3:00 PST Wednesdays
A celebration of the art of poetry. A well-known poet himself, Jack Foley’s considerable historical knowledge and his awareness of the current “scene” are incorporated into his radio shows and have made them a kaleidoscopic, always stimulating attraction for anyone interested in poetry.
Tribute to David Bromige, who lived from 1933 to 2009. Born in England, Bromige was raised in Canada. He attended UC Berkeley in the 1960s and became friends with Robert Duncan and other California poets. He took a teaching position at the English Department at Sonoma State University in 1970. He retired from teaching at … Continued
Tribute to Brecht / Weill. Jack Foley reads his essay “Mahagonny as Zeitgeist.” This passage is from that essay: Brecht has brought the supreme example of authority onto his stage: God. And he has shown people saying No to God. If the men of Mahagonny can say No to God, can’t we say No … Continued
Berliner Milljoh, conclusion.
Steve Ross performs Noël Coward’s songs, including the exquisite and little-known “Most of Every Day.” Coward himself sings his song “Green Carnation” (1929), which first made an explicit connection between Oscar Wilde’s invention, the green carnation, and homosexuality. (It is possible that Wilde, who was Irish, was making an ethnic commentary.) Note that Coward insists … Continued
Today’s show is a tribute to Noël Coward featuring Steve Ross, “the crown prince of New York cabaret.” Ross speaks of Coward and of his own career. Hearing Ross sing Coward’s songs at the Museum of Performance and Design in San Francisco, Jack Foley wrote, “Steve Ross’s performance tonight was just wonderful. I knew just … Continued
Poetpourri, Part Two.
The first of two shows in which Jack Foley presents excerpts from his 2005 collection, produced for KPFA, Poetpourri. Foley describes the collection as “a testimony to the sheer diversity of American and English poetic expression in the 20th century. Though various themes emerge, there is no one theme—or even two or three—to make it … Continued
