Special Feature: Major Jackson reads Clint Smith on The Slowdown - The New Yorker: Poetry

Summary3 min read

The New Yorker: Poetry - Special Feature: Major Jackson Reads Clint Smith on The Slowdown

Release Date: April 24, 2024
Hosts: WNYC Studios and The New Yorker
Guest: Major Jackson

Introduction by Kevin Young (00:00 - 01:08)

Kevin Young, the poetry editor of The New Yorker and host of The New Yorker Poetry Podcast, opens the episode by introducing a special feature from The Slowdown, a renowned public media poetry podcast initiated in 2018. He highlights Major Jackson as the current host, noting Jackson’s impressive credentials, including his role as the Poetry Editor of the Harvard Review and his position as the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair in the Humanities at Vanderbilt University. Young emphasizes the longstanding collaboration between The Slowdown and The New Yorker, setting the stage for an enriching poetic experience.

Notable Quote:

"The Slowdown has featured many poets who also appear on the New Yorker Poetry Podcast, including myself." – Kevin Young [00:45]

Major Jackson’s Reflection and Poem Reading (01:08 - 09:20)

Major Jackson takes over to share a personal reflection intertwined with his poetic reading. He begins by recounting a moment after a poetry reading in Mystic, Connecticut, expressing awe at his life’s trajectory centered around the love for language and communal discovery through poetry.

Personal Reflections: Jackson delves into his journey, highlighting the deep connections he has formed through poetry—friends, students, and readers who have profoundly influenced him. He speaks candidly about his relationship with his son, Langston, illustrating the challenges and triumphs they have navigated together. This segment underscores the transformative power of poetry in personal and communal contexts.

Notable Quotes:

"What a life." – Major Jackson [01:50]

"Poetry brings me to the belief that some mysterious force is at work below that unveils a spiritually deeper meaning to it all." – Major Jackson [06:15]

Introducing "Chaos Theory" by Clint Smith: Jackson transitions to the poem "Chaos Theory" by Clint Smith, setting up its thematic exploration of fate, destiny, and the intricate web of possibilities shaped by seemingly insignificant actions.

Reading of "Chaos Theory": Jackson reads the poem with profound sensitivity, emphasizing the interconnectedness of events and the profound "what ifs" that shape our existence. The poem contemplates how minor changes, like a butterfly flapping its wings, could alter the entire course of human existence.

Notable Excerpts from the Poem:

"If 20 million years ago the butterfly flew in a different direction, do you think we would have met?" [06:45]

"Maybe we wouldn't have been us. Maybe I would be an oak cut down to be the home that held you." [07:30]

"It would have been such a tragedy if something happened that would have prevented me from meeting you." [09:00]

Themes Explored:

Interconnectivity: The poem underscores the delicate balance of life and how small actions can have monumental impacts.
Fate vs. Destiny: Jackson reflects on his belief in a deeper spiritual force guiding events, resonating with the poem's contemplation of predestined encounters.
Personal Growth and Relationships: The reflection on his relationship with his son ties back to the poem’s exploration of connections and the pivotal moments that define them.

Conclusion

The episode gracefully intertwines Major Jackson’s personal reflections with Clint Smith’s evocative poetry, offering listeners a contemplative experience on the complexities of life, relationships, and the unseen forces that shape our destinies. Through thoughtful narration and poignant verse, Jackson invites the audience to ponder the delicate threads that connect us all.

Key Takeaways:

The Power of Poetry: Both hosts highlight poetry's ability to foster deep connections and facilitate personal and communal introspection.
Interconnectedness of Life: "Chaos Theory" serves as a metaphor for understanding how minor events can significantly alter life’s trajectory.
Personal and Universal Themes: Major Jackson’s reflections bridge personal experiences with universal questions about fate and destiny.

Note: This episode is a collaborative production between WNYC Studios and The New Yorker, celebrating the enduring legacy of The Slowdown podcast and its contribution to contemporary poetry.

