Show Notes
In this first episode of "You Could Make This Beautiful," actor Henry Winkler tells hosts Maggie Smith and Faith Salie about the poetry he's found in everything from fly fishing, to the music of Lin-Manuel Miranda, to the acting performances of the late Robin Williams.
Poet and teacher Saeed Jones declares that "Nobody loves us the way poetry loves us," he reads us one of his poems, and he talks about the chemical reaction that poems set off in our brains and bodies.
And Maggie and Faith offer a "poetry prescription" to a fan of theirs in Ohio who's seeking steadiness in her life. Show Notes (in chronological order):
"I'm Nobody! Who are you?" by Emily Dickinson
"Good Bones" by Maggie Smith
"Parent Effectiveness Training" by Dr. Thomas Gordon
Henry Winkler's "Launce and the dog" monologue from William Shakespeare's "Two Gentlemen of Verona"
"My Shot" from the musical Hamilton
Henry Winkler's novels with Lin Oliver
"Alive at the End of the World" by Saeed Jones
"Snow for Wallace Stevens" by Terence Hayes
"Black in Blues" by Imani Perry
"Scorched Earth" by Tiana Clark
"Tell Me" by Kim Addonizio
"Blood Dazzler" by Patricia Smith
Poetry Prescriptions
Maggie's prescriptions: "Thanks" by W.S. Merwin and "Sorrow is Not My Name" by Ross Gay
Faith's prescription: This excerpt of "The Moon is a Kite" by Andrea Gibson
If you want a hand-picked, heart-plucked "poetry prescription" to help you with something you're going through, send a brief voice memo to [email protected].
All three episodes of You Could Make This Beautiful are out now and can be heard HERE. This show is an experiment, so if you love what you've heard and want more episodes, let us know! Leave us a glowing review in your podcast app, share the series with friends, and write to us: [email protected].
More from Dear Sugars
This episode was originally released on May 5, 2018.
Whether you’re 5, 15, or 50 years old, it can be difficult to usher a stepparent in and out of the family unit. In today’s episode, the Sugars answer letters from stepchildren who have fraught relationships with their stepparents.
In this second episode of You Could Make This Beautiful, hosts Maggie Smith and Faith Salie talk to Peter Sagal, host of the NPR news quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! about a prophetic reading at his first wedding, the poem that has haunted him throughout his life, and about the poetry he's found in the kindness and grace of his children.
Our miniseries finale features comedian Mike Birbiglia and poet J. Hope Stein talking about the poetry in comedy and the comedy in poetry. The couple co-authored the book "The New One: Painfully True Stories from a Reluctant Dad" and occasionally bring their mix of jokes and poems to the stage.