Randall Horton: Instruments for Change

Poetry Centered

Randall Horton introduces poems that ask us to consider intensely difficult situations, seeing anew their complexity and the humanity of the people involved. He discusses Reginald Dwayne Betts’ exploration of the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic and mass incarceration (“The Invention of Crack”), Brian Turner’s masterful use of point of view (“2000 lbs.”), and Patricia Smith as an example of the way that poets can be instruments for change (“Sitting in my dimly lit cell…”). Horton closes by sharing his poem “Dear Aesthetic Beauty,” paired with music in a collaboration with guitarist Brendan Regan.

Listen to the full recordings of Betts, Turner, and Smith reading for the Poetry Center on Voca:
Reginald Dwayne Betts (2017)
Brian Turner (2006)
Patricia Smith (2019)

You can also find a reading by Randall Horton on Voca, which was given as part of our Art for Justice series in 2018.

Chapters

1. Introduction (00:00:00)

2. Reginald Dwayne Betts' "The Invention of Crack" (00:01:12)

3. Brian Turner's "2000 lbs." (00:14:00)

4. Patricia Smith's "Sitting in my dimly lit cell..." (00:23:14)

5. Randall Horton shares "Dear Aesthetic Beauty" (00:34:04)