Feb 22, 2007 — There has been poetry of war through all of history, celebrating glory, valor and conquest, sanctifying the sacrificed. But as modern warfare has become more mechanized and indiscriminate, modern poets have increasingly turned their pens toward themes of peace. At St. Lawrence University, poets, readers and listeners--both town and gown--gather monthly before a fireplace in huge overstuffed chairs to share their own work--or anything else that has caught their ear. While some in February's gathering touched on the politics of the current war, Dale Hobson was struck by how broad the landscape of peace becomes, when filtered through poetic imagination. The next Poetry for Peace reading takes place March 7, at 4:30 pm, in the Winston Room of the Student Center at St. Lawrence University.  Go to full article

Jan 25, 2007 — Poet Allen Hoey left the region many years ago, but in his new collection, Country Music, he revisits his old North Country stomping grounds. He talks with Dale Hobson about remembered landscapes, and about writing and health. Allen Hoey's book, Country Music, is the next selection in NCPR's Books by Email serial. A few words of strong language are used in one poem.  Go to full article

Jan 19, 2007 — Hip-hop is the current hot spot in the melting pot of American culture, where art forms collide. Poetry, beats, music, found sound--it all comes together for Dominic Pirozzi and Carlos Moses, the duo Irate Primates. Jill Breit talked to them following their UpNorth Music recording session in Malone.  Go to full article

Dec 18, 2006 — To the extent that poets can be said to have work to be going off to, a main part of the job description is public performance. It's a curious kind of show biz--"the poe-biz" as one of tonight's guests calls it. Dale Hobson decided to talk with some area poets to get their best advice on how to do the deed. Participants in this master class are Duriel Harris and Albert Glover of St. Lawrence University, Robert Strong from SUNY Canton, Joe Duemer from Clarkson University, and Maurice Kenny from SUNY Potsdam.  Go to full article

Oct 31, 2006 — On this edition of Giving Voice, we hear from composer Peter Schickele, host of the public radio program Schickele Mix, talking about his music for Baptism, an album of poems he recorded with Joan Baez in 1968. His setting for the Henry Treece poem "The Magic Wood," has a marvelously spooky flavor, perfect for the Halloween season. Dale Hobson asks the composer to pull back the curtain a little, and tell us how to make music "creepy." Our thanks to Vanguard Records, A Welk Music Group company, for permission to use Joan Baez's recording of "The Magic Wood" from Baptism in the Giving Voice podcast.  Go to full article

Oct 04, 2006 — The connection between poets and musicians goes back to the roots of both art forms, but for almost as long, poets and visual artists have also found inspiration in each other's work. Dale Hobson talks with Clayton wood engraver, Greg Lago, and Potsdam printer, Jim Benvenuto, about the creation of On the River, a suite of prints celebrating the St. Lawrence River in all its seasons. Dale reads the Fall poem from the collection, "The Poachers," and the Winter selection, "Ice." Thanks to Chris Turner for the roadhouse harmonica solo, recorded live at the Red Tavern in St. Regis Falls.  Go to full article

Sep 05, 2006 — Poet Duriel Harris teaches at St. Lawrence University in Canton NY, and is one of many artists exploring "do-it-yourself" studio technology as a way to deepen the impact of her work. In this edition of Giving Voice she creates richly-textured soundscapes of music, sampled sound, and vocal effects to amplify the power of her words. She characterizes her work as po-mo funk, po-mo for post-modern, and funk for--well--funk. We'll listen to two of her studio compositions, "Living Body," from her collection Drag, and "Self Portrait at the Millennium," as well as a sample from a live performance. Host Dale Hobson talks with the poet about working in new media, and about working in collaboration.  Go to full article

Jul 27, 2006 — The poetry of the young often has a direct and sincere simplicity that lends itself to musical arrangement. In this edition of "Giving Voice," Todd Moe talks with young poets and professional musicians at a special concert in Saranac Lake. The Gregg Smith Singers perform choral arrangements of "I Wonder," "Dreaming," and "First Love"--poems by three of the winners in the Great Adirondack Young People's Poetry Contest.  Go to full article

Jun 29, 2006 — Canton poet and translator Steven White has experimented with reading his work accompanied by produced music in two CDs, Transversions and Transversions 2. But the limitations of working with independently-created music have led him to collaborate directly with a composer and performer, Oregon mbira player Richard Crandell. In this episode of Giving Voice, I talk with the poet about this long-distance artistic partnership, and we hear three poems blended with Crandell's compositions--"Oil & Consciousness," "The Clay Pots," and "Little-Pilgrimage-Day." Our thanks to public radio station KLCC in Eugene, Oregon, and to music director Michael Canning for production assistance on this piece.  Go to full article

May 29, 2006 — One of the pleasures of performing poetry is the scope it allows for collaboration with other artists. We follow a poem by host Dale Hobson, "The Family Plot," from one collaboration--with potter Paul Davison, into another--a musical setting of the poem by singer/songwiter Barabara Heller.  Go to full article