• About Us
    • Mission and History
    • Featured Guests
    • Press, Media, Events
    • Contact Us
  • Courses
    • Courses Overview
    • FOR TEACHERS
    • FOR UNDERGRADUATE & GRADUATE CREDIT
    • Free Open Courses
  • K-12 Programs
    • College Credit for High-Schoolers
    • Curricular Resources for K-12 Educators
  • TV Series
    • Series Overview
    • Featured Full Episodes
    • All Seasons
    • Ways To Watch

Posts by Gideon

Poetry in America moves to ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College

I’m thrilled to be joining Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, and to be bringing my team’s skills to bear on the important, groundbreaking work the college is doing to…

Poetry in America on Book Pages

On March 29th, 2024, journalist Erik Pedersen interviewed Poetry in America host Elisa New for his newsletter Book Pages.

Poetry in America on KPBS

Poetry in America host Elisa New was interviewed by Midday Edition’s Jade Hindmon for KPBS, San Diego’s local PBS and NPR affiliate.

Poetry in America and Temple Beth Zion present an Interfaith Dialogue on Tracy K. Smith’s “Hill Country”

On April 8, 2024, Temple Beth Zion in Brookline, Massachusetts hosted an interfaith screening of our season four episode “Hill Country,” followed by a panel discussion with the poet…

WORLD Channel Poetry Month Marathon 2024

The first three seasons of Poetry in America will air on the WORLD Channel in honor of National Poetry Month. Tune in to your local WORLD Channel 2-5pm ET / 11am-2pm…

Poetry in America featured in The San Diego Union-Tribune

On Thursday, March 7, 2024, The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Pam Kragen reported on the Robert Frost Society’s poetry conference in honor of his Sesquicentennial (his 150th birthday!). The celebration…

Arizona PBS will present Season 4 of Poetry in America

“All of us at Arizona PBS are excited to join the Poetry in America team in its ongoing effort to spread enthusiasm for an art form that inspires humanity…

SXSW EDU 2024: Join Us for Teaching Literature & Civics with Phillis Wheatley

What can the 18th-century Black, enslaved teenage poet Phillis Wheatley teach us today about how language can be wielded artfully to create power? 
From left to right: talent manager Rhiannon Rae Ellis, songwriter Sam Hollander, rapper Flavor Flav, and professor Elisa New at Harvard Extension School.

Production Diary: Flavor Flav and Elisa New talk rhyme at Harvard and ASU

On Tuesday, April 4th, 2023, Poetry in America was thrilled to bring hiphop legend Flavor Flav to Harvard University.  The multi-platinum Public Enemy rapper and reality TV star reached…
The Harvard Gazette logo

Poetry in America & Flavor Flav featured in The Harvard Gazette

On Wednesday, April 5th, 2023, The Harvard Gazette’s Anna Lamb reported on rapper Flavor Flav’s visit to Harvard Extension School, for a HELIX Forum event with the students and…
CBS News logo

Poetry in America course featured on CBS News

On Thursday, April 6th, 2023, CBS News’s Jordyn Jagolinzer reported on rapper Flavor Flav’s visit to Harvard Extension School, for a HELIX Forum event with the students and course…
TMZ logo

Poetry in America course featured in TMZ

On Tuesday, April 4th, 2023, TMZ reported on a HELIX Forum event we organized with Flavor Flav at Harvard Extension School.
Full schedule for the marathon, including the featured poems that are airing on April 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th.

Poetry Month Marathon on WORLD Channel

Where do you turn when you don’t have the words? This National Poetry Month, explore unforgettable American poems with Joe Biden, Shaquille O’Neal, Gloria Estefan, Nas, Sonia Sanchez, Tony…
The wooden cross at the top of Observation Hill in Antarctica is silhouetted against a sunset in the distance.

“To Seek a Newer World”: Postcards from Ross Island, Antarctica

At the top of Observation Hill, seven hundred feet above McMurdo Station, Antarctica, stands a wooden cross.
The lime green logo for AWP's The Writer's Chronicle.

