For a weekly dose of literature, The Poets Weave offers five minutes of poetry reading, hosted by Romayne Rubinas Dorsey, which airs Sundays at 3:54 p.m. on WFIU1 and 5:54 p.m. on WFIU2.
This Sunday marks episode 1,000 of the podcast. Jenny Kander originally created the program in 1999 and was actively involved until 2009, and The Poets Weave has been around for 25 years. After Kander stepped down from being host, poet Christopher Citro took over the position for a couple years. After Citro, Dorsey became the current host of the program. Tasks once managed by one individual became a job for the entire team, everyone learning how to record, edit and distribute the material. The person that puts this show altogether is the program producer, LuAnn Johnson.
She describes Kander as tenacious: “when she gets interested in something, she just runs with it.” Kander’s goal for the program was to highlight not only those in academia, but local writers, creating a “cross section of the two, not it being dominated by one or the other.” As long as they have developed skills in poetry, they are welcomed to read or have the host read their works to their listeners. This allows an environment for a variety of tones, topics and people to come together thanks to one shared interest: poetry.
In the early days of the program, Kander would read her own works or published works as well as inviting poets on to read their poems. Due to copywright issues, as the program went on, they leaned more into having guests on. Some of these guests lived in Indiana or once had, such as Austin Davis, born in Indianapolis, and now Phoenix-based. Some of them had not made much of a name for themselves, or were award-winning poets such as Nikky Finney.
One memorable guest of Johnson’s was singer, songwriter, and author Carrie Newcomer, who had released both an album and companion poetry book, Until Now. This is only a glimpse into the talent that The Poets Weave features every week.
Poetry is the center of the program, but Johnson said that there is more to it than that.
She said one of her favorite parts as the program producer is “being able to chat with people.” Having those moments with the authors behind the work is part of the process that the listeners and readers do not get to experience.
Johnson said that one day, it would be nice to release these conversations to the public, but for right now, time does not allow her to do so.
Reflecting on the journey The Poets Weave has had, Johnson relayed a message from painter Tamar Kander, Kander’s daughter, expanding on her mother’s thoughts on how far the program has come. “Jenny really loved creating [The Poets Weave] and was just delighted that it was still airing.”
Although Kander does not write as frequently now as she once did, there was a community benefit poetry reading several months ago to support her by raising money to help her with her living situation. Johnson said that “it was so nice to see her” get up there and read again. Through this event, Kander’s impact on writing and her local poetry community can be felt and continued to be shared every week.
Join Dorsey by celebrating the legacy of The Poets Weave this Sunday with episode 1,000.
For any questions or comments about the program, Johnson can be reached at [email protected].