New England Review

Two New Episodes of NER Out Loud

Michael McGriff and Jesse Lee Kercheval

Listen to two new episodes of NER Out Loud, hosted and produced by our summer interns Yardena Carmi ’23 and Rebecca Amen ’22.

Episode 16: Michael McGriff reads an excerpt from his poem “Questions for the Interrogation,” followed by an interview with Yardena Carmi. Their conversation explores the poem’s tribute to rural Oregon and Pablo Neruda, the limitations of memory and language, and Michael’s work as a translator of Tomas Tranströmer.

“From Questions for the Interrogation” was originally published in NER 42.1 (spring 2021).

Episode 17: Jesse Lee Kercheval reads her essay “Crash,” followed by a conversation with Rebecca Amen. The short essay interrogates the author’s memory of a shocking car accident that took place more than 50 years ago. In the interview, Kercheval further explores the nature of memory, essay writing in general, and her work as a translator of Uruguayan poetry.

“Crash” was originally published in NER 42.2 (summer 2021).

Visit NER’s podcast page here. You can also subscribe on Apple Podcasts or listen on Soundcloud.

Listen to NER

AbiYouness, Grotz, Johnson, Miller, and Phillips

Five NER 42.2 poets read their work aloud.

Philipe AbiYouness reads his poem “When They Cut The Power”: “When they cut the power, / we sliced the cantaloupe in the dark.”
AbiYouness also reads “يا ماما ! for the Empty House,” which touches on the varying forms and magnitudes of loss.
Jennifer Grotz reads “Poem or Story”: “My life from its start / was an expanding middle, my mother’s.”
Jenny Johnson reads “Submission”: “When you tear the top / off a marigold, there are / so many fine, loose strings.”
Wayne Miller reads “Camoufleurs”: “When the boys and I went out / in the woods with our BB guns, / we wore our fathers’ massive / fatigues. We shot each other / from inside our fathers’ / narratives.”
Carl Phillips reads “The Night, the Plan, the Stars,” which in only six lines plunges readers into a dreamlike scene.

New Episode of NER Out Loud

Zach Linge and Celeste Levy

Poet Zach Linge in the forest (left); performer Celeste Levy on stage in the Mahaney Center, Middlebury College

Since live audiences were limited this fall, when our annual NER Out Loud Live program was scheduled, this year we took the staged readings to the podcast format!

Listen here, as Middlebury student actor Celeste Levy reads the poem “Offered as Suddenly a Forest” by Zach Linge.

The reading is followed by a conversation between Celeste and Zach, who talk about the poem from both the reader’s and the writer’s points of view. They explore the origins of the poem’s images, writing during the pandemic, and the shades of truth that poetry can reveal.

“Offered as Suddenly a Forest” was originally published in NER 41.1, along with the poem “Branches.” Both poems can be read online. This episode is hosted by Carolyn Kuebler, Editor of NER.

Visit NER’s podcast page here. You can also subscribe on Apple Podcasts or listen on Soundcloud.

New Episode of NER Out Loud

McKenna Marsden and Madison Middleton

  • Author McKenna Marsden
    McKenna Marsden

Since live audiences were limited this fall, when our annual NER Out Loud Live program was scheduled, this year we took the staged readings to the podcast format!

Listen here, as Middlebury student actor Madison Middleton reads from the short story “Suffering in Motion” by McKenna Marsden.

The reading is followed by a conversation between Madison and McKenna, who talk about the story from both the reader’s and the writer’s points of view, touching on the power of running and what it means to be nonbinary.

“Suffering in Motion” was originally published in NER 40.4. Episode hosted by Carolyn Kuebler, Editor of NER.

Click here to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or listen on Soundcloud.

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