1520: The New City by Hieu Minh Nguyen - The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Summary4 min read

The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Episode 1520: "The New City" by Hieu Minh Nguyen
Host: Maggie Smith
Air Date: May 21, 2026

Episode Overview

In this reflective episode, host Maggie Smith introduces and contemplates the experience of solitude—particularly the nuanced, often-overlooked act of dining alone in public spaces. Through her own anecdotes and by sharing the poem "The New City" by Hieu Minh Nguyen, Maggie explores loneliness, self-consciousness, and the surprising sense of community and connection found even when one is physically alone. The episode invites listeners to consider the attention poetry brings to both our internal lives and the world around us.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Pleasure and Discomfort of Doing Things Alone

Personal Anecdote: Maggie describes the unique joy in solo activities such as going to the movies or dining out.
Self-Consciousness in Younger Years: She admits feeling concerned, in her youth, about how she’d be perceived alone in public:
- "I'm sure I would have felt uncomfortable being solo in public like that. When everyone else had dates or was in groups, I probably would have worried about appearing friendless, like, what's wrong with her?" [01:36]
Growth with Age: With time, Maggie has grown less concerned about others’ perceptions, enjoying solitude during work trips:
- "Now that I'm older, though, I care less about what strangers think of me." [01:57]

The Subtle Company of Strangers

Maggie observes how being alone in public is never truly being alone; one is surrounded by the stories and energy of others.
She entertains herself not just with a book or her phone, but also by "half eavesdropping" on conversations around her, turning her solitude into an opportunity for observation and reflection.
- "While I eat, I can half read and half eavesdrop on the people around me. Dates that don't seem to be going well, business meetings with a lot of corporate jargon, or friends sharing inside jokes and laughing until they cry. I'm not really alone after all. I'm in public." [02:23]

Featured Poem: "The New City" by Hieu Minh Nguyen [02:53]

Maggie introduces the poem by noting its tender portrayal of solo dining—the touch of loneliness it carries, yet the vibrancy of the world moving around the speaker.

Notable Poem Excerpt & Interpretive Insights

Vivid Scene of Solitude:

"In one motion, as if not to draw too much attention to my loneliness, the server swiftly clears the extra plate setting and leaves in its place a single menu.
I'm not from here, I confess, to absolve my solitude from the seat it occupies..."
Universal Longing and Disguise:

"...that somewhere else there would be someone else, but here it’s just a book I use to hide between bites,
in which the protagonist discovers you can spend your whole life in a little blue suit and still be wrong about what the world sees when it looks at you."
Observation of Others & Connection:

"By the time I finish my meal, the office buildings have all emptied into the pubs around downtown...
The lawyers chain smoke on the patio in a corner booth.
The day nurses suck helium from pink balloons.
Someone is sitting alone at a high top in a pencil skirt.
Someone is making their way through the bar, coat tucked under an arm, a drink in each hand."

Maggie’s Reflection

The poem “makes me want to take myself out to dinner” and recognizes the gentle courage it takes to be visibly, calmly alone. The piece ultimately illustrates how public solitude is always embedded in a tapestry of unseen, parallel lives.
- "Today's poem captures the experience of dining alone so beautifully. The tinge of loneliness, but also the cast of characters all around the speaker." [02:41]

Memorable Quotes

On the Change in Perspective with Age:
- "Now that I'm older, though, I care less about what strangers think of me." – Maggie Smith [01:57]
On the Social Texture of Solitude:
- "I'm not really alone after all. I'm in public." – Maggie Smith [02:35]
On the Art of Attention through Poetry:
- "Poetry is one of the greatest tools we have to wield our own attention—to consider our own lives and the lives of others, to help us live creatively and compassionately." – Maggie Smith [Intro, see episode description]

Important Segment Timestamps

[00:42] Maggie’s personal reflections on doing things alone
[01:36] Recounting youthful self-consciousness about solitude
[01:57] How age has changed her attitude toward being alone in public
[02:23] On finding subtle company in public spaces
[02:41] Introduction to the poem and its significance
[02:53] Reading of "The New City" by Hieu Minh Nguyen

Conclusion

This episode of The Slowdown gently nudges listeners to see everyday acts—like eating alone—not as experiences of isolation, but as opportunities for quiet observation, introspection, and connection to the broader world. Through Maggie Smith’s candid storytelling and the evocative poem by Hieu Minh Nguyen, the episode brings solace and dignifies the inner life of anyone who’s ever sat solo in a crowded room.

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Transcript2 lines

[00:01]
A
Anxiety, depression, bipolar, disorder. At least half of us will experience a mental illness in our lifetime. In a new series of special reports from Call to Mind, we hear about the mental health impact of stress, climate change, immigration and more. Tune in for conversations with people managing hardship and experts seeking solutions. Listen to Call to Mind from American Public Media. The new Strawberry Watermelon refresher is now at McDonald's. It's made with strawberries and a whole lot of whimsy. It's one of many new drinks now at McDonald's.
[00:43]
B
Refreshers contain caffeine. I'm Maggie Smith, and this is the Slow down. There's a very specific pleasure in doing things alone. Going to the movies by yourself, sitting in the dark with your own drink and popcorn or candy that you don't have to share, and sitting anywhere you want in the theater without asking a companion where they want to sit, or having a meal on your own. Party of one. Just people watching and enjoying the ambiance without the need to make conversation. I never did either of those things when I was young. I'm sure I would have felt uncomfortable being being solo in public like that. When everyone else had dates or was in groups, I probably would have worried about appearing friendless, like, what's wrong with her? Now that I'm older, though, I care less about what strangers think of me. And besides, I travel solo so often these days for book events or to give talks or to teach. Many times a year I find myself alone in another city, and if I don't have friends to share a meal with while I'm in town, I order room service or take myself out. A book is plenty to keep me occupied at a restaurant when I'm by myself. Or, let's be real, my phone. While I eat, I can half read and half eavesdrop on the people around me. Dates that don't seem to be going well, business meetings with a lot of corporate jargon, or friends sharing inside jokes and laughing until they cry. I'm not really alone after all. I'm in public. Today's poem captures the experience of dining alone so beautifully. The tinge of loneliness, but also the cast of characters all around the speaker. It makes me want to take myself out to dinner. The New City by Hue Min Nguyen in one motion, as if not to draw too much attention to my loneliness, the server swiftly clears the extra plate setting and leaves in its place a single menu. I'm not from here, I confess, to absolve my solitude from the seat it occupies to suggest. Also, regardless if it's true that somewhere else there would be someone else, but here it's just a book I use to hide between bites, in which the protagonist discovers you can spend your whole life in a little blue suit and still be wrong about what the world sees when it looks at you. By the time I finish my meal, the office buildings have all emptied into the pubs around downtown. Sometimes I look up from my life and discover the world, undeterred by my hiding, has found me. The lawyers chain smoke on the patio in a corner booth. The day nurses suck helium from pink balloons. Someone is sitting alone at a high top in a pencil skirt. Someone is making their way through the bar, coat tucked under an arm, a drink in each hand. The Slowdown is a production of American Public Media in partnership with the Poetry Foundation. To get a poem delivered to you daily, go to slowdownshow.org and sign up for our newsletter and find us on instagram lowdownshow and blueskylowdownshow.org Foreign. Hi, it's Maggie. Thanks for listening to the Slowdown. Whether you press play to find calm or vivid inspiration, we're glad you're here. As a public media podcast, we rely on listener support to to share these moments of poetry. Please consider donating today@slowdownshow.org donate.