Kevin Young on His Book “Night Watch,” Inspired by Death and Dante
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This is the New Yorker Radio Hour. A co production of WNYC Studios and the New Yorker. This is the New Yorker Radio Hour, I'm David Remnick. Kevin Young is the poetry editor of the New Yorker and the author of many books of his own poems. His newest is called Night Watch.
The poems draw on Kevin's very wide view of history, from the end of the slavery era back to Dante's 700-year-old poem, The Divine Comedy. And much more. I sat down recently with Kevin Young. Kevin, you are the poetry editor of The New Yorker, thank God. And I believe this is your sixteenth book. You're a great anthologist as well. Um I I love that anthology you've done about
Grief. Um No memorial service needs to look any farther than that book. It's an extraordinary book. And you've written about the blues and African American experience in general. And you've also published books of prose to
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