
- Playing
- Cleaning Graves in Calvert
- From
- This Land Press
Cleaning Graves in Calvert recounts the ritual of death in small town Texas. Listen as a group of men read Quraysh Ali Lansana's poem and share their thoughts on family and death. The poem prompts one reader to remember the unmarked mass graves from the Tulsa race riot of 1921.
Quraysh Ali Lansana was born in Enid, Oklahoma. He is now a poet and teacher in Chicago.
More from This Land Press
"Back Roads" by Laura Brandenburg
(00:03:18)
From: This Land Press
In this installment of Poetry to the People, people on the street read Laura Brandenburg's chilling poem, "Back Roads," about life in the country turned violent. Brandenburg ...
Cardiology
(00:02:43)
From: This Land Press
People on the street perform Niklaus Faith's "Cardiology" and discuss the importance of one dead bug and the universal desire to move mountains. Full text of poem included below.
Jazz on a Diamond-Needle Hi-Fi
(00:02:29)
From: This Land Press
Deborah J. Hunter's poem "Jazz on a Diamond-Needle Hi-Fi" is performed live in Central Park by jazz musicians Tin Pan. Full poem below.
Stringtown Prison Blues
(00:03:37)
From: This Land Press
Former inmates and activist Mary McAnally read "Stringtown Prison Blues" and discuss their experiences with the penal system. Full transcript of poem included below.
"Autobiography" by Joe Brainard
(00:03:30)
From: This Land Press
In his poem "Autobiography," Joe Brainard tells us who he is. Some of the things that make him unique challenge the status quo of 1950s Tulsa, where Brainard spent his ...
Building a Frog
(00:02:17)
From: This Land Press
We visit a group of campers who read "Building a Frog," an evocative poem by John Wooley. With the sounds of the forest, cicadas, crickets and frogs in the background, the ...
Spare Me Yellow Skies by Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel
(00:02:32)
From: This Land Press
This past July was the hottest month ever on record for Oklahoma, or any other state for that matter. Farmers and ranchers have been hit the hardest by the drought. As grass ...
Driveway by Ron Padgett
(00:05:20)
From: This Land Press
In his poem "Driveway," Ron Padgett wrestles with the city in his skin - Tulsa, Oklahoma. In this segment, we had people on the street read "Driveway." The poem's imagery and ...
Cicada III
(00:02:35)
From: This Land Press
Cicada III is a communal reading of a poem by Oklahoma native Scott Aycock. In addition to Aycock's poem, we bring you a granddaughter's grief and a smoker's thoughts on ...
Life as a Death Investigator
(00:03:35)
From: This Land Press
For death inspector Stacy Williams, bloated corpses and overdose victims are a daily occurrence. It takes a different kind of death to chill her to the bone. This podcast ...
Broadcast History
Published on www.thislandpress.com.
Intro and Outro
INTRO:The following is brought to you by This Land Press, Oklahoma's first New Media company. For more information, visit www.thislandpress.com.
"Cleaning Graves in Calvert" is an on-the-street reading of a poem by Oklahoma native Quaraysh Ali Lansana. In addition to Lansana's poem, a group of men share stories and thoughts on family and death.
OUTRO:"Cleaning Graves in Calvet" is the third installment of Poetry to the People, a project of This Land Press to get poetry off the page and bring it to the streets.
You've just listened to a production of This Land Press. For more information, visit www.thislandpress.com.
Additional Credits
Quaraysh Ali Lansana
