Major Jackson of The Slowdown

In January, Major Jackson became host of The Slowdown, a popular podcast that each weekday presents a poem and reflection in a five- to ten-minute segment.

- JULIA MALLORY

Jackson succeeds U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, who followed U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith as host of the podcast, which is produced by American Public Media in partnership with the Poetry Foundation. Jackson’s new role makes him something of a poetry evangelist, expounding on the possibilities that exist when we understand ourselves as united in verse. The author of six poetry collections, including Razzle Dazzle: New & Selected Poems, forthcoming from W. W. Norton later this year, Jackson recently spoke about leading The Slowdown, the spiritual qualities of verse, and how poetry helps us to understand ourselves and the world around us.

Why did you want to host The Slowdown?

It’s a terrific show, I mean format-wise, with great lineage and production staff and a loyal audience who all value contemplativeness and poetry—my lifelong obsessions. In listening to an episode, one never feels as if they have been hit with a brain-dump, but more a thoughtful and crisp curated meditation, so that the mind breathes. Serving as host of