Tracy K Smith on the place of poetry in modern America – books podcast

This week’s show is dedicated to poetry. The outgoing US poet laureate, Tracy K Smith, sits down with Richard to discuss her 15-year career and the role of poetry in uniting a divided America as the next laureate – the Native American poet Joy Jarjo– takes over.

And Claire and Richard chat about the new Oxford professor of poetry, Britain’s Alice Oswald, who will take over from Simon Armitage in the 300-year-old role on Friday. As the first female poet to take up the position – Ruth Padel was elected in 2009 but resigned within two weeks – Oswald has promised what she calls “extreme poetry events”.