A Lovely Wallpaper

In the first half of this special double episode, Abby interviews Darryl Pinckney, novelist and critic, and discusses his book Come Back in September: A Literary Education on West Sixty-seventh Street, Manhattan , which is about his mentor writer Elizabeth Hardwick. Together, they present “Crossing the Water” by Sylvia Plath. Recitation begins at 60:20. Crossing the Water Sylvia Plath Black lake,...

In this episode, Abby visits the 2026 Southern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire. She speaks with a jeweler's apprentice / master navigator, a pen maker from the guild of St. Cuthbert, a beekeeper, a singing cook from the outer Hebrides, and a puritan. They present “Dreams” by Robert Herrick. The poem is repeated in many voices throughout the program, but the final recitation is at 30:32. Drea...

In this episode, Abby interviews Nora Lange, novelist and short story writer, about her books Us Fools and Day Care . Together, they present “Collaboration with Fly” by Lydia Davis. Recitation begins at 60:32. Collaboration with Fly Lydia Davis I put the word on the page but he added the apostrophe.

In this episode, Abby interviews Andrew Seguin, poet and translator, about his books The Room in Which I Work , a poetic exploration of the early photographer Nicéphore Niépce, and Earthly , his new selected translations of French poet Jean Follain. Together, they present “The Worth of Bread” by Jean Follain. Recitation begins at 42:02. The Worth of Bread Jean Follain Listening with his hands on t...

Guest Robert Pogue Harrison, professor of Italian and French literature at Stanford, discusses his long running radio program "Entitled Opinions (about Life and Literature)." He presents “A Nocturnal upon St. Lucy's Day,” by John Donne. Recitation begins at 36:21. 'Tis the year's midnight, and it is the day's, Lucy's, who scarce seven hours herself unmasks; The sun is spent, and now his flasks Sen...

In this episode, Abby interviews poet Selma Asotić about her English language debut Say Fire, a beautiful book about families, language, and trauma in post-war Sarajevo. Together, they present "Let Us Praise the Mutilated World" by Adam Zagajewski. Recitation begins 1:05:10 Try to Praise the Mutilated World By Adam Zagajewski Translated By Clare Cavanagh Remember June's long days, and wild strawbe...

This special October episode features a ghost story from William Maxwell's novel The Château . It's set in a harsh, old-fashioned classroom where kids recite their lessons, and its haunting force is a shapeshifting memory double—very much in our “A Lovely Wallpaper” wheelhouse. Guest reader: Christine Schutt, author of Pure Hollywood , Prosperous Friends , All Souls , and several more. No poem, no...

In this episode, Abby interviews art historian Marie Warsh about her book Central Park's Adventure-Style Playgrounds, about growing up surrounded by poetry and art on the Lower East side, and about her work to revive the legacies of unsung female artists. Together, they present an excerpt of “The Garden” by Bernadette Mayer, Marie's mother. Recitation begins at 45:50 from "The Garden" by Bernadett...

In this episode, Abby interviews radical mycologist James Oliver about mushrooms and his work healing post-fire sites with mycelium at The Center for Applied Ecological Remediation (CAER). Together, they present the poem "Mushrooms," by Sylvia Plath. Recitation begins at 47:22 Mushrooms Sylvia Plath Overnight, very Whitely, discreetly, Very quietly Our toes, our noses Take hold on the loam, Acquir...

In this episode, Abby interviews harpist and composer Mary Lattimore about her most recent album Goodbye, Hotel Arkada, her musical collaborations, and her instrument in all its epic visceral and metaphorical power. Together, they present “The Pity of Love” by William Butler Yeats. Recitation begins at 34:38 The Pity of Love William Butler Yeats A pity beyond all telling Is hid in the heart of lov...

In this episode, Abby interviews writer Lucy Sante about recent books *Nineteen Reservoirs* and *I Heard Her Call My Name*. Together, they present an excerpt of the poem "Zone" by Guillaume Apollinaire. Recitation begins at 45:07 from "Zone" Guillaume Apollinaire Now you walk in Paris alone in a crowd Herds of buses drive past mooing loud Your throat is gripped with love's pain As if you should ne...

