All Of It Podcast Episode Summary: Poet Robin Walter Celebrates Poetry Month

Podcast Information:

• Title: All Of It
• Host: Alison Stewart
• Episode: Poet Robin Walter Celebrates Poetry Month
• Release Date: April 24, 2025
• Description: ALL OF IT is a WNYC show delving into culture and its consumers, aiming to engage thinkers, doers, makers, and creators about the essence and motivations behind their work.

Introduction

In this episode of All Of It, host Alison Stewart welcomes Robin Walter, the 2024 winner of the Academy of American Poets First Book Award, to celebrate National Poetry Month. Robin, an associate professor at Colorado State University, discusses her acclaimed poetry collection, Little Mercy, and shares insights into her creative process, teaching philosophy, and the profound impact of her recent accident on her work.

Robin Walter’s Achievement and Little Mercy

Robin Walter's recognition as the winner of the Academy of American Poets First Book Award marks a significant milestone in her poetic career. Discussing her emotional response to the accolade, Robin shares:

"It was pretty stunning and I was caught speechless. I was walking out of class and got this call from Ricky Maldonado and he relayed the news and I began weeping immediately in the quad around and students coming and going. And I truly was just floored and humbled and delighted."
[02:12]

Little Mercy, her award-winning collection, was highlighted by Victoria Chang as having "beautiful and meditative poems" that encourage readers to appreciate the natural beauty amidst life's challenges. Robin elaborates on the title's significance:

"In some ways, it is both a token of mercy being scant and also mercy appearing in little places and littlenesses... how it is that we can find solace and shelter in those small moments or small beans and birds and a blade of grass."
[03:28]

Inspiration and Writing Process Amid Recovery

Robin attributes much of her creative output in Little Mercy to a life-altering accident involving a mule:

"I was leading outfitting trips in the Bighorn Mountains... the mule reared up and clocked me in the face... resulting in several years of surgeries and a real long recovery period... wrote the majority of this book during that period of recovery."
[04:54]

Spending extensive time in a secluded cabin in the Bighorn Mountains allowed Robin to immerse herself in nature, fostering a deep sense of observation and reflection which permeates her poetry:

"It was just really on that tiny porch with this symphonic landscape around me... just sitting and noticing."
[06:07]

Themes and Structure of Little Mercy

Discussing the architectural choices in her collection, Robin draws parallels between nest-building and poetic structuring:

"I thought a lot about the architecture of a nest... the line being assembled as a twig, as part of a nest."
[07:19]

This metaphor underscores the meticulous and organic process of creating poetry, emphasizing the interconnectedness of themes and emotions throughout the book.

Performance and Recitations

Robin shares excerpts from her poems, providing listeners with a tactile sense of her lyrical style. She reads "Beyond the Meadow":

"Beyond the meadow. A thread of moonlight there tangled in wet pine... Every palm touched by shadow carries it."
[04:03]

Later, she presents "What Grammar for Prayer", reflecting her innovative approach to language and form:

"What grammar for prayer. Try the shiny black beat, the heartbeat, a little soldier... Try nothing, not naming at all."
[09:10]

Educational Endeavors and Student Perspectives

As an educator in the Green and Gold Initiative at Colorado State University, Robin bridges STEM and humanities, teaching courses like Poetry, Politics, and Place and Poetry and Printmaking. She highlights a poignant moment with her students:

"I asked my students recently if they have hope in this particular moment, and the class of 23 students, not one of them raised their hands... how to find hope, and if not hope, then how to imagine themselves being able to hope."
[13:24]

This interaction underscores the pressing existential questions her students grapple with, reflecting broader societal concerns.

Perspectives on Poetry and Advice for Aspiring Poets

Addressing common misconceptions, Robin emphasizes the flexibility of poetic forms:

"One of the misconceptions... a poem has to rhyme... contemporary poetry that doesn't rhyme at all and is imagining and reimagining language in exquisite and inspiring ways."
[15:24]

She advises budding poets to draw inspiration from existing works to evoke emotions:

"Find a poem that makes you feel something... borrow a line or a title from that poem and write towards that feeling... make it your own."
[20:00]

Listener Participation and Shared Poems

The episode features contributions from listeners, Maria and Linda, who share their haikus and poems respectively:

• Maria from Newton, NJ presents:

  "Youth Mouthing a Tunnel. Of ringing memories. A young boy whistles."
  [18:41]

• Linda from New York City shares:

  "Time's great secret finds its way with the birds from night to day... Why can't we find the essence, the center, the key, the secret of their simplicity?"
  [19:04]

These contributions highlight the community-centric ethos of All Of It, celebrating diverse voices and perspectives.

Robin Walter’s Reflections and Closing Thoughts

Robin concludes by reading another evocative poem, encapsulating her thematic explorations of identity and connection:

"If the rafter belongs, if only briefly, to nest in the hand to the beautiful wrist... See the little wren lift from thin river of moonlight held in palm."
[20:30]

Host Alison Stewart wraps up the episode by highlighting Robin's upcoming appearance:

"Little Mercy is available at Books Are Magic on Montague street at 7pm tonight."
[21:10]

Robin expresses her gratitude:

"Thank you so much for having me and happy..."
[21:10]

Conclusion

This episode of All Of It offers an intimate glimpse into Robin Walter's poetic journey, her resilience in the face of adversity, and her commitment to fostering hope through literature. By intertwining personal anecdotes with profound poetic insights, Robin exemplifies the transformative power of art in navigating and understanding the complexities of the human experience.