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After two years, two seasons and 443 episodes, Major Jackson is stepping down from the host chair. 


A Farewell to Major Jackson

To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.


Supported in Part by National Endowment for the Arts

Raising poetry to a more visible and influential position in American culture.


Produced in Partnership With the Poetry Foundation

Announcements

[encore] 1444: Congratulations! Your Grief Is About to Stop Being Relevant! by Bridget Bell

Today’s poem is Congratulations! Your Grief Is About to Stop Being Relevant! by Bridget Bell. 


The Slowdown is taking a week to return to some of our favorite episodes from Maggie’s tenure so far. Today’s poem is Congratulations! Your Grief Is About to Stop Being Relevant! by Bridget Bell. We’ll be back on Monday, March 30 with new episodes. Today’s episode was originally released on January 28, 2026. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem captures a time of grief in the speaker’s life, when life goes a little quiet after a flurry of support and care.” Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp 

The Slowdown

1481: from MOSAIC Stone 58 by Supritha Rajan

Today’s poem is from Mosaic by Supritha Rajan.


Today’s poem is from MOSAIC Stone 58 by Supritha Rajan. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “When I see the word productivity, it’s hard not to see the word product nestled inside it, reminding me again of capitalism. I think we should try to keep whatever we can from getting chewed up — and spit out! — by capitalism. Creativity included. Creativity, especially.” Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

1481: from Mosaic by Supritha Rajan

1480: Reverse Requiem by Ina Cariño

Today’s poem is Reverse Requiem by Ina Cariño.


Today’s poem is Reverse Requiem by Ina Cariño. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem inspired me to learn more about requiems — what they are, how they’ve evolved, and how we might think of them more broadly and metaphorically.” Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp 

The Slowdown

Latest Episode

Recent Episodes

[encore] 1444: Congratulations! Your Grief Is About to Stop Being Relevant! by Bridget Bell

1481: from Mosaic by Supritha Rajan

1480: Reverse Requiem by Ina Cariño

Announcements

A Farewell to Major Jackson

Supported in Part by National Endowment for the Arts

Produced in Partnership With the Poetry Foundation

Other APM Podcasts

Truth Be Told

Ripple

The Splendid Table

The Slowdown

Latest Episode

Recent Episodes

[encore] 1444: Congratulations! Your Grief Is About to Stop Being Relevant! by Bridget Bell

1481: from Mosaic by Supritha Rajan

1480: Reverse Requiem by Ina Cariño

Get a poem handpicked by Maggie Smith every weekday. The email includes an abridged version of Maggie’s introduction.

Announcements

A Farewell to Major Jackson

Supported in Part by National Endowment for the Arts

Produced in Partnership With the Poetry Foundation

Other APM Podcasts

Truth Be Told

Ripple

The Splendid Table