Literative

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Literative brings literature out of the classroom and into the real world, where it belongs. No grades, no assignments, no attendance policy. Just great discussion of great books. Let's get started! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MAY 1

Shall I Compare Thee to a Cherry Tree?

Peak bloom is brief, for humans and for cherry trees. How should we value what comes after beauty? William Shakespeare, Ada Limon, and W. B. Yeats have some thoughts. Celebrate the end of National Poetry Month and Poem in Your Pocket Day with us! Resources: Limón, Ada. “Instructions on Not Giving Up.” The Carrying (Minneapolis: Milkweed Editions, 2018). Copyright © 2018 by Ada Limón. Reprinted with permission from Milkweed Editions. Shakespeare, William. Sonnet 18 (“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”). MIT Global Shakespeare Project: Digital Environments for Shakespeare. https://shakespeareproject.mit.edu/ Yeats, William Butler. “A Prayer for My Daughter.” Academy of American Poets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

19 min
APR 7

We Must Love One Another or Die

Today we discuss W. H. Auden's poem "September 1, 1939," by way of Georgi Gospodinov's award-winning novel Time Shelter, and Auden's message for uncertain and fearful times. There is no such thing as the StateAnd no one exists alone;Hunger allows no choiceTo the citizen or the police;We must love one another or die. Image: Unsplash/Library of Congress Resources: Auden, W. H. “September 1, 1939.” Gospodinov, Georgi. Time Shelter. McGuiness, Patrick. “Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov Review: The Dangers of Dwelling in the Past.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23 min
APR 1

Happy National Poetry Month!

Literative is celebrating the official start of National Poetry Month, the 30th anniversary celebration of poetry's influence on our daily lives. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and T.S. Eliot’s The Waste-Land both take place in April, as does William Shakespeare's birthday. But April 1st is also April Fool’s Day, so today we'll read some poetry that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Or perhaps, like the fools in Shakespeare’s comedies, these poems mix some shrewd observations into their silliness. Resources: Academy of American Poets. National Poetry Month 30th Anniversary. https://poets.org/national-poetry-month-30th-anniversary Byron, George Gordon, Lord. “When a man hath no freedom.” https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/stanzas/ Guiterman, Arthur. “On the Vanity of Earthly Greatness.” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1930/03/22/on-the-vanity-of-earthly-greatness Nash, Ogden. “A Word to Husbands.” https://www.poetry.com/poem/54402/a-word-to-husbands Parker, Dorothy. “One Perfect Rose.” https://poets.org/poem/one-perfect-rose Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

8 min
APR 1

Anxiety Dreams

April is National Poetry Month, and today we're discussing poems that help us understand, manage, and recover from anxiety dreams. We'll compare Edgar Allan Poe's "A Dream within a Dream" and Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "The Pains of Sleep" to help us distinguish an anxiety dream from a nightmare. We'll use the opening lines of Endymion by John Keats to explore a strategy for restoring calm after a stressful experience, and we'll end with Susan Coolidge's advice in "New Every Morning" for making each day a new beginning, even after a bad night. Wishing you all a Happy National Poetry Month, and sweet dreams! Image: "The Nightmare" by Henry Fuseli, 1781. Resources: Cleveland Clinic. “Anxiety Dreams: Why We Have Them and How to Stop Them.” 23 October 2025. Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. “The Pains of Sleep.” Coolidge, Susan. “New Every Morning.” Keats, John. Endymion. Poe, Edgar Allan. “A Dream within a Dream.” Women’s March. “Protest Safety Training Series: Situational Awareness.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

18 min
FEB 12

Let Me Count the Ways

Valentine's Day is stressful. It demands big public gestures and celebrates romance while ignoring other kinds of love. But not here at Literative. Today we’ll read several poems that explore the complexity of love, all kinds of love, and we'll make Valentine’s Day safe for introverts and single people. Resources Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Sonnets from the Portuguese. Robert Hayden, “Those Winter Sundays.” Mary Oliver, "Wild Geese." Marge Piercy, “To Be of Use.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

21 min
FEB 7

Normal + Morning Pages

Today we continue our Normal Plus series with Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way and the morning pages, a powerful tool for clearing your mind, outrunning your inner Censor, and unblocking your creativity. Resources Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity Julia Cameron Live Tara Mohr, Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead Poetry Foundation, "On Ntozake Shange: 'She Did Not Sound Like Anybody Else, Ever' Kerry Ann Rockquemore, Faculty Success Program Jen Sincero, You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life J.D. Edwin and Joe Bunting, "Write or Die: A Replacement for the Tool that Conquers Procrastination? The Write Practice, Write or Else Tool Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

31 min
JAN 13 · BONUS

Poems for a Poet

Today we remember Renee Nicole Good through poetry: her own award-winning poem from 2020 and new poems by Cornelius Eady and Amanda Gorman. Renee Nicole Good Poem: "On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs"About Renee Nicole Good: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/we-had-whistles-they-had-guns-says-wife-of-minnesota-woman-killed-by-ice-agentCornelius Eady Poem: "Renee Nicole Good is Murdered"About Cornelius Eady: https://poets.org/poet/cornelius-eadyAbout Cave Canem: https://www.nationalbook.org/people/cave-canem/#fullBioAmanda Gorman Poem: "For Renee Nicole Good, Killed by I.C.E. on Jan. 7, 2026"About Amanda Gorman: https://poets.org/poet/amanda-gormanWebsite: https://www.theamandagorman.com/Audre Lorde Essay: "Poetry is Not a Luxury"About Audre Lorde: https://poets.org/poet/audre-lorde Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

16 min
JAN 5

Happy New Year for 2026!

Welcome to 2026 and Season 2 of Literative! We begin the new year by reading Joy Harjo's "For Calling the Spirit Back from Wandering the Earth in Its Human Feet," a poem about loss and restoration, about wandering and welcome. Joy Harjo reminds us to treat our spirit like a beloved child and celebrate its recovery by helping those still searching. Be sure to join us in January for our New Year’s series, “Normal Plus.” We'll begin with a powerful tool for identifying and removing creator's block, courtesy of Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. Links for Joy Harjo Poem: For Calling the Spirit Back from Wandering the Earth in Its Human Feet Collection: Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings Website: https://www.joyharjo.com/ Photo credit: Karen Kuehn Additional Resource The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32, KJV) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

15 min

Literative brings literature out of the classroom and into the real world, where it belongs. No grades, no assignments, no attendance policy. Just great discussion of great books. Let's get started! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Creator

DYV Media
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

16
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© DYV Media
Show Website

Literative