GLT has collaborated with Illinois State University's Department of English since 1992 to produce Poetry Radio. Each program, between 2 and 5 minutes in length, spotlights a single poem, contemporary or classic, framed by a responsive piece of music.
Lucia Getsi: Vanishing Point, read by Lucia Getsi. Music by Walter Parks and Amy Platt (Walt's for Tara from Oasis Instrumentals 3 )
Duke Ellington and Irving Mills: Solitude, read by Pearl Cleage. Music by Jethro Burns (Solitude from Swing Low, Sweet Mandolin )
Susan Bright: The Art of Pie, read by Claudia Schmidt. Music by Red Garland with the Miles Davis Quintet (Billy Boy from Milestones )
Cecil Giscombe: Afroprairie, read by Cecil Giscombe. Music by Oran Etkin (It Don't Mean a Thing from Kelenia )
Emily Dickinson: Safe in Their Alabaster Chambers (1859 and 1861 versions), read by Robert Sutherland. Music by Lena Willemark and Ale Moller (Hornlat from Nordan )
John Firefly: Acousticity, read by John Firefly. Music by Mike Compton (Honky Tonk Swing from Climbing the Walls )
Bill Morgan: My Father's Cigarettes, read by Bill Morgan. Music by Joe Myers (Sunrise from Troubled Notes from the Hotel Chelsea ) Hear 14 of Bruce Bergethon's favorite poems from Poetry Radio's 23 year history on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays during December, plus 9 bonus poems .
During its 23 years on GLT, Poetry Radio has encompassed a wide variety of interpretations, from local poets and readers to internationally-acclaimed authors. In this last month of broadcasts, I've chosen some of my favorite episodes, including former Senator Paul Simon and songwriter Claudia Schmidt, plus works by each of the four ISU poets who co-hosted the program. But there's so much more in the archives, as the nine poems below display. As producer, Poetry Radio has always been a labor of love and learning for me, and I hope it's expanded your horizons, too. As the show (and I) retire from GLT, I offer these additional favorites for your enjoyment. Bruce Bergethon, GLT general manager 1) Marge Piercy: To Be of Use, read by Marge Piercy. Music by Barry Phillips (The Rights of Man from The World Turned Upside Down ) One of my most inspirational verses, read by the author in the back room at the original Babbitt's Bookstore in Normal in 1993. 2) William Butler Yeats: Those Dancing
Aaron Anstett: Redolence, read by Aaron Anstett. Music by Mike Marshall (Gator Strut from Gator Strut )
Ewa Chrusciel: I Buy a Sausage At the Airport, read by Ewa Chrusciel. Music by Lac La Belle (Lions of the West from A Friend Too Long )