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Transcript2 lines

[00:00]
Kevin Young
Hi, it's Kevin Young, poetry editor of the New Yorker and host of the New Yorker Poetry Podcast. Today we're sharing a special episode of the daily poetry podcast the Slowdown. In this episode, Major Jackson shares a moment of reflection and reads the poem Chaos Theory by Clint Smith. The Slowdown is a cornerstone public media poetry podcast running since 2018. It was previously hosted by Tracy K. Smith and Ada Limone and has released over 1000 episodes. Available to all. The Slowdown has featured many poets who also appear on the New Yorker Poetry Podcast, including myself. The show is currently hosted by Major Jackson, the author of six books of poetry, including Razzle Dazzle, New and Selected Poems, and he is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and serves as the Poetry Editor of the Harvard Review. Major Jackson lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where he is the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair in the Humanities at Vanderbilt University. We hope you enjoy this episode.
[01:09]
Major Jackson
I'm Major Jackson and this is the Slowdown. I stood before an applauding audience after just finishing a reading in Mystic, Connecticut. I thought, how is this my life? One in which a quest for language is a welcome source of communal joy and discovery. Even here on this podcast, I get to share with you poems written by poets that hopefully you experience as moving and even as a necessary part of your day. What a life. Over the years, because of this art, I have made friends and students who are like family and readers who challenged me to do more than dilly dally, who seek a spiritual purpose to words and how we use them. Recently I sat with my son Langston on my roof as a sunset on the horizon bewitched the hills off in the distance. I had a similar feeling. I fell in love with writing and reading poetry. Just as he entered the world, he and I have journeyed together and alone. It wasn't easy for us. At times I am lucky and proud of him and me. We've overcome personal challenges that have in its wake, placed us in greater tune with each other. Looking on my past, I think to myself, what if? What if I had made different decisions? What if I had applied for an MBA instead of an mfa? What if I never fell in love with the world or said yes to that dream job that turned out to not be a dream job? Occasionally I try to follow the series of decisions that led me to this present. However triumphant or painful, my life wavers between fate and destiny. But then again, poetry brings me to the belief that some mysterious force is at work below that unveils a spiritually deeper meaning to it all. Today's poem follows a similar trajectory of what ifs, imagining possibilities far different than the present reality. Chaos Theory by Clint Smith if 20 million years ago the butterfly flew in a different direction, do you think we would have met? Maybe we wouldn't have even been people. Maybe we wouldn't have even been us. You know, maybe you would have been a tortoise and I would be a raspberry. Maybe we would both be plants on opposite sides of the same coral reef, so that we could have been connected without ever having met. Maybe I would be an oak cut down to be the home that held you. Maybe I would have never been. Maybe the butterfly's wings would have blown the seed into the river and away from the soil, which otherwise would have become a bush of blueberries, which otherwise would have been eaten by a squirrel or some other prehistoric rodent, which otherwise would have died in a field of milkweeds, which otherwise would have been carried by the wind to another place, which otherwise might have gotten caught in the feathers of the bird, which otherwise might have flown to the other side of the sea. I could go on, but what I mean to say is that it would have been such a tragedy if something happened that would have prevented me from from meeting you. Like a butterfly who didn't realize it was flying in the wrong direction. The Slowdown is a production of American Public Media in partnership with the Poetry Foundation. This project is also supported in part by by the National Endowment for the Arts. On the web@arts.gov to get a poem delivered to you daily, go to slowdownshow.org and sign up for our newsletter. Find us on Instagram slowdownshow. The Slowdown is written by me, Major Jackson. It is produced by Micah Kilbon. Our music is composed by Alexis Cuadrado, engineering by Josh Savageau. Our associate producer is Maria Wartel. Additional production help by Susanna Sharpless, James Napoli, Katie Reuther, and Nick Ryan. Our executives in charge of APM Studios are Chandra Kavati and Joanne Griffith.