DeepSummary
The episode begins with a slowdown producer introducing guest host Leslie Sines, a poet and editor. Leslie then shares a personal anecdote from her college screenwriting workshop about how her poetry background initially made her doubt her abilities compared to the fiction writers in the class. However, the professor believed poets had an advantage in screenwriting due to their focus on imagery.
Leslie reflects on the professor's statement that "every film is about redemption" and how the desire for redemption, or reframing how we relate to the world, is a universal human experience. She describes how romanticizing one's life and seeing it as a movie script requires mindfulness and appreciating small details.
The episode features the poem "Screenplay" by Harriet Mullen, which Leslie describes as performing the mundane in a cinematic fashion through auditory imagery, juxtaposition, and suggestions of ritual. She emphasizes that while the "musical scores" of our lives are always playing, pleasant or not, our job is to listen.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Films and poetry can explore universal human experiences like the desire for redemption or reframing one's perspective.
- Appreciating the "musical scores" and cinematic qualities of everyday life requires mindfulness and being present.
- Poets may have an advantage in screenwriting due to their skill with imagery over narrative storytelling.
- The poem "Screenplay" by Harriet Mullen presents mundane sounds and scenes in a cinematic way.
- Art forms like films, poetry, and storytelling provide avenues for humans to process themes like love, desire, and seeking redemption.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “It reminds us that though the musical scores of our lives are never not playing and not always pleasant, our job is always to listen.“ by Leslie Sines
- “Romanticizing one's life as though it were scripted requires a certain level of mindfulness. It necessitates slowness and surrender.“ by Leslie Sines
- “You, as the poet, have the real advantage here.“ by Professor Bernstein
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Episode Information
The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily
American Public Media
6/19/24
Today’s poem is Screenplay by Harryette Mullen.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, guest host Leslie Sainz writes… “Today’s poem performs the mundane in cinematic fashion. Through sharp auditory imagery, deliberate juxtaposition, and the suggestion of ritual, it reminds us that, though the musical scores of our lives are never not playing and not always pleasant, our job is, always, to listen.”
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