El Williams III (credit Marcus Jackson)
“Cicadas are just part of the world, as am I. Who knows what they’re thinking about me?”
In the latest episode of our podcast, El Williams III reads his poem, “There Was a Brood,” first published in NER 44.1, followed by an interview with Yardena Carmi.
Their discussion explores writing about place and personal experience, as well as the poet’s inspirations for this piece, which turns car trouble, summer heat, and a brood of cicadas into poetry.
Listen to episode 23 of NER Out Loud on Soundcloud—and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher!
Yardena Carmi ’23 is majoring in English and German at Middlebury College. Previously a Summer ’21 NER intern, she is the Spring ’23 NER Out Loud podcast producer.