At the Forefront of Tech-Driven Learning: Poetry in America featured in The Writer’s Chronicle

In the November 2022 issue of The Writer’s Chronicle, poet and journalist Kristina Andersson Bicher discussed Poetry in America’s progress expanding access to high quality humanities education over the…
Tim Hunt gestures as he makes a point to Eliza New and Gillian Osborne, as they discuss poetry on the zoom webinar.

Exploring American Humanity and American Nature through the poetry of Robinson Jeffers, Herman Melville, and Lorine Niedecker

The mythology of the vast “untouched” frontier has inspired American authors from James Fenimore Cooper to Thomas Pynchon. But, the natural world explored in the poetry of the early…
A purple, green and yellow pastel illustration by Eddie Pena of a scene described in the poem, pictured: Richard Blanco's father drinking a glass of amber whiskey and looking down at Blanco and his brother playing in the pool at the gulf motel.

On the Power of Writing Poetry: A PBS Books Discussion with Richard Blanco

Richard Blanco is a poet who, when reflecting on his past, displays both his inimitable uniqueness and the universality of his experiences.
Sir Jonathan Bate reads from his anthology "Stressed, Unstressed: Classic Poems to Ease the Mind" against a green leafy backdrop.

Our reimagined Nautilus channel: What happens when you add Art+Science? 

Three years ago, Poetry in America launched an online channel with the science magazine Nautilus, dedicated to bringing together science and poetry. This summer, as Poetry in America’s educational…
A colorful poster congratulating scholars on their graduation from the semester long course offered jointly between poetry in America and Arizona State University. The background is dark blue and decorated with small pastel stars.

Poetry of the City Graduation 2022

May 2022 marked the graduation of the first class of Poetry in America, 1850-1945.
A logo for The Big Red Group featuring a large blue and red letter R with a diagonal line pattern.

A new summer intensive for students in India

This summer, in collaboration with Arizona State University’s Center for the Public Humanities, Poetry in America is launching a summer intensive workshop for high school students in India. 
A brochure promoting a free three-day intensive workshop in Envrionemntal Poetry for middle and high-school educators, offering 10 professional development hours, pictured: a black and white illustration of fossils including a bird.

Environmental poetry intensive offered to educators nationwide 

This summer, Arizona State University’s Center for Public Humanities collaborated with ASU Prep Digital to present an environmental poetry intensive for Middle and High School educators!
Jimmy Dale Gilmore wears boots, jeans and a wide-brim hat as he sits on a stool on a porch and reads from the paper in his hands.

Poetry in America Comes to Texas

Filming for Season Four continued this April in and around Austin, Texas. We filmed several Texas natives on Tracy K. Smith’s “Hill Country,” a poem that journeys through the…
Audience members watch a video of Alberto Rios on a screen above a panel featuring Elisa New, Patty Talahongva and Alberto Rios.

Welcome to the West Blog Post

On April 13th, 2022, Arizona PBS presented a celebration of National Poetry Month, spotlighting the Arizona State University faculty who appeared in our third season.
The 2020 National Student Poets discuss Edna St. Vincent Millay's poetry with Elisa New and Gillian Osborne on a zoom webinar, pictured on a shared screen: a group of bees flying around flowers, and the lines: "Whether or not we find what we are seeking / Is idle, biologically speaking".

So make the most of this, your little day: Poetry in America and National Student Poets in Conversation

On April 12th, 2022, Poetry in America’s own Elisa New and Gillian Osborne joined the National Student Poets Class of 2020 for a discussion of Edna St. Vincent Millay’s…
The red land black emblem for the Cornell Chronicle.

Poetry in America featured in Cornell Chronicle

On April 21st, 2022, Cornell Chronicle’s David Nutt interviewed Professor of English Roger Gilbert about the special significance of A.R. Ammons’ poem “Cascadilla Falls” on Cornell’s campus.  
Elisa New wears a purple blouse and navy cardigan and smiles as she is pictured outside.

Elisa New featured by Brandeis University

On April 19th, 2022, in honor of National Poetry Month, Anne Lawrence Guyon interviewed Elisa New for Brandeis Alumni Stories. The online piece, “To Be Nobody But Herself,” celebrates…
Elisa New stands front of Durham Hall, wearing a blue shirt and a black vest.

