Arts

Aspen Ideas to Go Podcast: Poetry, Justice, and Alienation

January 27, 2016  • Tricia Johnson, Guest Blogger

The “Aspen Ideas to Go” podcast is a weekly show featuring fascinating speakers who have presented at the Aspen Ideas Festival and other public programs offered by the Aspen Institute — including Aspen Words, the Alma and Joseph Gildenhorn Book Series, and various events around the country. For a curated listening experience, subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or listen to each episode on the Aspen Ideas website.

Can art tackle some of the most difficult social-justice questions we face today? Over the past year, we have witnessed images of our country at war with itself. How can poetry dispel alienation and give rise to a new level of citizenship in America?

This episode features three of America’s most powerful poetic voices:

  • Elizabeth Alexander, author of “The Light of the World”
  • Juan Felipe Herrera, current United States Poet Laureate
  • Claudia Rankine, author of “Citizen: An American Lyric”

The conversation is moderated by Eric Liu, executive director of the Aspen Institute Citizenship and American Identity Program.

Tricia Johnson is editorial director of public programs at the Aspen Institute.

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