The Slowdown, a daily 5-minute long podcast from U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith, is remarkable in its power to truly slow down time and transport you OUT of the busy mulit-tasking present. The podcast as been likened to a “literary once-a-day multivitamin”*. Its simple formula consists of a thoughtful preamble written and read by Smith, that leads the way into a poem she has chosen, amplifying its power.

I draw both from poems I’ve loved a long time, and poems that are the result of careful sleuthing. I seek poems that will fit in 1 or 2 or 3 minutes, and that use vivid, evocative language to examine familiar aspects of life. Some poems are topical, like Franny Choi’s Gentrifier, while others shed new light on ordinary feelings, like gratitude, or experiences, like coming-of-age.

But it’s Smith’s marvelously quiet voice that makes the carefully curated readings so compelling and accessible, as though she were reading just to you.

Here’s a recent episode about our favorite subject — trees:

 

If you’re not a podcast person, there is no need to figure out HOW to listen to the daily Slow Down. Simply go to the Slowdown’s webpage to stream episodes, or to subscribe.

 

 

*ElectricLiterature.com

With thanks to Cara de Silva

If you’ve found illumination, joy, or inspiration in this post, please consider supporting Improvised Life. It only takes a minute to make a secure donation that helps pay our many costs. A little goes a long way towards helping Improvised Life continue to live ad-free in the world.

Support Improvised Life ♥

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *