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

Poem text and context: https://www.brainpickings.org/2021/04/21/jill-tarter-reads-wislawa-szymborska

Recorded for the 2020 Universe in Verse — an annual charitable celebration of science and nature through poetry, created, curated, and hosted by Maria Popova: https://www.brainpickings.org/the-universe-in-verse/

POEM TEXT / CONTEXT

The Universe in Verse: Astronomer Jill Tarter reads "The Ball" by Polish Poet Wisława Szymborska

Poem text and context: https://www.brainpickings.org/2021/04/16/kiss-of-the-sun-mary-ruefle/ 

Image credit: NASA/SDO (public domain)

Amanda Palmer Reads "Kiss of the Sun" by Mary Ruefle

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/

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

"Grief is a Mouse" (Maria Popova reads Emily Dickinson)

"The looking back on Grief" (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"

Poem text and context: https://www.brainpickings.org/2021/10/20/ursula-k-le-guin-kinship-poem/

Music: "Organ Concerto in D minor, BWV 596" by Johann Sebastian Bach, early 1700s

"Kinship" by Ursula K. Le Guin read by Amanda Palmer, with Bach

Poem text and context: https://www.themarginalian.org/2021/11/11/jane-hirshfield-for-what-binds-us/

Kindly recorded by the poet for The Marginalian.

Jane Hirshfield reads "For What Binds Us"

A rare 1929 recording by the Dominion Gramophone Company. Background and story here: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2014/02/13/a-a-milne-reads-winie-the-pooh-1929/

A.A. Milne reads from Winnie-the-Pooh, 1929

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

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

Poem text and background: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2014/04/04/maya-angelou-recites-phenomenal-woman/

POEM TEXT

Maya Angelou recites her poem "Phenomenal Woman"

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"

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, context, and poem text: http://www.brainpickings.org/2015/03/18/amanda-palmer-wislawa-szymborska-possibilities-poem-reading/

Photograph by Allan Amato. 

MORE / POEM TEXT

Amanda Palmer reads "Possibilities" by Wisława Szymborska

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 transcript: http://www.brainpickings.org/2015/05/01/jfk-amherst-speech/

MORE/TRANSCRIPT

JFK on poetry and power (Amherst College, 1963)

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

J.R.R. Tolkien sings "Sam's Rhyme of the Troll"

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)

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

Poem text and context: https://www.brainpickings.org/2018/04/02/meryl-streep-morning-song-sylvia-plath/

Recorded at Poetry & the Creative Mind 2014, hosted by The Academy of American Poets.

Meryl Streep reads "Morning Song" by Sylvia Plath

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

Poem text and context: https://www.brainpickings.org/2019/02/07/you-cant-have-it-all-barbara-ras-emily-levine/

Emily Levine reads "You Can't Have It All" by Barbara Ras

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/ 

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

Poem text and context: https://www.brainpickings.org/2020/02/24/immortality-in-passing-lisel-mueller

“Immortality” by Lisel Mueller (read by Maria Popova)

Poem text and context: https://www.brainpickings.org/2020/03/15/today-another-universe-jane-hirshfield-ledger-jasmine

Kindly recorded by the poet for Brain Pickings.

Jane Hirshfield reads "Today, Another Universe"

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

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