Westward, Ho! Poetry in America arrives at ASU

T.S. Eliot’s The Wasteland begins: “April is the cruelest month.” In 1996, the American Academy of Poets declared the very same cruel April National Poetry Month, with a winking…
Clockwise from top left: Elisa New, Evie Shockley, Robin D.G. Kelley, and LisaGay Hamilton

“you can say that again, billie” on PBS Books

Poetry in America reunited with PBS Books on January 26th, 2022 to host another virtual event on trailblazing women poets. Elisa New and PBS Books host Heather-Marie Montilla were…
An Instagram story photo featuring from left to right: Elisa New, Richard Blanco, Nely Galán, and Mitchell Kaplan. The location is tagged as the Sanctuary of the Arts.

An Evening with Richard Blanco in Coral Gables, FL

On Friday, March 11th, 2022, the independent Miami bookshop Books and Books hosted a screening of our episode on Richard Blanco’s “Looking for The Gulf Motel,” atSanctuary of the…
LitHub logo

Poetry in America featured on Lit Hub

LitHub’s “Virtual Book Channel.” Every week, in conjunction with the release of our new episode, LitHub has hosted an exclusive clip on their website and sent a brief description…
Flyer for The Literary Life with Michael Kaplan of Books & Books

Poetry in America featured on Literary Life with Michael Kaplan

“The Literary Life.” Kaplan, the longtime owner of independent bookstores Books & Books and co-founder of the acclaimed Miami Book Fair, focused his questions on their experience bringing Blanco’s…
Tomorrow Will Be Televised logo

Poetry in America featured on Tomorrow Will Be Televised

On February 11th, Elisa New & two-time Poetry in America guest Donna Lynne Champlin were interviewed on Simon Applebaum’s online radio program “Tomorrow Will Be Televised.”  When discussing the…
Flyer for The Wound-Dresser with Theater of War & Community Building Art Works, a virtual community discussion of Walt Whitman’s “The Wound-Dresser.”

The Wound-Dresser with Theater of War & Community Building Art Works

February 10th, in collaboration with Theater of War and Community Building Art Works (CBAW), we hosted a virtual community discussion of Walt Whitman’s “The Wound-Dresser.”
Orange County Register logo

Poetry in America featured in Orange County Register

On February 18th, 2022, Erik Pedersen featured Poetry in America in The Orange County Register’s “Books” section. Pedersen interviewed Elisa New on the challenges and delights of hosting and…
The Los Angeles Daily News logo

Poetry in America featured in The Los Angeles Daily News

On February 19th, 2022, Erik Pedersen featured Poetry in America in The Los Angeles Daily News’s popular newsletter “Book Pages.” While channel surfing, Pedersen and his wife watched our…
KJZZ 91.5 public radio station logo

Elisa New Interviewed on KJZZ

On Wednesday, January 19th, Poetry in America host Elisa New was interviewed by Steve Goldstein for KJZZ (NPR Phoenix). Goldstein and New discuss what the broad term “humanities” means,…
The Arts Fuse logo

Poetry in America featured in The Arts Fuse

On Friday, January 21st, 2022, Poetry in America host Elisa New was interviewed for The Arts Fuse. Speaking to Robert Israel, Professor New noted the importance of “the immersive…
Featured poet Linda Hogan, wearing a brown jacket, smiles while sitting facing Professor Elisa New, who is wearing a black jacket and reading from a book.

Poetry in America in Publishers Weekly Daily

On Friday, January 21st, Poetry in America was featured as the Photo of the Day by Publishers Weekly Daily. Their chosen photo, in honor of the release of our…
The Washington Post logo

Poetry in America in The Washington Post Book World Newsletter

On January 21st, Poetry in America was featured in The Washington Post Book World Newsletter. Ron Charles described Walt Whitman’s “The Wound-Dresser,” the subject of our season premier, as…
Martín Espada, wearing a black collared shirt, sits facing the host, Dr. Elisa New, who is smiling and wearing a blue long-sleeved collared shirt.

