Episode 73: Modernist poetry with Emma Catherine Perry

Fan's Notes

For our 1930s episode, situated as it is between Mrs. Dalloway in the 1920s and Under the Volcano in the 40s, we decided to linger in the shadow of Modernism awhile longer. But rather than read an emblematic novel from the decade, we wanted instead to think about Modernism's impact on poetry. Where did it come from, in what ways did it break with traditional poetic forms, and to what extent can its effects still be felt on poetry today? We were lucky to be joined by the poet and academic Emma Catherine Perry, who previously came on the podcast to discuss Claudia Rankine's Citizen, and who graciously acted as our guide through this dense thicket. Some of the poems that come up in the course of this conversation include: Tender Buttons by Gertrude Stein The Cantos of Ezra Pound The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot The Book of the Dead by Muriel Rukeyser Paterson by William Carlos Williams On Being Numerous by George Poppen It was a fascinating and illuminating experience, and we are immensely grateful to Emma for the opportunity to talk about these poems in depth. Next up: the return in a few weeks of the NBA regular season and Malcolm Lowry's Under the Volcano.