Piece Comment

Radio Poetry? It Can Be Done


Few things are harder than making the flat text of poetry palatable to a modern radio listener. Unless the poem is unusually straightforward or read by a someone from the Royal Shakespeare Company, it tends to plod along in self-indulgence.
This is an exception. Lu Olkowski has a an artist's ear, but a magazine show's approach to pacing and editing. The result is a mix of poesy and interview that is accessible, sad and ultimately very, very moving. It is greater than the sum of its parts and some very classy stuff. And hey, there's even a web film.