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Matthew Olzmann — Mountain Dew Commercial Disguised as a Love Poem

Matthew Olzmann — Mountain Dew Commercial Disguised as a Love Poem

FromPoetry Unbound


Matthew Olzmann — Mountain Dew Commercial Disguised as a Love Poem

FromPoetry Unbound

ratings:
Length:
17 minutes
Released:
May 14, 2021
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

In this love poem, Matthew Olzmann writes about his wife — the poet Vievee Francis whose poem for Matthew was featured in the previous episode — and the reasons why their marriage might work: her courage, her tenacity, her quirks, her multiplicities. He recounts instances of her generosity and lands on a story of how, when she was down to her “last damn dime,” she  still bought a bottle of Mountain Dew for him, because she knew he loved it. This is a cinematic and musical poem, making exquisite use of a particular object: a bottle of soda, holding fizz in it, and symbolizing more love than it could contain.Matthew Olzmann  was born in Detroit, Michigan. He received a BA from the University of Michigan–Dearborn and an MFA from Warren Wilson College. He is the author of Contradictions in the Design and Mezzanines, winner of the 2011 Kundiman Poetry Prize. Olzmann has received fellowships from the Kresge Arts Foundation and Kundiman, among others. He teaches at Warren Wilson College and lives in North Carolina with his wife, the poet Vievee Francis.Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.
Released:
May 14, 2021
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Your poetry ritual: An immersive reading of a single poem, guided by Pádraig Ó Tuama. Unhurried, contemplative and energizing. New episodes on Monday and Friday, about 15 minutes each. Two seasons per year, with occasional special offerings. Anchor your life with poetry.