About this episode

April Bernard joins Kevin Young to read poems by John Ashbery and herself.

April Bernard joins Kevin Young to read “A Worldly Country,” by John Ashbery, and her own poem “Beagle or Something.” Bernard is the author of two novels and six poetry collections—including “Blackbird Bye Bye,” which won the Walt Whitman Award from the Academy of American Poets, and “The World Behind the World,” which was published in 2023. She’s a professor of English and creative writing at Skidmore College, in Saratoga Springs, New York. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Kevin Young

Guest: April Bernard

Topics covered

• poetry
• literature
• reading
• John Ashbery
• April Bernard
• creative writing

Keywords

• April Bernard
• John Ashbery
• poetry reading
• Skidmore College
• creative writing
• literature

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Skidmore College

Books & works: A Worldly Country, Beagle or Something, Blackbird Bye Bye, The World Behind the World

Places: Saratoga Springs, New York

More episodes of The New Yorker: Poetry

• Julia Alvarez Reads Judy Page Heitzman · May 27, 2026 · 38 min
• Maya C. Popa Reads Brenda Shaughnessy · March 25, 2026 · 44 min
• Adrian Matejka Reads C.D. Wright · February 25, 2026 · 48 min
• Patricia Lockwood Reads Elizabeth Bishop · December 22, 2025 · 48 min
• Traci Brimhall Reads Thomas Lux · November 26, 2025 · 47 min
• Henri Cole Reads Louise Glück · October 22, 2025 · 31 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The New Yorker: Poetry podcast page.