Best John And Merrilee Podcasts (2025)

1
T. S. Eliot's "Journey of the Magi" 9:19

41m ago9:19

9:19

…I had seen birth and death, But had thought they were different; this Birth was Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death. Today’s poem seemed an appropriate choice as we endure the death of one year and the pregnant anticipation of another. Happy reading! Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe…

1
From the Archives: On the Parallels Between Software and Architecture 32:23

5m ago32:23

32:23

Chris shares some insights after embarking on his first ever construction project In this episode from the archives, Chris and Gina sit down to discuss the parallels between software development and building in real life. From the importance of communicating expectations, to making information recommendations, to giving guidance and direction on co…

1
William Butler Yeats' "The Magi" 8:51

6m ago8:51

8:51

The repetition of the word “unsatisfied” forms a set of bookends in today’s poem. Inside those bookends: earth, sky, and the riches of this world. Beyond them: “The uncontrollable mystery.” Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
Cecil Day Lewis' "The Christmas Tree" 9:52

3d ago9:52

9:52

“the Christmas Tree is a tree of fable,/A phoenix in evergreen” Cecil Day Lewis tackles the leave-taking of Christmas and the emotional upheaval in can work in the hearts of kids from 1 to 92. Happy reading (and don’t take down that tree yet!) Lewis, (born April 27, 1904, Ballintubbert, County Leix, Ire.—died May 22, 1972, Hadley Wood, Hertfordshir…

1
W. H. Auden's Conclusion to For the Time Being 5:40

1h ago5:40

5:40

“To those who have seen/The Child, however dimly, however incredulously,/The Time Being is, in a sense, the most trying time of all.” Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
W. H. Auden's "Chorus of Angels" 4:27

1h ago4:27

4:27

Christ is born! Merry Christmas and happy reading! Today’s poem is a selection from Auden’s superb long poem, For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
J. R. R. Tolkien's "Noel" 3:47

40m ago3:47

3:47

J. R. R. Tolkien loved Christmas–we can find ample proof of this in his Letters From Father Christmas, but also in his choosing December 25 as the day the fellowship of the Ring should set out from Rivendell and begin the destruction of evil in Middle Earth. Today’s poem, once lost to history but rediscovered and included in his Collected Poems, is…

1
From the Archives: Finding Product-Market Fit at Large Organizations 30:41

7m ago30:41

30:41

How to innovate and add value to enterprise offerings The stability of large enterprises can be both a blessing and a curse. In this archived episode Chris Losacco is joined by NTT DATA’s Product Management Lead Jamie Bernard to talk about how large organizations can learn to innovate while still taking care of their core business. She explains the…

1
George Herbert's "Love (III)" 9:33

1h ago9:33

9:33

Today’s selection may not be traditionally recognized as a holiday poem, but it interprets the Christmas mystery as well or better than many poems written for the season. Happy reading! Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
Music In My Soul. Chapter Twenty Four. "Rockin In Spain". 10:28

9d ago10:28

10:28

The 1972 opening of CAP 3000 in Benidorm Spain where I featured stars such as Little Richard, Johnny Otis, Mungo Jerry, Slad, Manfred Mann, and many many others.By Graham Wood.

1
Two Christmas Poems from G. K. Chesterton 4:28

19m ago4:28

4:28

In today’s poems-“The Inn at the End of the World” and “The House of Christmas”–Chesterton imagines Christmas as a cosmic waystation for weary pilgrims. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
Donald Hall's "Christmas Eve in Whitneyville" 4:57

29m ago4:57

4:57

Don’t be fooled by the lack of Dickensian drama: melancholy, materialism, regret, a graveyard–today’s poem is A Christmas Carol for the modern man. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
James Merrill's "Christmas Tree" 4:54

10m ago4:54

4:54

Today’s selection is an ideal poem for Advent–a bittersweet shape poem that expresses the “hopes and fears of all the years.” Poet and critic John Hollander wrote of Merrill that he “was continually reengaging those Proustian themes of the retrieval of lost childhood, the operations of involuntary memory and of an imaginative memory even more myste…

