From the Front Porch – Episode 543

Summer Readings: Poems We Love
Host: Annie Jones (Owner, The Bookshelf Thomasville)
Date: August 21, 2025

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt conclusion to the Summer Readings series, Annie Jones takes listeners on a poetic journey, reading aloud favorite summer poems, both classic and contemporary. Highlighting the accessibility and emotional resonance of poetry, Annie celebrates National Poetry Month traditions at The Bookshelf, reflects on what draws her to poetry as both reader and bookstore owner, and closes with selections from poets who have inspired her. The episode spotlights how poetry can fit into daily life, how it offers solace and insight, and how it remains "perfect for these last days of summer."

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Philosophy Behind Summer Readings

• Annie explains the logistical reasons for this summer’s podcast format, referencing multiple team members on maternity leave and the need to create consistent, engaging content despite a changing shop schedule (05:30).
• The Summer Readings series was inspired both by a desire to read aloud to adults and a wish to highlight new and noteworthy books via publisher-approved excerpts.
• Poetry was Annie's “very first idea” for the summer series, stemming from her love of being read to and admiration of Emily P. Freeman’s annual Psalm readings (10:00).

"I want grown-ups to be read to, too. It’s honestly why we start each episode with a book quote…"
— Annie, 07:05

2. Poetry at The Bookshelf & Accessibility

• The Bookshelf celebrated National Poetry Month with special readings—staff member Caroline delivered soothing recitations on Instagram and participated in Poem in Your Pocket Day, a Jones family and store favorite (13:50).
• Annie discusses poetry’s reputation as a “hard sell” and her views on why some readers find it intimidating.
• Social media and short-form content have helped revive interest in poetry and make it feel less “academic.”

"Now more than ever, I find poetry accessible. A lot of that has to do with Instagram… I also think poetry offers an anecdote to our overwhelming desire to scroll."
— Annie, 16:30

3. The Unique Strengths of Poetry

• Annie suggests that poetry is an antidote for modern distractions and attention-deficit reading habits (17:30).
• She encourages listeners to use poetry for everyday moments—"poetry when you wake up and on your lunch break…it's just a couple of lines. Sometimes they even rhyme. And the rhyme will stay with you all day like a mantra or a prayer." (18:00)

4. The Readings: Celebrating Summer & Self-Acceptance

Annie reads selections intended to evoke the warmth, nostalgia, and complexity of summer. Each poem is attributed and presented with brief context:

Classic Selections

• "The Schoolboy" by William Blake (23:10)

  • Explores the conflict between a child’s longing for freedom in summer and the constraints of education.
  • Memorable lines:
    "How can the bird that is born for joy / Sit in a cage and sing?"

• "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop (26:40)

  • Meditates on loss with Bishop’s famous refrain, “the art of losing isn’t hard to master.”
  • Memorable lines:
    "Even losing you… it's evident / the art of losing's not too hard to master / though it may look like disaster."

• "Fairy Song" by Louisa May Alcott (29:30)

  • A whimsical celebration of nighttime magic and the changing guard between elves and morning birds.

• "Summer Song of the Strawberry Girl" by Mary Botham Howitt (31:50)

  • Joyfully contrasts material poverty with the riches of nature, affirming the abundance summer brings to all.

"They tell me that my father’s poor. That is no grief to me / when such a blue and brilliant sky my upturned eye can see."
— Annie, quoting Howitt, 32:45

• "A Portable Paradise" by Roger Robinson (35:00)
  • Advice on safeguarding internal joy, rooted in memories of the poet’s grandmother.

"If life puts you under pressure, trace its ridges in your pocket, smell its piny scent on your handkerchief, hum its anthem under your breath."
— Annie, quoting Robinson, 36:00

Contemporary Voices

• "Mermaid in America" by Lindsay Rush (38:00)
  • Personal piece on body image, self-acceptance, and summer’s encouragement to take up space and shed insecurity.

"For years I hid my legs under maxi dresses... I'm mostly over it now, but that's only because where I live it's way too hot to hate yourself out of wearing shorts."
— Annie, quoting Rush, 39:10

• "Beachbody" by Kate Baer (41:30)
  • Celebrates all body types; a call to reject narrow standards of beauty and embrace one’s physicality.

"Give me all the hot body, soft body, curve and dimple, big body... This is not your mother's body, and even if it was, look at how she moves."
— Annie, quoting Baer, 42:10

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Poetry when you wake up and on your lunch break and right before bed—it's just a couple of lines. Sometimes they even rhyme." (Annie, 18:00)
• "Based on our store's sales numbers, poetry is a hard sell. I think maybe that's because it's intimidating to readers, perhaps too reminiscent of a high school English class that we hated. Though let me be very clear. I never hated high school English class. Never. I could never. But a lot of people did." (Annie, 15:40)
• The playful comparison of Poem in Your Pocket Day to Annie’s affection for hot dogs, revealing her lighthearted tone and the store’s close-knit community feel. (14:45)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:01 – Host intro, Bookshelf events, and podcast logistics
• 07:05 – Annie discusses the concept behind Summer Readings
• 13:50 – National Poetry Month activities at The Bookshelf
• 15:40 – Discussion of poetry's reputation and accessibility
• 17:30 – Poetry as an antidote to distraction
• 23:10 – Reads "The Schoolboy" by William Blake
• 26:40 – Reads "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop
• 29:30 – Reads "Fairy Song" by Louisa May Alcott
• 31:50 – Reads "Summer Song of the Strawberry Girl"
• 35:00 – Reads "A Portable Paradise" by Roger Robinson
• 38:00 – Reads "Mermaid in America" by Lindsay Rush
• 41:30 – Reads "Beachbody" by Kate Baer

Closing – Bookstore Connections & Poetry Recommendations

• Annie encourages listeners to use code SUMMERREADINGS for 10% off the featured poetry selections and invites preorders for Kate Baer’s forthcoming book How About Now (45:15).
• She reminds listeners that poetry is always available at their local bookstore and that it might be “perfect for these last days of summer. Because honestly, it’s perfect all the time.”
• Ends by revealing her current read: Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson (46:10).

Takeaways

This episode is a gentle, celebratory guide into the world of poetry, breaking down barriers and encouraging listeners to embrace verse as a daily comfort. Both classic and modern works are rendered freshly accessible, and Annie’s enthusiasm demonstrates how a local bookstore, and a good poem, can bring light and belonging—even during the slow, sticky days of summer in the South.