Background, context, and transcript: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/07/09/sylvia-plath-spoken-word-tulips-bbc/

Sylvia Plath reads "Tulips": A Rare BBC Recording

Background, poem text, and context: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/08/09/charles-bukowski-reads-friendly-advice-to-a-lot-of-young-men/

Charles Bukowski reads his "Friendly Advice To A Lot Of Young Men"

Poem text and context: https://www.brainpickings.org/2021/05/28/emily-dickinson-grief/

POEM TEXT / CONTEXT

"I measure every Grief I meet" (Maria Popova reads Emily Dickinson)

Kindly recorded for Brain Pickings. Poem text and context: https://www.brainpickings.org/2021/07/26/david-whyte-the-truelove

David Whyte reads his poem "The Truelove"

More: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2014/07/16/david-bowie-vocal-track-ziggy-stardust/

MORE

David Bowie's isolated vocal track for "Ziggy Stardust"

Context and illustrations: https://www.themarginalian.org/2022/11/10/love-at-first-sight-szymborska-queirazza/

CONTEXT

"Love at First Sight" by Wisława Szymborska (read by Maria Popova)

Poem text and context: https://www.themarginalian.org/2022/12/25/to-a-wreath-of-snow-patti-smith-emily-bronte

"To a Wreath of Snow": Patti Smith Reads Emily Brontë

Poem text and context: https://www.themarginalian.org/2023/01/11/let-this-darkness-be-a-bell-tower-rilke

Music: Bach Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, performed by Colin Carr

Art: Arthur Rackham, 1926

"Let This Darkness Be a Bell Tower" by Rainer Maria Rilke (read by Maria Popova)

Poem text and context: https://www.themarginalian.org/2023/02/12/meditation-in-sunlight-may-sarton-amanda-palmer

"Meditation in Sunlight" by May Sarton (read by Amanda Palmer)

Poem text and context: https://www.themarginalian.org/2023/03/13/the-life-of-trees-dorianne-laux/

Music: "Optimist" by Zoë Keating from "Into the Trees": https://zoekeating.bandcamp.com/album/into-the-trees

"The Life of Trees" by Dorianne Laux

Poem text and context: https://www.themarginalian.org/2023/03/20/o-sweet-spontaneous-e-e-cummings/

Recorded at the fifth annual Universe in Verse: https://www.themarginalian.org/the-universe-in-verse/

[O sweet spontaneous] by e.e. cummings (read by Debbie Millman + Bach)

Poem text and context: https://www.themarginalian.org/2023/05/15/george-herbter-love/

Music: Bach Cello Suite No. 4 in E Flat, performed by Seraband Bourree (public domain)

"Love" by George Herbert (read by Maria Popova)

Poem text and context: https://www.themarginalian.org/2023/05/20/ada-limon-dead-stars/

Music: Bach Cello Suite No. 4 in E Flat, performed by Seraband Bourree (public domain)

"Dead Stars" by Ada Limón

Poem text and context: https://www.themarginalian.org/2023/05/27/some-thoughts-about-the-ocean-and-the-universe

"Some Thoughts about the Ocean and the Universe" by Rebecca Elson (read by Amanda Palmer)

Poem text and context: https://www.themarginalian.org/2023/06/28/may-sarton-the-work-of-happiness/

Music: "Optimist" by Zoë Keating (https://zoekeating.bandcamp.com/track/optimist-2)

"The Work of Happiness" by May Sarton (read by Maria Popova)

Interview by Luisa Cotardo conducted in 1995. Transcript and background: http://www.brainpickings.org/2014/09/11/jeff-buckley-interview/

Recording courtesy of Luisa Cotardo (http://luisacotardo.tumblr.com) for Brain Pickings (http://www.brainpickings.org)

TRANSCRIPT / CONTEXT

Jeff Buckley on music and life

Background and poem text: http://www.brainpickings.org/2014/09/24/mary-oliver-reads-wild-geese/

Recorded by the Lannan Foundation in 2001.

DETAILS / POEM TEXT

Mary Oliver reads "Wild Geese"

Background, context, and poem text: https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/11/18/t-s-eliot-reads-burnt-norton/

POEM TEXT

T. S. Eliot reads "Burnt Norton" (1935)

Mary Oliver reads from her exquisite collection 'Blue Horses.' Background, poem text, and context here: http://www.brainpickings.org/2015/02/09/mary-oliver-blue-horses-fourth-sign-of-the-zodiac/

Excerpted from https://soundcloud.com/onbeing/sets/mary-oliver-listening-to-the

MORE/TEXT

Mary Oliver reads from Blue Horses

Background, transcribed highlights, and more: http://www.brainpickings.org/2015/03/26/sense-of-nonsense-alan-watts-tao-of-philosophy/

CONTEXT / TRANSCRIPT

Alan Watts: Sense of Nonsense

Background, context, and more: http://www.brainpickings.org/2015/08/06/tolkien-reads-from-the-hobbit/

MORE / STORY

J.R.R. Tolkien read from "The Hobbit"

Background and context: https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/01/15/j-r-r-tolkien-reads-from-lotr/

J.R.R. Tolkien reads from The Lord of the Rings

Background, context, and transcribed text: https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/04/13/james-baldwin-the-artists-struggle-for-integrity/

Recording by Pacifica Radio Archives.

