On March 29th, 2024, journalist Erik Pedersen interviewed Poetry in America host Elisa New for his newsletter Book Pages. Their wide-ranging conversation, on the PBS premiere of Poetry in America’s fourth season, was picked up by The Orange County Register,The Los Angeles Daily News, and several other Southern California News Group publications. 

“I think that any activity we engage in that allows us to encounter tension and resistance, and survive it, is good for our brains and our hearts.”

Elisa New

That phrase – “good for our brains and our hearts” – is about as fine a way to describe the PBS series as any. If you haven’t seen it and are imagining a dry, academic slog, that’s not it at all. Poetry in America confounds expectations, with episodes bursting with smart conversation, affecting music, and vibrant visuals tailored to each poem.