The Ragdale Ensemble is a wind piano group composed of artists from the Ragdale artists' colony in Lake Forest, Illinois.

Discussing the book "War Stories: Poems about Long Ago and Now" (published by University of Chicago Press) with the author, poet Howard Nemerov.

Poet and editor Michael Anania discusses his poetry collection, “Riversongs” and reads selected works from the collection. Anania discusses the themes of place, transience, and permanence in the Midwest. Episode includes relevant music recordings, including a number of unidentified instrumental recordings and songs by Woody Guthrie, Los Jaivas, and Joni Mitchell.

Poet and editor Michael Anania discusses his poetry collection, “The Color of Dust” and reads selected works from the collection. Anania discusses Midwest history and geography and his own Nebraska roots as influences on the work and its themes of love, war, and social issues. Episode includes relevant music and theatrical recordings, including “Immortality” read by William Jennings Bryan, “Rake and Rambling Boy,” Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love,” “Dust Bowl Refugee” by Woody Guthrie, and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

Three distinguished Chicago poets — Michael Anania, Ralph Mills, and Lisel Mueller — read selections of their work and discuss the art and rhythm of poetry, influences and inspiration, and the power of memory. Includes a recording of Gwendolyn Brooks reading her poem, "The Rites for Cousin Vit."

Anna Linchevskaya and Douglas MacDonald talk about their newly released, Six Poems & Requiem, a collection by the poet Anna Akhmatova, which they translated from Russian to English.*Please note: some sections have been edited out from the original recording due to copyright considerations