American poetry

Poet Adrienne Rich reads selections of her work.

Poet Gwendolyn Brooks was, in 1954, the first black person to receive the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. Brooks has written over fifteen books, her poetry has been widely anthologized, and has received over forty honorary doctorates. Brooks is also the Poet Laureate of Illinois. Brooks is in the are to deliver the "Marion Moore Poetry Reading" at Bryn Mawr College. Brooks discusses her career and reads some of her poetry.

Creeley taught at Black Mountain College and fostered professional personal relationships with many notable Beat writers. He joins Fresh Air to discuss his life and work.

Poet Jim Carroll is best known for his book The Basketball Diaries. He joins Fresh Air's Terry Gross to talk about his history of heroin addiction, writing, and sobriety.

Poet Mark Halliday is inspired as much by popular culture and music as he is by the work of other poets. His latest collection is called Little Star.

Poet and playwright Kenneth Koch. He has written books on working with children to get them to write poetry. He is one of the most respected of the New York poets.

Poet Mark Halliday, one of five poets chosen for publication in the National Poetry series, a collaborative project of five leading publishing houses. His first volume of poetry is titled Little Star. Halliday is an English professor at the University of Pennsylvania. (Rebroadcast. Original broadcast August 25, 1987.)

Poet Mark Halliday. He'll read "Memory Sampler," a poem he composed in an attempt to dispose of a whole series of troubling past experiences. Halliday is an English professor at the University of Pennsylvania. His first volume of poetry is titled Little Star.

Poet W.S.Merwin. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his 1970 work, The Carriers of Ladders. His books of poetry include The Song of Roland, The Compass Flower and, his latest collection, The Rain in the Trees.

Poet Mark Halliday deals with troubling memories by writing about them. He shares a new poem, in which he tries to dispense with a number of bad memories all at once.