Jennifer Horne and Thomas Hardy

Jennifer Horne and Thomas Hardy

From The Beat by Knox County Public Library

March 26, 2025 · 9 min · Season 4 · Episode 9

About this episode

Jennifer Horne discusses her work as a poet and the literary contributions of Thomas Hardy.

Jennifer Horne served as the twelfth Poet Laureate of Alabama from 2017 to 2021. The author of four collections of poems, Bottle Tree , Little Wanderer , Borrowed Light, and, most recently, Letters to Little Rock, she also has written a collection of short stories, Tell the World You’re a Wildflower . She is the author of a literary biography, Odyssey of a Wandering Mind: The Strange Tale of Sara Mayfield, Author, described as “mesmerizing”  and “a beguiling tale of madness and literature” by Publisher’s Weekly . She has edited or co-edited five volumes of poetry, essays, and stories.  Thomas Hardy was born on June 2, 1840, in Higher Bockhampton, Dorset, England. Hardy is best known for his novels, including The Mayor of Casterbridge, Far from the Madding Crowd, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, and Jude the Obscure. His first book of poems, Wessex Poems, was published when Hardy was in his late 50s. He published seven more collections, and over 1,000 poems in his lifetime. In January of 1928, he died peacefully at his home in Dorchester, Dorset, England. Links: Jennifer Horne A Map of the World (Jennifer Horne's website) Bio and work at The Poetry Foundation A review of…

People in this episode

Guest: Jennifer Horne

Topics covered

  • poetry
  • literature
  • biography
  • Southern writers
  • Thomas Hardy

Keywords

  • Jennifer Horne
  • Thomas Hardy
  • poetry
  • literature
  • biography

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Bottle Tree, Little Wanderer, Borrowed Light, Letters to Little Rock, Tell the World You’re a Wildflower, Odyssey of a Wandering Mind: The Strange Tale of Sara Mayfield, Author, Wessex Poems, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Far from the Madding Crowd, Tess of the D’Urbervilles

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