Podcast Summary: The New Yorker: Poetry – "Jericho Brown Reads Elizabeth Alexander"

Release Date: February 26, 2025
Host: Kevin Young, Poetry Editor of The New Yorker
Guest: Jericho Brown, 2020 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Poetry

1. Introduction

In this engaging episode of The New Yorker: Poetry, host Kevin Young welcomes acclaimed poet Jericho Brown to discuss and explore the intricacies of poetry within the New Yorker’s esteemed archives. The episode delves into Brown’s selection of Elizabeth Alexander’s poem "When" and features Brown’s own poignant work, "Coliseum." Throughout the conversation, both poets share deep insights into the craft of poetry, the legacy of black queer poets, and the enduring power of poetic expression.

2. Jericho Brown's Selection: "When" by Elizabeth Alexander

At [02:41], Jericho Brown introduces the poem "When" by Elizabeth Alexander as the first New Yorker poem that profoundly resonated with him. He recounts how encountering this poem during a pivotal time in his academic journey solidified his commitment to pursuing poetry.

Jericho Brown:

"It was really a time of transition, a time of beginnings, and a time that I was really 100% deciding that I was going to follow this life and become a poet." [02:42]

3. In-Depth Analysis of "When"

Jericho Brown reads the sonnet "When" at [03:05], highlighting the poem's powerful imagery and musicality. He praises Elizabeth Alexander’s mastery of the sonnet form, noting the seamless integration of rhyme and rhythm that evokes a sense of movement and emotion.

Jericho Brown:

"And a sonnet. No one can sonnet like Elizabeth can. But then also just those sounds when you were reading it, you brought them out, those B sounds..." [04:15]

Kevin Young elaborates on the poem's significance, discussing its role as an elegy for a generation of black men lost to AIDS. He emphasizes the poem's function as both a personal tribute and a broader cultural remembrance.

Kevin Young:

"This poem ultimately is an elegy for an entire generation of black men, coming across this poem really assured me that what I was reaching toward... was a real piece of literature." [04:37]

The conversation further explores the poem's structural elements, including its unconventional rhyme scheme and the poignant final line that encapsulates loss and memory.

Kevin Young:

"This is not a free verse sonnet. You know, spotted rhymes with gold. Lit, obviously. Troubles rhymes with troubles. Sauce rhymes with house..." [07:12]

Jericho Brown reflects on the emotional impact of Alexander's work, comparing the pride elicited by the poem to the triumph felt during a significant athletic achievement.

Jericho Brown:

"It's something we don't get to talk about in classroom is what kind of feeling can come through a poem in terms of pride." [07:58]

4. Break – Skipped

Note: The segment between [17:58] and [37:28] includes promotional content and interviews unrelated to the podcast’s main discussion. This section has been omitted from the summary.

5. Jericho Brown's Original Poem: "Coliseum"

Upon returning from the break, Jericho Brown introduces his own poem, "Coliseum," published in the May 27, 2013 issue of The New Yorker. He shares the personal significance of the poem, recounting his journey to having it accepted by the magazine after persistent submissions.

Jericho Brown:

"It was completely engineered by my good friend and my colleague at Emory, Tiffany Yannick..." [19:20]

Jericho Brown reads "Coliseum" at [20:40], a deeply personal piece that intertwines themes of pain, resilience, and love.

6. Analysis of "Coliseum"

Following the reading, Jericho Brown and Kevin Young delve into the poem's themes and stylistic choices. Brown discusses the metaphor of the gladiator as a symbol of enduring love and survival, illustrating how personal and historical narratives converge in his work.

Jericho Brown:

"There is something about it that always includes the feeling of war, the feeling of conquer... the feeling of long as we together, baby." [22:12]

He also explores the poem’s form, highlighting his intention to achieve a sense of transcendence through free verse while maintaining musicality and resonance.

Jericho Brown:

"My goal when I was writing this poem and many of the poems in my second book, was making use of free verse in order to reach what I thought of as the sublime." [24:26]

Kevin Young offers insights into the interplay between form and emotion, praising Brown’s ability to convey intimate experiences through structured yet fluid poetic forms.

Kevin Young:

"Elizabeth Alexander is just a very special person in our world... because of her, I knew who Forrest. I knew who Melvin Dixon was already." [10:14]

7. Reflections on Poetic Form and the Role of Poetry

The discussion shifts to the broader role of poetry in society. Jericho Brown shares his perspective on poetry's often underappreciated yet vital role, likening it to trees that silently sustain life.

Jericho Brown:

"Poems are like trees. We walk by trees all the time, every day. We pay them absolutely no attention." [36:07]

Kevin Young concurs, emphasizing the transformative power of poetry and its ability to resonate deeply, often recognized only in its absence.

Kevin Young:

"We don't always know just how valuable, just how important poetry is to keeping this world turn..." [36:25]

8. Conclusion

The episode concludes with heartfelt acknowledgments of poets who have shaped the landscape of black queer poetry. Kevin Young and Jericho Brown reflect on the legacy of poets like Nikki Giovanni and James Baldwin, underscoring the collective effort to elevate and normalize diverse poetic voices within mainstream platforms like The New Yorker.

Jericho Brown:

"We actually changed this world. And so now you read poems by people like Philip B. Williams and Danez Smith and Ricky Laurentiis..." [29:52]

Kevin Young:

"Poems are like trees... they add value to my life, that they were changing me." [36:25]

Notable Quotes

• Jericho Brown on the impact of "When":
  "It was really important to me... Can I just tell you this one other thing that I love about this?" [06:25]

• Kevin Young on the sonnet form:
  "Do you know what I mean? Right, right." [07:12]

• Jericho Brown on form and transcendence:
  "I wanted to make really small poems, and I wanted those really small poems in the way of Dickinson..." [24:26]

Final Thoughts

This episode of The New Yorker: Poetry offers a profound exploration of poetic expression through the lenses of two distinguished poets. Jericho Brown and Kevin Young provide listeners with a rich tapestry of literary analysis, personal anecdotes, and philosophical musings on the role of poetry in cultural and personal identity. Whether you're a seasoned poetry enthusiast or new to the genre, this conversation illuminates the enduring significance and emotional depth that poetry brings to our lives.

For more poetry and episodes, visit newyorker.com or access The New Yorker app available on the App Store and Google Play.