Joseph Swanson Joseph Swanson

An Evening in Paris

Join Dr. B for a poem reading at “An Evening in Paris” on Sunday, August 1st at the Pacific Grove Art Center, 568 Lighthouse Ave, from 5:30 p.m. tp 7:30 p.m.

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Joseph Swanson Joseph Swanson

How Is It That Pumpkins Are Orange Coming Out of Soil?

In Poetry Slow Down, Dr. Barbara Mossberg invites listeners to savor life through the lens of poetry and food. Comparing verse to fertile soil—ordinary yet miraculous—she celebrates how words, like earth, nurture new life. From pumpkins to banana bread, Dr. B and producer Zappa Johns explore how poetry feeds the spirit, reminding us that wonder is always on the table.

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Joseph Swanson Joseph Swanson

ARE YOU TALKING TO ME? TREES TALKING TRASH AND GLORY, DISHING WISDOM—AND IT’S AN OLD STORY

This week on Poetry Slow Down, we set sail through myth, science, and story to explore humanity’s oldest companions—trees. From Gilgamesh to Alice Walker, we trace how trees have spoken in our history, literature, and lives. With insights from The Hidden Life of Trees and The Botany of Desire, we’ll hear how poets and storytellers have long known what science is only now confirming: trees talk—to each other, and to us.

Join Professor Barbara Mossberg as we listen in on the world’s most ancient conversation and rediscover what it means to be rooted, alive, and awake.

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Joseph Swanson Joseph Swanson

SHAMBLING OUT OF SILENCE (BRIAN DOYLE), SCATTERING JOY (EMERSON), O TO MAKE THE MOST JUBILANT POEM (WHITMAN)–THE SERIOUS RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE JOY SERIOUSLY

This week on Poetry Slow Down, we celebrate Walt Whitman’s birthday by taking joy as seriously as he did. Join Dr. Barbara Mossberg and producer Zappa Johns as they explore how poets from Emerson to Mary Oliver remind us that joy is no frivolous thing—it’s essential to being alive. Slow down with us, and rediscover the art of joy.

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Joseph Swanson Joseph Swanson

DOWN WITH WASTING-TIME SHAMING: WASTING TIME FOR GLORY

This week on Poetry Slow Down, we celebrate Walt Whitman’s birthday by taking joy as seriously as he did. Join Dr. Barbara Mossberg and producer Zappa Johns as they explore how poets from Emerson to Mary Oliver remind us that joy is no frivolous thing—it’s essential to being alive. Slow down with us, and rediscover the art of joy.

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Joseph Swanson Joseph Swanson

MOTHER’S DAY: confessions when a writer is a daughter!

This week on Poetry Slow Down, we celebrate Walt Whitman’s birthday by taking joy as seriously as he did. Join Dr. Barbara Mossberg and producer Zappa Johns as they explore how poets from Emerson to Mary Oliver remind us that joy is no frivolous thing—it’s essential to being alive. Slow down with us, and rediscover the art of joy.

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Joseph Swanson Joseph Swanson

QUANTUM MIRACLES THE POETRY OF EVERYTHING IS ALIVE (If e=mc2)

This week on Poetry Slow Down, we celebrate Walt Whitman’s birthday by taking joy as seriously as he did. Join Dr. Barbara Mossberg and producer Zappa Johns as they explore how poets from Emerson to Mary Oliver remind us that joy is no frivolous thing—it’s essential to being alive. Slow down with us, and rediscover the art of joy.

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Joseph Swanson Joseph Swanson

THE EYES HAVE IT: WHEN SO MUCH DEPENDS UPON A RED WHEELBARROW GLAZED WITH RAIN BESIDE THE WHITE CHICKENS. . . WHAT IS A WASTE OF TIME? WHO BROUGHT UP WASTE OF TIME? INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW.

This week on Poetry Slow Down, we celebrate Walt Whitman’s birthday by taking joy as seriously as he did. Join Dr. Barbara Mossberg and producer Zappa Johns as they explore how poets from Emerson to Mary Oliver remind us that joy is no frivolous thing—it’s essential to being alive. Slow down with us, and rediscover the art of joy.

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Joseph Swanson Joseph Swanson

My work is loving the world” – WHAT IS OUR WORK

This week on Poetry Slow Down, we celebrate Walt Whitman’s birthday by taking joy as seriously as he did. Join Dr. Barbara Mossberg and producer Zappa Johns as they explore how poets from Emerson to Mary Oliver remind us that joy is no frivolous thing—it’s essential to being alive. Slow down with us, and rediscover the art of joy.

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Joseph Swanson Joseph Swanson

CALLING ALL LOVERS: YOU NEED THE TREE—BUT THE TREE NEEDS YOU! THE POETRY OF THE EQUAL SIGN, AKA GENIUS, or what’s at stake in how we see and express our earth (clue: life and death–ours)

This week on Poetry Slow Down, we celebrate Walt Whitman’s birthday by taking joy as seriously as he did. Join Dr. Barbara Mossberg and producer Zappa Johns as they explore how poets from Emerson to Mary Oliver remind us that joy is no frivolous thing—it’s essential to being alive. Slow down with us, and rediscover the art of joy.

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