1
Mary Jo Salter's "Home Movies: A Sort of Ode" 5:05

30m ago5:05

5:05

Are home movies the grecian urns of the twentieth century? Today’s poem says, “sort of.” Poet, editor, essayist, playwright, and lyricist Mary Jo Salter was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She grew up in Michigan and Maryland, and earned degrees from Harvard and Cambridge University. A former editor at the Atlantic Monthly, poetry editor at the New…

1
From the Archives: Building with the End User in Mind 35:53

8m ago35:53

35:53

Heather Hudnall, NTT Data’s Chief Nursing Informatics Officer, on building medical software that is usable at all points of entry. In this episode from the archives, NTT Data’s Chief Nursing Informatics Officer Heather Hudnall joins Clinton to dive into how we can transform healthcare and health tech for the better. As a former RN she is well verse…

1
John Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn" 8:16

12h ago8:16

8:16

Today’s poem is, in may ways, the ode of odes. It has inspired volumes upon volumes of poetry and scholarship alike. And yet, it remains nothing more and nothing less than a humble and impassioned conversation with a work of beauty. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe…

1
Malcolm Guite's "Launde Abbey on Saint Lucy's Day" 3:06

3d ago3:06

3:06

Today’s poem for St. Lucy’s day is a remembrance of a light “too bright for our infirm delight” dawning in the deepest darkness of the year. The poem is collected in Waiting on the Word: a poem a day for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. You can also hear a vastly superior reading of the poem by the author himself. Get full access to The Daily Poem …

1
Christina Rossetti's "A Christmas Carol" 9:18

19d ago9:18

9:18

Today’s poem–known to many as the musical setting, “In the Bleak Midwinter”–contemplates unprecedented act of loves in the darkest days of the year. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
Ezra Pound's "The White Stag" 6:48

13d ago6:48

6:48

Ezra Pound had his own complicated relationship with fame, exercising a profound influence upon 20th-century literature but being tried for treason in the U.S. after broadcasting propaganda for the fascists during WWII. Today’s poem is a guarded reflection on the never-ending quest. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailyp…

1
Emily Dickinson's "In this short Life that only lasts an hour" 5:29

7d ago5:29

5:29

Today is the birthday of Emily Dickinson, and to mark the occasion we have selected a poem that manages to sum up the entire paradox of the human condition in just two lines. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
From the Archives: Creating Innovation Gardens 42:49

21d ago42:49

42:49

Trevor Anulewicz on sustainable innovation for the enterprise Enterprises can sometimes be slow to change. In this episode from the archives, Trevor Anulewicz joins Clinton to dive into how enterprises can grow and nurture innovation gardens so they can succeed far into the future. Trevor breaks down how enterprises can invest in and cultivate cons…

1
Mark Strand's "The New Poetry Handbook" 12:19

8d ago12:19

12:19

Mark Strand was born on Canada’s Prince Edward Island on April 11, 1934. He received a BA from Antioch College in Ohio in 1957 and attended Yale University, where he was awarded the Cook Prize and the Bergin Prize. After receiving his BFA degree in 1959, Strand spent a year studying at the University of Florence on a Fulbright fellowship. In 1962 h…

1
Michel Houellebecq’s “Annihilation” with Joshua Hren and Trevor C. Merrill 1:12:17

9d ago1:12:17

1:12:17

In his provocative new novel Annihilation, celebrated and controversial French author Michel Houellebecq brings readers to a France in 2027, grappling with economic collapse and moral decline. In this episode, novelists Joshua Hren and Trevor C. Merrill join the podcast to dive into Houellebecq’s darkly insightful world, exploring why he is hailed …

1
Malcolm Guite's "St. Nicholas" 3:17

11d ago3:17

3:17

Today’s poem pays tribute to the great lover of children and the poor, whose day serves as a festive waystation on the journey to Christmas. Happy reading! Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
William Carlos Williams' "The Hunters in the Snow" 11:26

14d ago11:26

11:26

Today’s poem from Williams’ late collection, Pictures from Brueghel, is an ekphrasis on the painting by the same name, and a lesson in disciplined observation. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
Anne Bradstreet's "Verses upon the Burning of our House" 7:32

