As I prepared the 2014 edition of Giving Thanks, I realized something special: it turned out to be a poets' corner.
Nikki Giovanni's latest book of poems is called Chasing Utopia. Nikki is also a foodie, which makes her poetry a good fit for Thanksgiving. Nikki and I talked about her family, her holiday traditions, and her freshman year when she got kicked out of Fisk University for leaving campus on Thanksgiving!
We also remember some great poets who left us this year. Maya Angelou did a wonderful piece about Thanskgiving many years ago on NPR. You'll hear that interview, in which she talks about cooking Thanksgiving dinner for 125 people, and delivers a beautiful, eloquent Thanksgiving blessing in the way that only Maya Angelou can.
It's a rare poet whose passing makes the front page of The New York Times, but Galway Kinnell had an enormous career. He and I had a conversation for Giving Thanks in 2008, so I was able to include some of that to remember his gifts this year.
Two poets had centennial anniversaries this year. Dylan Thomas made a magnificent recording of his poem "Fern Hill," all about nature and his childhood and gratitude. John Berryman is well known in Minnesota (he was celebrated at the University of Minnesota's "Berryman at 100" celebration last month). Berryman wrote a poem called "Minnesota Thanksgiving," which I first Garrison Keillor read on The Writer's Almanac. You'll hear Garrison read it this year on Giving Thanks.
Another notable person we honor this year wasn't a poet, but she was a inspiration. Alice Sommer Herz passed away this year at the age of 110, the oldest living Holocaust survivor. She was a classical pianist who attributed her long life and happiness to chicken soup, Bach, and gratitude. You'll hear some inspiring words from one of the major documentaries about Alice. She is 98 years old in this interview, sharp as a tack, and beautifully articulate about what gratitude and classical music meant to her.
One piece of music I use every year is particularly poignant this year: Thanksgiving hymn "We Gather Together," arranged by Stephen Paulus; sadly, we lost Stephen Paulus this year. I am especially grateful to have Stephen's arrangement because for several years of producing Giving Thanks, the ending never felt right. Stephen's artistry provided exactly the uplift that was missing before. It is perfect and poignant, particularly now that Stephen is gone. This year, I listened to the music, to Stephen's gifts and his talents, with fresh ears.
As always, I hope Giving Thanks makes the Thanksgiving holiday extra special for all who listen.
Listen to Giving Thanks with John Birge on Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 7 p.m., and on Thursday, Nov. 27, at 10 a.m. The two-hour special features reflections on gratitude in words and music.
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