In this episode, Abby interviews Lee Ann Brown, poet and founding editrix of Tender Buttons, about running a small press for 36 years, having Bernadette Mayer as a mentor, setting poems to music, and her own poetry book *In the Laurels Caught*. Together, they present Dickinson's poem 1056, "There is a Zone whose even Years." Recitation begins at 48:25 1056, "There is a Zone whose even Years" Emily...

In this episode, Abby interviews Talon Knight aka Robert Shallow, about falconry, owls, and the SoCal Renaissance Faire. Terri Casey, director of the Queen's Court, joins in to read “An Eagle for an Emperor” by Dame Juliana Berners. Recitation begins at 24:06. An Eagle for an Emperor Dame Juliana Berners An Eagle for an Emperor, a Gyrfalcon for a King, a Peregrine for a Prince, a Saker for a Knigh...

In this episode, Abby interviews Andrew Tonkovich, writer, editor of the journals The Santa Monica Review and Citric Acid, and host of the KPFK radio program "Bibliocracy," about a new exhibition he mounted on the art and activism of friend and mentor Peter Carr. The show “Peter Carr: Artist for Survival” is at Cerritos College Art Gallery until December 14th. Together, they present the poem "What...

In this episode, Abby Walthausen interviews Kate Lebo, author of *Pie School* and *Pie and Whiskey*, about the essays and recipes in *The Book of Difficult Fruit: Arguments for the Tart, Tender, and Unruly*. For memory, Lebo presents both a short rule of thumb for pie crust and Robert Frost's "The Rose Family." Recitation begins at 32:50.

Guest Marie Darrieussecq, author of more than 20 novels, discusses two of her non-fiction books *Sleepless: A Memoir of Insomnia* and *Being Here is Everything: The Life of Paula Modersohn-Becker*. She reads an excerpt of Rainier Maria Rilke's “Requiem for a Friend.” Recitation begins at 30:41. Rainier Maria Rilke: from “Requiem for a Friend” And fruits: I will buy fruits; and in their sweetness t...

In this episode, Abby Walthausen interviews Ishion Hutchinson, author of the poetry collections *School of Instructions: a Poem*, *House of Lords and Commons*, and *Far District*. Born in Port Antonio, Jamaica, he is the W.E.B. Du Bois Professor in the Humanities at Cornell University. He reads William Shakespeare's Sonnet 66. Recitation begins at 43:20. Sonnet 66 Tired with all these, for restful...

In this episode, Abby Walthausen interviews Peter Orner, fiction writer and professor of English and Creative writing at Dartmouth College, for a special Bloomsday episode. For memory, they offer up James Joyce's "On the Beach at Fontana," a poem from a tiny chapbook called Pomes Penyeach, which offers a window into Joyce's family life in Trieste during the period when he was writing his masterpie...

In this episode, Abby Walthausen interviews Susan Angelo, actor, educator, and founder of The Shakespeare Gymnasium! For memory, they offer up William Shakespeare's Sonnet 143 "Lo, as a Careful Housewife Runs to Catch," a very funny poem in which a baby and a chicken stand for competing lovers. Recitation begins at 22:32. Sonnet 143 Lo, as a careful housewife runs to catch One of her feather'd cre...

In this episode, Abby interviews Jos Kley, former singer of the long running Dutch punk band The Ex. Together, they present the poem "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop. Recitation begins at 35:08. One Art The art of losing isn't hard to master; so many things seem filled with the intent to be lost that their loss is no disaster. Lose something every day. Accept the fluster of lost door keys, the hour b...

In this episode, Abby interviews Catherine Robson, professor at NYU and author of "Heart Beats: Everyday Life and the Memorized Poem." Together, they present the poem "Casabianca" by Elizabeth Bishop. Recitation begins at 36:10. Casabianca Elizabeth Bishop Love's the boy stood on the burning deck trying to recite "The boy stood on the burning deck." Love's the son stood stammering elocution while...

In this episode, Abby interviews Susie Boyt, author of several books, among them the novel Loved and Missed and the memoir My Judy Garland Life. Together, they present the poem "Piping Down the Valleys Wild," by William Blake. Recitation begins at 25:10 Piping Down the Valleys Wild William Blake Piping down the valleys wild, Piping songs of pleasant glee, On a cloud I saw a child, And he laughing...