In 1970, Kenneth Koch published a groundbreaking book about writing poetry with kids. Half a century later, Jess Shane tracks down his students to ask what it meant for their lives.

What's Inside the Moon

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Notes

Jess Shane is an audio producer and artist from Toronto. 

This piece was reported and produced by Jess. It was edited by Liza Yeager, Annie Rosenthal, and Jackson Roach. Jess did the mix and sound design, with help from Jackson Roach. 

Many thanks to the PS61 poets in this story: Jeff Morley, Oscar Marcilla, Marion Mackles and Fontessa Moore-Reed, and Kenneth Koch’s former student, friend, and poet in his own right, Ron Padgett. Thanks also to Eliza Bailey, Alan Constant, and Vivien Tuft. 

Archival tape comes from the NEA-commissioned film Wishes Lies and Dreams, by Eric Breitbart and Alan Jacobs, courtesy of Joshua Breitbart, and from an episode of Camera Three, courtesy of Stephan Chodorov at Camera Three Productions. Recordings from the Wishes Lies and Dreams vinyl from Spoken Arts appear courtesy of the Yale Collection of Historical Sound Recordings. Selections of Kenneth Koch's lectures at Naropa University in 1979 and 1994 are included courtesy of the Kenneth Koch Literary Estate.

Original music in this story was produced by Luka Kuplowsky. It was performed by Thom Gill and Germaine Liu and engineered by Miles Cakebread-Kraus and Joseph Shabason.

"What’s Inside the Moon" was made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Many people and organizations provided invaluable support to make this story. Special thanks to Karen Koch and the Kenneth Koch Literary Estate, UnionDocs, Dorothea Lasky, Nancy Weber and the Teachers and Writers Collaborative, Phoebe Wang, Amelia Schonbek, Shira Golden, Thomas Lu, Erica Heilman, Kristi White, Amy Lam, Allie Graham, Evan Cartwight, Joshua Breitbart, Katherine Koch, Susannah Hollister and Emily Setina.

Additional resources:

Full text of Wishes, Lies, and Dreams by Kenneth Koch 

Open the Door, edited by Dorothea Lasky, Dominic Luxford, Jesse Nathan, and featuring writings by Kenneth Koch and Ron Padgett. An insightful compilation of essays and transcribed roundtables about teaching poetry to kids from past and present practitioners.

Teachers and Writers Collaborative, still going strong. 

"Wishes, Lies, and Dreams Revisited," by Jeff Morley. An article written by Jeff Morley, following up with some of his classmates in 1983. 

The Kenneth Koch website, with wonderful selections of his poetry, writing for theatre, and more.

The lute is an instrument facing giant panda levels of endangerment. Ruby enters the lute-iverse to meet the people trying to save it.

Lute Dogs

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Notes

Ruby Tandoh is a writer and lives in London. She’s the author of All Consuming.

Paul Smith is an audio producer and lives in London. 

This story was written and reported by Ruby and produced by Paul. Sound design and additional production by Jackson Roach. 

It was edited by Annie Rosenthal, Jackson Roach, and Liza Yeager. Live music in this story was performed by Dowland’s Foundry, Elizabeth Kenny, and Michael Lowe. This story also features recordings of songs by John Dowland performed by Julian Bream. Additional music from Huda Asfour and Blue Dot Sessions. 

Special thanks to the Lute Society.