Martín Espada speaks with Poetry of the City Students

On November 3rd, 2021, this year’s National Book Award winning poet Martín Espada spoke with high schoolers in our dual-enrollment course Poetry in America: Poetry of the City from…
A behind the scenes of host Elisa New and actor John Turturro facing each other while in the middle of speaking, surrounded by cameras and recording equipment

Production Diary 11/8 & 11/9: John Turturro, Terrance Hayes, Rachael & Vilray and more in NYC

roduction for Season 4 of Poetry in America continues on location in the East Village with some exciting guests! On November 8th and 9th, our Host Elisa New and Producer Cathleen…
Text: "Young, one of the most effective cultural ambassadors and teachers of our time, now reinvigorates the long tradition of the popular anthology, and sets a new standard for art's importance in the civic realm," by Elisa New in "Critique and Joy." Below the text are the logos for Poetry America on the left and the logo for Harvard Magazine on the right.

Elisa New Reviews African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle and Song for Harvard Magazine

On Friday August 13th, Harvard Magazine published a review by Professor Elisa New of Kevin Young’s 1,000-plus page anthology African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle and Song. A…

Production Diary 8/13

On Friday August 13th, we met up with a local film crew on Cape Cod not for a day of pina coladas, go-karts, sandcastles, lobsters, and waffle cones, but to continue filming season 4! We filmed three guests on Martín Espada’s poem of the invisibility of labor, and the nausea of looking back down the socioeconomic ladder, “Who Burns for the Perfection of Paper.” 
Inside Higher Ed logo

Poetry in America course featured in Inside Higher Ed

On July 8th 2021, Steven Mintz, a professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin, wrote an opinion piece for Inside Higher Ed on more effective ways…
The American South logo, with text "Part of the USA TODAY Network" underneath

Poetry in America’s High School Dual Enrollment Program featured in The American South

On July 13th, 2021, Andrew Yawn published an article on the experience of students at McKinley High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who enrolled in Poetry In America: The…
Inside Higher Ed logo

Elisa New’s Letter to the Editor of Inside Higher Ed

On July 15th, 2021, Poetry in America host Professor Elisa New wrote a letter to the editor of Inside Higher Ed, entitled “Bridging the moat between K-12 and higher…
Poetry in America's Brighton, MA office, which has a gray table surrounded by four yellow chairs in the foreground and a sofa with two lamps on either side in the background.

Production Diary: Filming a Roundtable in our Brighton office

On Tuesday, July 20th, 2021, Poetry in America filmed two roundtable discussions in our Brighton, MA office. Footage from these roundtables will be added to a forthcoming Poetry in…
Elisa New and guest Clint Smith on set at Planet Word Museum.

Season Four Production Diary: from NYC’s East Village to Northwest D.C.

Last week, host Elisa New and producer Cathleen O’Connell travelled down the East Coast to film several guests for Poetry in America Season Four!
Event cover for "A Symposium on Poetry and Power," featuring the text, "an online screening of the documentary film, 'JFK: The Last Speech,' followed by a discussion of its lessons."

Elisa New featured on panel at Poetry and Power Symposium

Did you know that President John F. Kennedy’s final speech, at the dedication of Amherst College’s Robert Frost Library in 1963, hailed Robert Frost as a guardian of democracy…
Student Genesis Berry, wearing a jean jacket and red shirt, smiles while in the middle of gesturing with her hand.

Elisa New Presents at NYC Department of Education’s Beyond Access Forum

On Thursday, June 3rd, Poetry in America Host Elisa New gave a presentation to educators at the NYC Department of Education’s Beyond Access Forum. Over 600 New York City…
Cover for the event, Poem Talk, showing 3 speech bubbles.

Elisa New discusses Edna St. Vincent Millay’s sonnets on Poem Talk

Poetry in America host Elisa New joined Al Filreis’s Poem Talk podcast on May 14th. New joined guests Jane Malcolm and Sophia DuRose to discuss Edna St. Vincent Millay’s…
Cover for the event, "Poems for the Pandemic" with the text, "Join Lisa New, the creator and host of Poetry in America, for an exploration of poems that can help explain, console, distract, or empower us in these unusual times."

