Be True: Life in Literature

<p>John reads an excerpt from his novella, Thy Brother’s Blood. He also discusses our daily abuse of the environment, the trouble with podcast fiction, Marshall McLuhan, and the return of his dog Luna.</p><p>John...

<p>John reads “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus. He also discusses his memories of the centennial of the Statue of Liberty, current conflicts between asylum and militarism, and a morality we can share.</p><p>John...

<p>John records his first visit to the Greek capital and watches from abroad as the United States loses its soul. He also reads passages of The Libation Bearers, by Aeschylus, and communes with Socrates.</p><p>John...

<p>John reads a passage from Atomic Backfires, a new book he helped edit. He discusses childish nuclear politics, war in Iran, good intentions and unintended consequences, and the importance of research.</p><p>Atomic...

<p>John reads the opening of his brand new novella, Thy Brother’s Blood. He also discusses the virtues of resistance, surprising fiction, the challenges of being human, and why it’s good to be uncertain.</p><p>John...

<p>John reads excerpts of his poem “Prophesy II,” from his chapbook Apocrypha. He also discusses poetry in a time of war, the mysticism of the writing process, his literary Catholicism, and David Bowie.</p><p>John...

<p>John discusses his recent visit to Capitol Hill with a group of high school students, the new challenges of being young in the U.S. (and the world) in 2026, and how kids are treated as expendables.</p><p>John...

<p>John reads Walt Whitman’s poem, “Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field One Night,” a battlefield vignette about the true costs of war, a tragic poem for a dangerous time.</p><p>John Tessitore is a writer, poet, and...

<p>John reads “Emotions,” a poem by the 12th century Chinese poet Li Qingzhao. He discusses global burnout, the desire for a sense of peace (however temporary), and echoes of Wordsworth and Dickinson.</p><p>John...

<p>John reads a monologue from Henrik Ibsen’s play “An Enemy of the People.” He discusses partisan corruption, the end of right and truth, and rereading Ibsen as Minneapolis became a battleground.</p><p>John Tessitore...

<p>John reads the lyrics to the Cuban folk song “Guantanamera.” He discusses its composition, the distinguished history of political refugees in the U.S., and why the poet José Marti was a bad bunny.</p><p>John...

<p>In this short episode, John discusses the always-embattled freedom of the press, as enshrined in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and the colonial-era trial of John Peter Zenger.</p><p>John Tessitore has...

<p>A vision of a post-Trump future posing as an argument for linguistic diversity, educational inclusivity, and the recognition of heritage language communities as a vital national resource.</p><p>John Tessitore has...

<p>What a recently-discovered Hittite tablet says about the past, present, and future of the humanities and the embattled values of humanism for an America that has lost its way.</p><p>John Tessitore has been a...

<p>To celebrate Halloween, John reads his poem “An Evening with M. Poe,” a dramatic monologue and fictionalized episode in the gory, spooky life of Edgar Allan Poe.</p><p>John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor...