Philip Levine

Philip Levine's poetry celebrated grease monkeys, firefighters, and milkmen. Levine was appointed U.S. Poet Laureate for 2011–2012. He died at 87. He spoke to Leonard in 1991.

Last week, the Library of Congress named Philip Levine as the next poet laureate, succeeding W.S. Merwin. Previous writers who were awarded that title include Robert Frost, Billy Collins, and Maxine Kumin. Levine was once an auto plant worker in Detroit, and that city became the basis for many of his poems. We spoke with Levine yesterday, about his reputation as a working class poet.

Last week, the Library of Congress named Philip Levine as the next poet laureate, succeeding W.S. Merwin. Previous writers who were awarded that title include Robert Frost, Billy Collins, and Maxine Kumin. Levine was once an auto plant worker in Detroit, and that city became the basis for many of his poems. Levine joins us from his home in Fresno, California and talks about his reputation as a working class poet. 

2011-08-10 —

Philip Levine is set to become the nation's Poet Laureate this Fall, but he already was WNYC's Poet in Residence back in 2003. Listen to Levine read William Matthews' "Mingus at the Half Note," and how the poem relates personally to him.

The days are getting longer-- crocuses are sprouting -- but even though winter seemed finished with us, it has returned for more.

The days are getting longer-- crocuses are sprouting -- but even though winter seemed finished with us, it has returned for more.
Poet Phil Levine offers this poem in what we hope will be our last ode to winter.

The Snow Man
by Wallace ...

Levine: I'd like to bring you a carol, a x-mas carol that I think most of you have never heard before. You think you've heard em all but you haven't heard this one. This is by C Day Lewis, a british poet of the 30s and ...

I've been living with them-- people I loved when I was a child... Older people. As I got older, people my age.... As I got older, people my sons' age and as I got older, people my grandsons' age... I see them come back wounded, torn apart, hurting and ...

"Facing It"
For Veterans Day

Phil Levine:
This is Philip Levine. I'd like to read a poem especially for Veterans Day, it's by Yusef Komunyakaa. It's called "Facing It." The Vietnam war, of which he is a veteran, produced an enormous amount ...

 

I was 18 years old when I first read Dylan Thomas, I remember the poem it was called 24 years and it was about turning 24 and having thoughts of dying and being reborn, thoughts that were not natural to me but suddenly I had them and ...

The New York City Marathon is upon us once again. I know people who run it. They tell me, "Oh, I do this for my health… I want to live to be 100… It makes me feel better…" They're not kidding me. I know why they run. They want to ...

Good Morning. This is Phil Levine. Come to read you a poem for Halloween. It's called "Villanelle". It's by the poet Weldon Kees. The title refers to the form of the poem which you'll hear when I read it.

Villanelle
The crack is moving ...

Countries including Japan and Kuwait have pledged at least 13 billion dollars in grants and loans to Iraq. More than 70 nations attended a donors' conference in Madrid this week, where the U-S tried to drum up international support. The ongoing discussion about funding the rebuilding of Iraq, has reminded ...

Phil Levine:
I can remember the first time I went to Yankee Stadium… and I'd heard so much about it. I grew up in Detroit so of course I loathed the Yankees, they were constantly beating us. But when I walked into that stadium and saw the ...

 

 

Levine: With the series between the Red Sox and the Yankees about to begin, I thought I'd read a poem about losing and the fine art of losing...

Levine: This was written by Elizabeth Bishop who was born in Wooster, Massachusetts where she may ...

 

On July 17th, 1959-- 44 years ago today-- Billie Holiday died from a drug overdose. Poet Phil Levine remembers....

Levine: I'd like to present a poem by Frank O'hara called "The Day Lady Died." "Lady" of course is Billie Holiday. "Lady Day" was the name given to her by ...

 

For kids attending public schools in the city, the last day of school is here. Although it's been over 50 years since he was in school, WNYC poet in residence Phil Levine remembers vividly what it feels like to be heading into summer.

Levine: One of ...

Levine:
25 years ago this coming Saturday, I saw at the Belmont race track the greatest race I've ever seen. Maybe I think it was the greatest because I had bet on Affirmed to win the Triple Crown and that day he did in a neck by neck, ...

Levine: Good morning this is Phil Levine. With all the fraud and deceit you read about every day in the paper you wonder - how do you react to it?

Levine: How do you take it? And I scoured the poetry I knew and I ...

 

Good morning. This is Philip Levine with another poem for you.You know as you travel around New York City, you look at different people...you're in the subway, you're on the streets and you say, "You know that guy would never read a poem," "For that woman, poetry ...