moraine State Park" by Violeta Garcia-Mendoza and our full episode transcript: bit.ly/3KGYeUo

“Today’s poem offers us images we often find in poetry: the ocean, the moon, dreams, a mother, a wound ... in such a profoundly original and moving way," host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social shares in today’s episode. Read "Notes on Beachgrass" by Yong-Yu Huang: bit.ly/4mMTiuQ

“Today’s poem is by one of my favorite Kentucky writers, a fellow dog person,” shares host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in today’s episode. Read “For You Who Have Loved Old Dogs" by @silashouse.bsky.social and our full episode transcript: bit.ly/4gHW4zT 📸: Carey Neal Gough 📖: Blair

“I have zero chill when it comes to the natural world,” shares host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in today’s episode. Read “Earth, Sometimes I Try to Play It Casual," by @catherinepierce.bsky.social and our full episode transcript: bit.ly/4gRpITy 📸: Becca Neufeld

“Today’s poem speaks to the challenge of staying in the present moment, and having gratitude for that moment,” shares host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in today’s episode. Read “Wind, Blue Sky" by @susanaizenberg.bsky.social: bit.ly/42cYKj4 📸: Jeffrey Aizenberg

"Today’s poem speaks to the ways we can care for one another, and of how profound and meaningful even the smallest gestures are,” shares host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in today’s episode. Read “Lotioning My Mother’s Back” by Ama Codjoe: bit.ly/3KCwVKR 📖: @milkweededitions.bsky.social

“Today’s poem considers how we regard ourselves—our physical selves. It’s a poem I love, a poem that I see a lot of beauty in,” shares host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in today’s episode. Read “Parts of a Body House” by Erika Meitner: www.slowdownshow.org/episode/2025... 📸: B.A. Van Sise

“Today’s poem touched me because it made me think of my grandmother,” shares host @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in today’s episode. “It made me think of her care, but also about the life she had after her marriage ended.” Read “Country Night” by Laura Newbern: bit.ly/3K8meQl

“Today’s poem acknowledges the beauty we have—the view we have. It also mourns the beauty that would exist without our interference. Holding space for both is a feat of empathy and imagination,” shares @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social. Read “Lake” by @noahfalck.bsky.social‬: bit.ly/3ULVbMC

“When I think about ways to foster empathy, perspective, and care, one of those ways is poetry. I know poetry can’t stop bombs from falling, and it can’t feed the starving, and it can’t evacuate people to safety. I know this,” shares @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in today’s episode.

“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,” shares @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social. Read “Wind-Related Ripple in the Wheatfield” by Mikko Harvey: bit.ly/4mz1way 📸: Grace Sachi Troxell 📖: @houseofanansi.bsky.social

“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,” shares @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social. Read “Are you bringing fruits, plants, seeds,” by Karen Llagas: bit.ly/3VdzuVR

“Today’s poem captures that feeling when you’ve just HAD it—you’ve absolutely hit your limit. But at the same time, you realize that you’re the only person who can pick yourself back up,” shares @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in today’s episode. Read “New York Address” by Linda Gregg: bit.ly/4mUVdxF

“Today’s poem is a celebration of creatures we tend to overlook or even disdain. It invites us to reconsider our perspective,” shares @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in today’s episode. Read “I Find Myself Defending Pigeons” by Keith S. Wilson: bit.ly/45JUsRi 📖: @coppercanyonpress.bsky.social

“I think you’ll want to listen to this poem more than once, letting it lap at you like water, letting it rise around you like smoke from a beach bonfire, letting it sing to you like an aria,” shares @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social in today’s ep. Read “Bonfire Opera” by Danusha Laméris: bit.ly/45owPyC

“Today’s poem is a celebration of sound, and also a celebration of our own power to interpret sound and make meaning—as poets do. Poems, like songs, are meant to live in the air. They are their own music,” shares @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social. Read “Étude” by Amy Gerstler: bit.ly/4mo3MkD