Podcast Summary: All Of It (WNYC) – Frederick Joseph’s Poetry Collection, 'We Alive, Beloved'
Host: Kusha Navadar (in for Alison Stewart)
Guest: Frederick Joseph
Date: June 18, 2024

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode of All Of It centers on the release of Frederick Joseph’s new poetry collection, We Alive, Beloved. The conversation explores the inspiration behind the collection, major themes such as gratitude, masculinity, and childhood, and examines Joseph’s personal journey with poetry. The episode highlights how Joseph’s work honors both the hardships and joys of life, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, and argues for embracing tenderness, vulnerability, and a sense of belovedness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Origin and Meaning of "We Alive, Beloved"

• Joseph explains that the title was inspired by the collective sense of appreciation and humanity that emerged during the pandemic, especially in New York.
  • Quote:

    "We really treated each other like we were beloved beings. ...I wanted to lean into that with this poetry collection. Right? How do we honor being alive? How do we honor the idea that we are all beloved?" (02:18)

• The book is a celebration of life and being present, reminding readers of the importance of embracing each fleeting moment.

Evolving Themes: From Critique to Gratitude

• Joseph contrasts We Alive, Beloved with his previous works like Patriarchy Blues, noting a shift from focusing on social critique to exploring the reasons for striving for a better world.
  • Quote:

    "I'm still unpacking those things, but I want to unpack why we even fight in the first place to change the world." (03:30)

• The collection honors the everyday joys and pleasures that are possible when individuals and communities heal and support each other.

Openness and Vulnerability: "Notes from Therapy"

• The collection begins with the poem "Notes from Therapy," establishing the tone of vulnerability and introspection.
• Joseph reads the poem aloud, emphasizing healing, the multiplicity of human experience, and hope:
  • Excerpt Reading:

    "This world bruises us into retreat. ...Become a sunburst in a winter sky. Laughter in a room of silent faces become raindrops tracing veins of a leaf. Or unexpected ballads in city noise." (05:22 – 06:35)

• The poem and its themes invite readers to move beyond hurt and toward the possibilities that come with every new choice and act of self-becoming.

Discovery of Poetry: From Hip Hop to Hughes

• Joseph traces his relationship with poetry to his grandmother, who pointed out the poetic nature of his childhood raps.
  • Quote:

    "My grandmother was just like, oh, you're writing poetry? I'm like, no, this. This is rap. ...And she's like, but it's also poetry. And I'm like, huh." (06:54)

• He cites influences like Jay Z, Langston Hughes, and Gwendolyn Brooks, and argues that poetry is humanity’s first artistic language—foundational to all creative writing.

Writing for Young People & Accessibility

• On writing for young audiences, Joseph emphasizes not underestimating young people's intelligence and openness.
  • Quote:

    "I try not to downplay the brilliance of young people. ...I might tailor the language a bit differently, but I try to say the same things." (08:41)

• Joseph’s work, including collaborations with Marvel (e.g., Black Panther picture books), strives to challenge and inspire youth without diluting complexity.

Learning from Young People: Identity and Freedom

• Joseph reflects on what he learns from younger generations, especially their approach to identity as fluid and self-defined, contrasting it to more rigid norms of previous eras.
  • Quote:

    "There's a freedom in certain spaces to be right and this idea of constantly becoming...No box to fit into, just a park to run around in and find yourself." (09:38)

Cover Art: Childhood and Joy

• The collection’s cover, depicting children at play, references both Joseph’s desire to recapture childhood joy and the iconic album artwork of The Roots’ Undone.
  • Quote:

    "What does it look like to frame the best time to be alive? Right. And it really is childhood." (10:34)

• Joseph aspires for readers to retain the spirit of the children on the cover into adulthood.

Masculinity and Tenderness: "As a Boy, I Watched Westerns"

• Joseph reads a poem inspired by his uncles, blending metaphors from classic Westerns and personal nostalgia. The work interrogates models of masculinity he observed in his youth.
  • Poem Reading: (13:15 – 15:20)
• He discusses the inherited, sometimes toxic images of manhood and his quest to both honor and unlearn them.
  • Quote:

    "I'm also talking about generations of men who are trying to figure out what a man is. ...I juxtapose that with the rest of the book where I'm also talking about being a man and being tender." (15:25)

Redefining Manhood: "Hymn Tender" & Male Friendship

• The poem "Hymn Tender" and its performance become a testimony to redefining masculinity outside of traditional confines.
  • Quote:

    "What does it look like that you and I can come into a room and smile at each other, right? ...We don't have to be stoic and posturing. We can just have a good time with each other and really love on each other even just in the space." (18:23 – 18:44)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On embracing the present:

  "How do we just sit in this moment of you and I just even speaking?" (02:18)

• On the purpose of fighting for justice:

  "We're fighting so that it's easier to just lay in Prospect park and look at the sky. We're fighting so that, you know, the food tastes better, and we're fighting so that, you know, the kids are safer, and we have to really honor that." (03:30)

• On poetry’s place in his life:

  "Poetry really is our first artistic language as humans. ...Even the prose of someone like James Baldwin or Toni Morrison, that's poetry. We couldn't get that without poetry." (06:54)

• On toxic masculinity:

  "We don't talk about how toxic masculinity also harms the man himself. ...It doesn't allow you to be tender. It doesn't allow you to be emotional." (17:20)

• On male friendship:

  "What does it look like that you and I can come into a room and smile at each other, right? ...We can just have a good time with each other and really love on each other even just in the space." (18:23 – 18:44)

Important Timestamps & Segments

• On the book’s title and pandemic inspiration: 02:10 – 03:21
• Transition from critique to gratitude in Joseph’s work: 03:30 – 04:15
• Reading “Notes from Therapy” poem: 05:22 – 06:35
• Discovery of poetry through hip hop: 06:54 – 08:18
• Approach to writing for children: 08:41 – 09:30
• Learning from young people about identity: 09:30 – 10:24
• Cover art and its meaning: 10:34 – 11:37
• Reading “As a Boy, I Watched Westerns” poem: 13:15 – 15:20
• Discussion of masculinity and tenderness (“Hymn Tender”): 17:20 – 18:44

Conclusion & Tone

The episode is a heartfelt, intimate, and candid exploration of Frederick Joseph’s new poetry collection, his creative motivations, and his evolving perspectives on masculinity, community, and selfhood. The tone remains conversational, reflective, and celebratory, especially on the book’s publication day. Joseph’s willingness to share personal experiences and vulnerability invites listeners into a space of collective reflection and hope.

Recommended for:
Anyone interested in contemporary poetry, masculinity, Black identity, creative process, or healing and vulnerability in modern culture.

Listen for:
Poem readings at 05:22 ("Notes from Therapy") and 13:15 ("As a Boy, I Watched Westerns"), as well as the deeply authentic exchanges between Joseph and Navadar about community, identity, and becoming.