CONTEXT / TEXT

James Baldwin: The Artist's Struggle for Integrity (full lecture)

Background and poem text: https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/05/16/wait-galway-kinnell/

Galway Kinnell reads "Wait"

Read the poem itself and hear Nye read it here: https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/11/10/naomi-shihab-nye-kindness/

Excerpted from @onbeing: https://soundcloud.com/onbeing/naomi-shihab-nye-your-life-is-a-poem

MORE / POEM

Naomi Shihab Nye on the story behind her poem "Kindness"

Poem text and proper context: https://www.brainpickings.org/2017/04/26/the-mushroom-hunters-neil-gaiman/

Original poem written for and recorded at "The Universe in Verse" (brainpickings.org/the-universe-in-verse/) – an evening of poetry celebrating science and the scientists who have taken us to where we are today, and a protest against the silencing of science and the defunding of the arts, with all proceeds donated to the Academy of American Poets and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Photograph by Molly Walsh, Academy of American Poets

CONTEXT / POEM TEXT

Amanda Palmer reads "The Mushroom Hunters" by Neil Gaiman

@AmandaPalmer reads Jane Kenyon's sublime poem of living with and through depression. Originally recorded for Brain Pickings. Poem text and context: https://www.brainpickings.org/2017/09/27/having-it-out-with-melancholy-jane-kenyon-amanda-palmer/

September 27, 2017

Amanda Palmer reads "Having It Out With Melancholy" by Jane Kenyon

May Sarton's 1938 ode to solitude. Poem text and background here: https://www.brainpickings.org/2017/12/01/may-sarton-canticle-6-considerations/

Maria Popova reads "Canticle 6" by May Sarton

Bulgarian folk from the Golden Record that sailed into the cosmos aboard NASA's Voyager mission in 1977. More about this song: https://www.brainpickings.org/2017/12/21/reflection/

More about the Golden Record project: https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/02/10/murmurs-of-earth-sagan-golden-record/

MORE ABOUT THIS

Music from the Golden Record: "Izlel ye Delyo Haydutin" by Valya Balkanska, Bulgaria

Recorded at The Universe in Verse 2018: https://www.brainpickings.org/the-universe-in-verse/

For poem text, context, and the story of how Carl Sagan may have inspired Angelou's poem, go here: https://www.brainpickings.org/2018/05/09/a-brave-and-startling-truth-maya-angelou/

The Universe in Verse: Janna Levin reads "A Brave and Startling Truth" by Maya Angelou

David Foster Wallace's iconic 2005 Kenyon College graduation address. Context and transcript here: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/09/12/this-is-water-david-foster-wallace/

Part 2 here: http://soundcloud.com/brainpicker/david-foster-wallace-this-is-water-2

David Foster Wallace: "This Is Water" (part 1)

David Foster Wallace's iconic 2005 Kenyon College graduation address. Context and transcript here: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/09/12/this-is-water-david-foster-wallace/

Part 1 here: http://soundcloud.com/brainpicker/david-foster-wallace-this-is-water-1

David Foster Wallace: "This Is Water" (part 2)

Sylvia Plath reads "A Birthday Present." Written in September of 1962, recorded in October. Background and full text: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/10/29/sylvia-plath-reads-a-birthday-present-1962/

Sylvia Plath Reads "A Birthday Present" (1962)

Recorded for Brain Pickings. Poem text and context: https://www.brainpickings.org/2019/09/23/amanda-palmer-mary-oliver-when-i-am-among-the-trees/

Amanda Palmer reads "When I Am Among the Trees" by Mary Oliver

Poem text and context: https://www.brainpickings.org/2020/02/03/emily-levine-cold-solace-anna-belle-kaufman

In memory of Emily Levine (October 23, 1944 - February 3, 2019). Portrait by John Keatley, 2017.

Emily Levine Reads "Cold Solace" by Anna Belle Kaufman

From a BBC radio segment broadcast on April 29th, 1937. Background and transcript:http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/04/29/craftsmanship-virginia-woolf-speaks-1937/ 

MORE/TRANSCRIPT

On Craftsmanship: The only surviving recording of Virginia Woolf's voice

Poem text and context: https://www.brainpickings.org/2020/03/26/crossing-brooklyn-ferry-janna-levin-walt-whitman

Recorded at "The Universe in Verse" — a charitable celebration of science through poetry, hosted by Maria Popova with Pioneer Works. More highlights from the show: https://www.brainpickings.org/tag/the-universe-in-verse/

Astrophysicist Janna Levin reads from "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" by Walt Whitman

Background and transcript: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/03/21/ernest-hemingway-1954-nobel-speech/

Portrait of Hemingway by Yousuf Karsh

Ernest Hemingway's Nobel Prize acceptance speech, 1954

Poem text and context: https://www.brainpickings.org/2020/08/19/david-whyte-sometimes/

David Whyte Reads "Sometimes"

Her wonderful 1993 children's verses, illustrated by Jean-Michel Basquiat: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/05/03/life-doesnt-frighten-me-maya-angelou-basquiat/

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