Planet Word Museum and Poetry in America present: Poems for the Pandemic

On April 6th, 2021, PIA host Professor Elisa New and Planet Word Museum’s led “Poems for the Pandemic.”
A group of students sitting around a table looking up and smiling.

Dual enrollment opportunity for high school students

Last month, on February 19th, 2021, The New York Times highlighted the work we’ve been doing with our partners at the National Educational Equity Lab in a front-page article…
Cover for Theater of War and Poetry in America present “Those Winter Sundays." Pictured are Moses Ingram, Bill Murray, and President Biden.

Theater of War and Poetry in America present “Those Winter Sundays,” feat. Bill Murray & Moses Ingram

On January 27, 2021, in the wake of President Joe Biden’s inauguration, partners Theater of War and Poetry in America presented live readings of Robert Hayden’s classic poem “Those…
A flyer for "Trailblazing Women Series." Pictured are Poet Marilyn Chin and Poetry in America's Elisa New

PBS Books and Poetry in America present Trailblazing Women: Marilyn Chin

Poetry in America reunited with PBS Books on January 12th, 2021 to host another virtual event on trailblazing women poets.
JAMA Network logo

The Art of Losing—Three Poems for the COVID-19 Pandemic

“The aspiration to mastery leaves room for a lot of anxiety. Many readers hear a kind of hysteria in the poem, with its rhythm revving up as it ruminates…
Boys and Girls Clubs of America logo

Boys and Girls Clubs of America Cipher

This summer, Poetry in America teamed up with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Wide Open School to offer the Whatever It Takes to Speak Your Mind Challenge. The challenge…
A diagram of an user-friendly camera kit, which has a Boom Microphone, LAV Microphone, Tripod, Light, iPad holder, and Camera Rig

2020 Production Diary: Poetry in America Season 3

Read below to hear from our Communications Intern Gideon Leek, a senior at Oberlin College. Gideon, an English and Politics major, has been the voice behind many of Poetry…
Graphic with the text, "How reading literature can help you cope" on the left and a portrait of Elisa New on the right.

Elisa New on Big Think: “Why Reading Literature is a Form of Therapy”

On April 22, 2020, Big Think President Peter Hopkin’s moderated a live YouTube discussion with PIA Host Professor Elisa New.
The Weekly Standard logo

Poetry in America featured in The Weekly Standard

On August 27th, 2018, in a brief obituary of Senator McCain, Micah Mattix of The Weekly Standard discussed the Senator’s interview with Poetry in America on the Robert Service…
Cover for Elisa New on Conversations with Tyler

Elisa New on Conversations with Tyler

On June 20th, 2018, Poetry in America host Professor Elisa New appeared on the podcast Conversations with Tyler (said Tyler being Tyler Cowen: New York Times and Bloomberg columnist,…
The Boston Globe logo

Poetry in America featured in The Boston Globe

On April 25th, 2018, The Boston Globe discussed Poetry in America in its "TV Critics Corner." In the article are topics including the state of poetry (Rupi Kaur, the…
The Associated Press logo

Poetry in America featured in The Associated Press

on Poetry in America to discuss Edward Hirsch’s poem “Fast Break.” Shaq said of series host Elisa New’s parsing skills: “When she broke it down intelligently for me, I…
News for Kids logo

Poetry in America featured in News for Kids

On April 18th, 2018 the editors of News for Kids featured Poetry in America in their coverage of National Poetry Month. Poetry in America alum Shaquille O’Neal was used…
Boston Public Radio logo

Elisa New on Boston Public Radio

On April 11th, 2018, host Professor Elisa New joined hosts Jim Braude and Margery Eagan of Boston Public Radio LIVE at Boston Public Library to discuss Poetry in America.…
Deseret News logo

Poetry in America featured in Deseret News

On April 10th, 2018, Deseret News’ Danielle Christensen wrote about the first season of Poetry in America, and its possibility as a low stress entry point into the often…
Elisa New and Stuart Weitzman appear on Cheddar for National Poetry Month