20d ago7:32

7:32

“We only live, only suspire/ Consumed by either fire or fire.”…are not lines from today’s poem, but one gets the feeling Bradstreet understood their meaning as well as anyone could. Happy reading. Anne Bradstreet was born Anne Dudley in 1612 in Northamptonshire, England. She married Simon Bradstreet, a graduate of Cambridge University, at the age o…

1
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Snow-Flakes" 10:57

27d ago10:57

10:57

New-fallen snow can be a kind of blank canvas for the poet. In yesterday’s poem, Stevenson wrote over it in whimsical metaphor and simile; in today’s, Longfellow finds the reflection of his own troubled heart. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe…

1
Fear of AI: An AI Thought Leader on the Data Around Distrust 39:31

14d ago39:31

39:31

Christen Bell breaks down why people are afraid of AI and how it can be addressed AI has the potential to transform workplaces which can bring many benefits but also many concerns. This week Clinton is joined by Christen Bell, an industrial psychologist and the Lead of the AI Community for NTT DATA’s consulting arm, to chat about some of the main f…

1
Robert Louis Stevenson's "Winter-Time" 5:24

15d ago5:24

5:24

Today’s poem is a master-class in elementary poetic instruction. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
Józef Tischner’s Philosophy of Drama with Artur Rosman 53:52

17d ago53:52

53:52

Józef Tischner, a Polish priest, philosopher, and chaplain for the Solidarność trade union, remains a relatively unknown figure outside of Poland. However, thanks to Artur Rosman’s translation of his major work, The Philosophy of Drama, Tischner’s profound insights are beginning to reach a broader audience. As a student of Karol Wojtyła (Pope John …

1
Craig Arnold's "Meditation on a Grapefruit" 9:13

17d ago9:13

9:13

Craig Arnold, born November 16, 1967 was an American poet and professor. His first book of poems, Shells (1999), was selected by W.S. Merwin for the Yale Series of Younger Poets. His many honors include the 2005 Joseph Brodsky Rome Prize Fellowship in literature, the Amy Lowell Poetry Travelling Scholarship, a Hodder Fellowship, and fellowships fro…

1
Anna Kamieńska's "Small Things" 10:36

19d ago10:36

10:36

Anna Kamienska was a poet, translator, critic, essayist, and editor. She published numerous collections of her own work and translated poetry from several Slavic languages, as well as sacred texts from Hebrew and Greek. Astonishments, a selection of her poetry in translation is available from Paraclete Press. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podca…

1
Jacqueline Woodson's "lessons" 3:23

20d ago3:23

3:23

Today’s poem punctuates the precious value of time spent with family around food. Happy reading. Jacqueline Woodson received a 2023 Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, a 2020 MacArthur Fellowship, the 2020 Hans Christian Andersen Award, the 2018 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and the 2018 Children’s Literature Legacy Award. She was the 2018–2019 Nat…

1
Blaise Cendrars' "Menus" 9:05

20d ago9:05

9:05

Sometimes a list is much more than a list. Happy reading. Blaise Cendrars (1887–1961) was the pseudonym of Frédéric Sauser, the Swiss son of a French Anabaptist father and a Scottish mother. As a young man he traveled widely, from St. Petersburg to New York and beyond, and these wanderings proved the inspiration of much of his later poetry and pros…

1
From the Archives: Is Design Dead? 43:50

25d ago43:50

43:50

A debrief on an important question - is design dead? In this episode from the archives Chris LoSacco, David Schell and Chappell Ellison discuss the current state of design. Design has gone from fighting for a seat at the table to sitting at the head of the table. What will happen now that automation threatens everything that designers hold dear? Is…

1
Bill Holm's "Bread Soup: An Old Icelandic Recipe" 7:49

21d ago7:49

7:49

Today’s poem opens a week of poetry about food. Happy eating reading. Bill Holm was born in 1943 on a farm outside Minneota, Minnesota. He received a BA from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1965 and an MA from the University of Kansas in 1967. Holm was the author of several poetry collections, including Playing the Black Piano and The Dead Get By with…

1
Theology of Work: Theology of the Body, Part II with D.C. Schindler 53:37

23d ago53:37

53:37

In this episode, D.C. Schindler elaborates on why he sees a theology of work as the second part of John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. Perceptions of work are not theologically neutral. The Greeks and Jews had different perceptions of work. Schindler claims Christianity is a synthesis of both but sees modernity as a distortion of the Christian syn…

