Episode Overview

Episode Title: 1334: Étude by Amy Gerstler
Host: Maggie Smith
Podcast: The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily
Date: August 20, 2025

In this episode, Maggie Smith explores the intimate link between sensory experiences—especially sound and scent—and memory. Through personal reflection and the reading of Amy Gerstler’s poem “Étude,” Smith celebrates the poetic power of attentive listening, and how both music and poetry invite us to find meaning and wonder in the world around us.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Power of Scent and Memory

• Maggie Smith opens with evocative descriptions of summer scents (chlorine, sunscreen) and how these instantly transport her back to childhood memories.
• She references scientific research showing that the sense of smell is the one most closely associated with memory, due to the olfactory bulb’s direct link to regions of the brain involved in memory and emotion.
  • Quote:

    “No wonder some smells can conjure memories instantaneously.”
    (03:27)

The Soundscape of Memory

• Smith transitions to discuss how sounds—tires on wet streets, ocean waves, music—can also transport us through time in vivid, emotional ways.
• She notes that music was her "gateway" to writing poetry, highlighting the overlap between song lyrics and poetic imagery.
  • Quote:

    “Music itself is a time machine… I heard a Donna Summer song and was immediately six years old again, dancing with my younger sisters in the family room…”
    (04:10)

Poetry, Music, and Attention

• Smith emphasizes that poems, like songs, are “meant to live in the air” and possess their own inherent music.
• She introduces Amy Gerstler’s “Étude” as a celebration of the act of listening, both as a sensory experience and a poetic practice.

Featured Poem: "Étude" by Amy Gerstler (05:10 – 07:15)

Smith reads the full text of “Étude,” delivered in her reflective and gentle tone. Key themes in the poem include:

• The childhood fascination with sounds—everything from air raid sirens to the subtle rustle of a skirt is experienced as melody.

• The pursuit of attentive listening and the questioning of what counts as “music.”

• An embrace of the spaces between noise and silence, where creativity flourishes.

  • Notable Quote (from the poem):

    “In the no man’s land between noise and music, you can make sounds evolve by doing things you were told you couldn’t do.”
    (Poem at 06:45)

• The poem’s closing image of giraffes humming to each other at night invites listeners to consider the overlooked music in the world around us.

  • Notable Quote (from the poem):

    “When I read that giraffes hum to each other all night, I thought, that’s just one example. You can be the music’s protégé, make it echo in you…”
    (Poem at 07:00)

Memorable Moments

• Personal anecdote: Smith recalling her first forays into poetry by listening to and writing down song lyrics, pondering their meaning (04:30).
• Emphasis on the kinship between poetry and music, as art forms that transform attention into wonder and creativity (05:00).

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:35 – The science of how scent triggers memory
• 04:10 – Personal story: Donna Summer song as a time machine
• 04:30 – Song lyrics as a gateway to poetry
• 05:00 – Poetry and music: “meant to live in the air”
• 05:10–07:15 – Full reading of “Étude” by Amy Gerstler
• 06:45 – Poem’s reflection on creativity between noise and music
• 07:00 – Giraffes humming at night—invitation to listen deeply

Tone & Language

Maggie Smith maintains a warm, gentle, and reflective tone, blending personal reminiscence with poetic insight. Her language is evocative, descriptive, and welcoming, drawing listeners into both her memories and the world of the poem.

Conclusion

This episode of The Slowdown uses the lens of poetry—specifically Amy Gerstler’s “Étude”—to reflect on how sound and scent shape our inner and outer worlds. Through attentive listening, Maggie Smith encourages us to rediscover the music in everyday life, to “lean into wonder,” and to recognize the poetic resonance within our memories and senses.