Elisa New and Stuart Weitzman appear on Cheddar

On April 10th, 2018, Poetry in America host Elisa New and alum Stuart Weitzman appeared on Cheddar News to discuss their collaboration in an episode on Robert Pinsky’s “Shirt,”…
The New York Times logo

Poetry in America featured in The New York Times

On April 7th, 2018, The New York Times’ David Chow featured Poetry in America in his round-up “Whats on TV Saturday.” Chow was impressed by the show’s ability to…
The San Francisco Chronicle logo

Poetry in America featured in The San Francisco Chronicle

On April 5th, 2018, The San Francisco Chronicle’s David Wiegand featured Poetry in America in his weekly weekend roundup. Wiegand was impressed by the range of A-list talent on…
Broadway World logo

Poetry in America featured in Broadway World

On April 4th, 2018, Broadway World’s Macon Prickett wrote an enthusiastic article on the incipient release of Season One of Poetry in America.
The New York Times logo

Poetry in America featured in The New York Times

On April 4th, 2018, The New York Times TV critic Margaret Lyons listed Poetry in America first in her weekly roundup of recommendations, encouraging readers to check airings on…
The Star Tribune logo

Poetry in America featured in The Star Tribune

On April 3rd, 2018, The Star Tribune’s Neal Jordan listed Poetry in America among his daily TV Picks. While Jordan remained agnostic towards Cythia Nixon’s gubernatorial run, he faithfully…
Time Magazine logo

Poetry in America featured in Time Magazine

On April 2nd, 2018, Time Magazine’s Olivia Waxman discussed John McCain’s poetic leanings—his famous recitation on TV, his time in the Hanoi Hilton—and referred readers to Poetry in America’s…
Forbes logo

Poetry in America featured in Forbes

On March 26th, 2018, Michael Alpiner wrote in Forbes’s Travel column about how Poetry in America connects the experience of reading poetry to experiential travel.
Tomorrow Will Be Televised logo

Elisa New appears on Tomorrow Will Be Televised

On March 21st, 2018, Poetry in America host Professor Elisa New appeared on Simon Applebaum’s “Tomorrow Will Be Televised” to discuss the upcoming release on Season One.
Al Gore reads Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Each and All” while sitting and facing host Professor Elisa New.

Poetry in America releases exclusive video with Nautilus

On March 15th, 2018, Poetry in America and Nautilus produced an exclusive video of Al Gore reading and discussing Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Each and All” with PIA host Professor…
IndieWire logo

Poetry in America featured in Indiewire

On March 6th, 2018, Kevin Yang of Indiewire penned an article on the upcoming release of Season One of Poetry in America. Yang was especially impressed by the show’s…
Poets & Writers logo

Poetry in America featured in Poets & Writers

On March 27th, 2018, Poets & Writers included the upcoming launch of Season One of Poetry in America in their daily news roundup.
The Atlantic logo

Poetry in America featured in The Atlantic

On April 25th, 2016, James Fallows wrote a piece in The Atlantic about the HarvardX course ‘Poetry in America: Modernism,’ which features videos of himself and his wife Deb…
Poetry Foundation logo

Poetry in America featured by The Poetry Foundation

On March 22nd, 2016, The Poetry Foundation’s editors published a feature on our course“Poetry in America for Teachers: Earth, Sea, Sky.” As one commenter on the article said: “This…
The New Yorker logo

Poetry in America featured in The New Yorker

On December 14th, 2014, Elisabeth Denison wrote about The Nantucket Poetry Project for The New Yorker Culture Desk. Denison discusses Robert Pinsky’s “Shirt,” which originally appeared in The New…

About Poetry In America

Poetry in America is a multiplatform initiative that brings poetry into literature classrooms and living rooms around the world. Created by Elisa New, Poetry in America draws students of all ages into conversations about poetry.

Stay Connected

Get updates from our shooting schedule, to airdates, to the latest courses and conversations via email.

Join the Conversation

Follow us on social media to stay in the conversation

Facebook Twitter Instagram YoutTube

© 2025 Poetry in America and Verse Video Education. All rights reserved

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions