Podcast Thursday: Kenneth White

This week's podcast was chosen at random and, even after I had listened to it, I posted it here with some feelings of ambiguity.

First, I had no idea who Kenneth White was (I am sorry, Scotland). I'd never heard of the "Read Me Something You Love" podcast series, or of Steve, its creator. And what I really wanted to do was find a podcast of Ursula Le Guin because I'm currently deeply, passionately in love (no ambiguity there) with her Earthsea series. But I haven't found anything I want to share yet, and I need time to process my thoughts about the books.

So, since I am doing such a brilliant job of selling you on having a listen to this week's podcast (not!), I thought I'd post a few pretty pictures (also randomly chosen) to distract you from my dismal PR job.

Are they working?

 I hope so, because I'm going to tell you another reason I almost didn't post this week's podcast.

I wasn't sure I LOVED it. I definitely loved the host's guest, Sarah Salway, who reads two poems by Kenneth White to us. And I definitely love being read to, an activity that simply doesn't happen for grownups enough, not for this grownup anyway. But I didn't LOVE the host. I think I feel cranky lately though, so I'm going to blame myself for these ambiguous feelings about "Steve" until I've listened to many more of his podcasts, which I think are a really smart idea.

But what attracted me to the podcast (besides the idea of being read to) was the title of one of the poems that would be read: Winter Wood. Oh yes. And when I heard it I was not disappointed. I do not feel ambiguous about this poem. Mmm, mmm, mmm. Delicious. Word after word, line after line. Lapping it up one at time. (There's my own poem - Kenneth's are a bit better!)  

I don't want to spoil it - you should have Winter Wood read to you. I wish I could read it to you. But Sarah Salway does it beautifully. 

It is about nature, about how words and poems and books pale beside the experience of nature. Oh, listen to it. Do! It is so true in so few words. Find a bit of truth right here. Then go get some nature of your own to touch and sniff and sigh about.