Why do so many people think poetry is important, and so few of them read it? And why does what might pass unnoticed as a minority activity, like — say — tiddliwinks or sniffing bicycle seats, arouse such strong views in the public at large?
The award-winning American writer Ben Lerner has a theory. In this week’s Spectator books podcast I talk to him about his new collected poems, his monograph The Hatred of Poetry, and how he drew inspiration from the gigantic Wal-Mart in his hometown of Topeka, Kansas.
You can listen to our conversation here:
And if you enjoyed that, please subscribe to the podcast on iTunes for a new episode every Monday!
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