1
James Matthew Wilson's "Agricola: A Song for Planting 7:45

1M ago7:45

7:45

Today’s poem, from Wilson’s 2018 The Hanging God, takes a candid look at all the ways we overestimate, misunderstand, misrepresent, and undervalue our own human agency–all while leaning heavily on plenty of unspoken implications about the agency of God. Happy reading. James Matthew Wilson is the Cullen Foundation Chair in English Literature and the…

1
A Very Sad Ending for Clyde McPhatter and Gene Vincent, two of America's early R&B and Rock& RollLegends. 13:09

25d ago13:09

13:09

Clyde McPhatter and Gene Vincent, two of America's early R&B and Rock & Roll Heroes whose lifestyle excesses led them to a very sad and ignoble end. I was fortunate to deal with both performers before their inevitable decline from popularity.By Graham Wood.

1
Wendell Berry's "The Thought of Something Else" 5:21

28d ago5:21

5:21

Today’s poem, from Berry’s 1969 collection, Openings, doubles as a tribute to one of the loveliest and homiest bookstores in the world. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
John Masefield's "Cargoes" 13:01

28d ago13:01

13:01

Today’s poem evokes entire worlds of vivid images and complex emotions with little more than a carefully-crafted list. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
Emily Dickinson's "I fear a Man of frugal Speech" 5:29

27d ago5:29

5:29

Today’s poem was written by Dickinson when she was thirty-three and old enough to know. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
Measuring Productivity in the AI Era 40:42

28d ago40:42

40:42

This week Clinton is joined again by VP of Engineering and Frictionless Enterprise author, Nate Berent- Spillson. In this episode they discuss the importance of a balanced approach to measuring developer performance through various metrics as well as the role of AI in transforming software development processes. They also explore the challenges of …

1
William Blake's "The Tyger" 13:18

28d ago13:18

13:18

Today’s poem, one of English literature’s most extracted and anthologized, is still best appreciated when read in light of the momentous collection it belongs to. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
The Synod, the Election, & the Beauty of Rome with Larry Chapp 1:01:55

1M ago1:01:55

1:01:55

Larry Chapp spent the last month in Rome commentating on the Synod on Synodality. His letters on the Synod were published at First Things. In this episode, Larry shares his thoughts on the Synod and his experiences in Rome. Near the end of the episode, he explains why we need to “re-weird” Christianity and the importance of enchantment.…

1
Jessica Greenbaum's "A Poem for S." 10:53

1M ago10:53

10:53

Today’s poem is also a poem for “ABC”–which is to say, it’s a brilliantly executed example of the alphabetic form known as the abecedarian. Happy reading. Jessica Greenbaum is the author of Inventing Difficulty (Silverfish Review Press, 1998), winner of Gerald Cable Prize; The Two Yvonnes (Princeton University Press, 2012), named by Library Journal…

1
Rhina P. Espaillat's "Changeling" 7:28

1M ago7:28

7:28

Rhina P. Espaillat was born in the Dominican Republic under the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. After Espaillat’s great-uncle opposed the regime, her family was exiled to the United States and settled in New York City. She began writing poetry as a young girl—in Spanish and then English—and has published in both languages. Espaillat’s numerous poe…

1
Sylvia Plath's "Gold Mouths Cry" 10:43

2M ago10:43

10:43

In today’s poem, Plath (who died at 30) contrasts the transience of youth and nature with the seeming permanence of art and artifice. (I even make time for a brief shout-out to a not-so-transitory Golden Mouth.) Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe…

1
from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Hiawatha's Wooing" 6:26

2M ago6:26

6:26

Today’s poem is a selection from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s American epic, The Song of Hiawatha. The passage is structured beautifully so that two divergent streams of imaginative thought suddenly flow together into a single, tangible reality. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe…

1
From the Archives: On Customer Intimacy 35:46

1M ago35:46

35:46

Clinton, Chris and Nathan on how to develop meaningful client relationships Intimacy isn’t a word you often associate with clients or customers. In this episode from the archives Clinton, Chris Losacco and Nathan Henry chat about the importance of (professional) intimacy. They share tips on how to build lasting and meaningful relationships with cli…

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