Be True: Life in Literature

John reads the second half of The Declaration of Independence. He discusses the almost-unbelievable echoes of the American Revolution today, the genius of Thomas Jefferson, and the rights we defend. John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and directs...

John reads his poem “International Relations.” He discusses the virtues of reason, the scholarly method, the religion of humanism, what happens when the old ways fail to match new realities. John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and directs a langu...

John reads "The City," a poem by C.P. Cavafy. He also discusses the universal immigrant experience, the inescapability of the past, and why we identify with people on the run, if we're honest. John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and directs a lan...

John reads “Chicago,” a poem by Carl Sandburg. He also discusses the changing fashions of American literature, and the dangers of cynicism, and celebrates the complicated diversity of American cities. John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and direc...

John reads "There's a certain slant of light," a poem by Emily Dickinson. He also discusses the joy of experiencing poetry rather than explaining poetry, and (bonus!) does a bad Bob Dylan impression. John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and direct...

John reads the poem "Thy Brother's Blood" by Jones Very. He also discusses the poetry of transcendence, voices of outcasts, the tradition of American messiahs, and the future of American weirdness. John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and directs...

John reads Queen Hecuba's speech of mourning from The Trojan Women, a play by Euripides. He also discusses the fear that drives violence, power's war on children, and why protest is always too late. John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and directs...

John reads his poem "Salvator Mundi." He also discusses the challenges of faith and authenticity, the world's most expensive painting, the legacy of Leonardo da Vinci, and the mystery of being human. John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and direct...

John reads “Returning, We Hear the Larks,” a poem by Isaac Rosenberg, written during World War I. He also discusses the heroism of immigrants, the challenges of “identity,” and surviving a war zone. John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and directs...

John reads two poems by Langston Hughes, "Summer Night" and "Poem for Youth." He also discusses marginalization, the silent invisibility of the powerless, and the human yearning for freedom and joy. John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and directs...

John reads a passage from William Blake's poem "America: A Prophecy." He discusses early hopes for the U.S., weird freedoms, our distance from the original ideal, and the return of the Lizard King. John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and directs...

John reads his poem "The Yearning Heart is Authentic," from his new chapbook Offering. He also discusses the need for spiritual renewal, the dark energy of the West, Zen monks, and St. Francis. John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and directs a la...

John reads from his first long poem/chapbook I Sit At This Desk and Dream. He also discusses what has changed since he wrote it, including the increasing violence and corruption of social media. John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and directs a l...

In this milestone episode, John reads "Tuning," a poem about cultivating new ways to exist in (and perhaps rehabilitate) a damaged society...from a forthcoming collection about peace and renewal. John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and directs a...

In this ghastly episode, John rediscovers and reads Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “The Sphinx,” a Gothic tale of paranoia, privilege, and pandemic. Sound familiar? John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and directs a language-education association....

John speaks with Claire Thom, founding editor-in-chief of The Wee Sparrow Poetry Press, about creating an international literary community, the power of poems, the importance of giving, and…hope. John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and directs a...

In a time of unrest, John reads a speech from William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. He also discusses the fatal flaws of tyrants and what Milton, Voltaire, Paine, George Lucas, and the Bible share. John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and directs a...

John reads William Shakespeare's Sonnet 129, "Th'expense of spirit in a waste of shame." He also discusses orgasmic poetry, Texas stupidity, Euripides, Dionysus, and a great Norm MacDonald joke. John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and directs a l...

John reads Amy Lowell’s poem “The Weather-Cock Points South.” He also discusses the recent wave of book-banning and repression, the universality of sex, and his pleasure in taunting the censors. John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and directs a l...

In this special episode, John reveals a bit of his origin story and describes why the government fears universities, why universities are defined by dissent, and why Harvard really is Hogwarts. John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and directs a la...

John reads a section of his poem/chapbook "For a minute there, it seemed like something was happening." He also discusses graduation season, balancing fear and risk, and breaking free from the past. John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and directs...

In this special episode, John examines the role of poetry and fiction in our era, discusses new challenges for independent creators, and asks how his own writing and podcast can serve the culture. John Tessitore has been a journalist and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston and directed national policy studies on education and civil justice. He serves as Co-Ed...

John reads a passage of The Jungle, a novel by Upton Sinclair. He also discusses the importance of muckraking fiction, the hazards of government deregulation, and the actual survival of our society. John Tessitore has been a journalist and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston and directed national policy studies on education and civil justice. He serves as Co-...

John reads his poem "Hopespring" on the third anniversary of the Wee Sparrow Poetry Press, and discusses the need for hope, international collaboration, and positive action in a profoundly stupid era. John Tessitore has been a journalist and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston and directed national policy studies on education and civil justice. He serves as C...

John reads his poem “Agapetos” from his chapbook Apocrypha. He also discusses the vulnerable in times of struggle, the relationship between poetry and religion, and the humility of John the Apostle. John Tessitore has been a journalist and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston and directed national policy studies on education and civil justice. He serves as Co-...