The Poetry of Grief and The Music of Protest

This week, the mass murder of nine people at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina shocked the nation.

Hours after the shooting in Charleston, The Takeaway reached out to the new poet laureate of the United States, Juan Felipe Herrera. Like so many other Americans, Herrera was mourning the loss of his fellow citizens that were taken in the brutal attack.

What does it mean to be a national poet in this time of grief? He explores tragedy, history, and poetry in the latest edition of The Takeaway Weekender Podcast.

But poetry isn’t the only medium artists turn to express their grief or discontent—music is also a powerful avenue for protest.

For Grammy Award-winning musician Tom Chapin, the oil boom in places like North Dakota and Wyoming has become dangerous as fracking takes hold.

With the help of music producer Jason Samel, Chapin and other artists will release a new record this week, “Buy This Fracking Album,” in hopes of raising awareness of the dangers of fracking.

Samel and Chapin join The Takeaway this weekend to explain how they’re rethinking protest music in the age of Instagram.