Library of Congress Poetry Resources

Webcasts, Videos, and Audio Recordings

OVERVIEW

Poetry webcasts, videos, and audio recordings are located several places on the Library's website. The resources below highlight the individual sections of the Library's site through which these recordings can be found.

Resources

Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape

The Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape at the Library of Congress dates back to 1943. It contains nearly seven-hundred recordings of poets and prose writers participating in sessions at the Library’s Recording Laboratory and at other locations around Spain and Latin America. To date, writers from thirty-two countries are represented in this collection which includes readings in Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, French, Náhuatl, Zapotec, Aymara, English and Dutch. More than 150 of these recording are currently available thorugh the online version of the archive.

Archive of Recorded Poetry & Literature

Begun in 1943 when Allen Tate was Consultant in Poetry to the Library, the Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature now contains recordings of nearly 2,000 poets and writers reading and discussing their work. The online version of the archive currently includes more than 160 of these recordings, featuring poets such as Robert Frost, Gwendolyn Brooks, Elizabeth Bishop, Czeslaw Milosz, and Paul Muldoon.

Center for the Book Sponsored Webcasts

The Center for the Book was established in 1977 to use the resources and prestige of the Library of Congress to promote books, reading, libraries, and literacy. Cybercasts are available for selected events from 1998 to present.

Conversations with African Poets and Writers

Launched in the fall of 2011 with Ali Mazrui, who gave a talk on the state of contemporary African literature, this series (presented here as webcasts of past programs) has followed with readings/discussions with emerging and established novelists, poets, and short story writers from around the Continent.

Library of Congress Poetry and Literature Webcasts

A comprehensive listing of the Library's recent poetry and literature webcasts.

Library of Congress Poetry Webcasts

A comprehensive listing of the Library's recent poetry webcasts.

National Book Festival

Webcasts of award-winning and nationally known authors, illustrators, and storytellers from the National Book Festival. To access a webcast, from the Authors page select a Festival year from the drop-down menu. Then, scroll down to the Poetry or Poetry & Prose section to find a list of poets who read at the poetry pavilion. Click on a specific poet's name to find all webcasts of the poet reading at previous Festivals. A comprehensive list of authors who read at past Festivals is also available.

The Poet and the Poem Series

The Poet and the Poem is an ongoing series of live poetry interviews at the Library of Congress with distinguished artists. Webcasts are available of many past programs, including the appearances of a number of U.S. Poets Laureate and several Witter Bynner fellows.

Poet Vision Video Series

Poet Vision is a remarkable series of programs featuring great poets reading and talking intimately about their work and about poetry in general. The 12 episodes in the series were videotaped in 1988-1990 by a firm in Philadelphia and broadcast on TV in that area. Cybercasts of Lucille Clifton, Rita Dove, Allen Ginsberg, Louise Glück, Sam Hamill, Michael Harper, Stanley Kunitz, Denise Levertov, and Robert Penn Warren are currently available online.

Poetry of American Identity

A collection of field recordings by a wide range of award-winning contemporary poets. Each poet reads a singular American poem of his or her choosing, and also speaks to how the poem connects, deepens, or re-imagines our sense of the nation. The feature includes a print version of the poem to complement the recording, as well as a piece by the participating poet.

Spotlight on U.S. Hispanic Writers

This audio series features emerging and established American poets and prose writers of Hispanic descent who write predominantly in English. In each segment the featured poet or writer participates in a moderated discussion with a member of the Library'sHispanic Division and reads from his or her work.