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MOONBOW Podcast
Look Under the Bed for Poetry
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Look Under the Bed for Poetry

A reading of "If Only" —a poem by Ruth Krauss
“Roar Like a Dandelion” written by Ruth Krauss and illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier

I’m back with another audio recording! Who am I?

Recently I watched an interview with the famous iconoclast comedian Lenny Bruce and Nat Hentoff. In the interview, Hentoff asks Bruce why he does comedy, and Bruce says, “Because it’s fun. It’s fun to say a poem in front of everybody.” After hearing that, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It is fun. It’s also fun to listen to a poem read aloud. And it’s fun to talk about it after. I want to do more of that.

So occasionally, I will read you a poem—or sometimes just a few lines from a book—really anything that stands out and is interesting.

Today’s poem is “If Only” by Ruth Krauss, a poem she originally published in 1969 but was later included in Minestrone: A Ruth Krauss Selection in 1981.

I won’t always lead into the reading with a backstory, but for today’s reading, it felt needed. If you want to skip to the poem, it’s at 08:07 of the recording.

What do you think of this poem? Share your thoughts in the comments. 

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“If Only” by Ruth Krauss from “Minestrone: A Ruth Krauss Selection”

In This Episode:

Read:

Is This You? written by Ruth Krauss and illustrated by Crockett Johnson

Listen:

To is a Preposition; Come is a Verb” performed by Lenny Bruce.

(I incorrectly called this poem “To Come” in the episode.)

Watch:

Nat Hentoff Interviews Lenny Bruce from Lenny Bruce Without Tears (1972). Directed by Fred Baker.


“Open House for Butterflies” written by Ruth Krauss and illustrated by Maurice Sendak.

(Disclaimer: Audio recordings are even more terrifying than newsletters because there are more opportunities for mistakes. There are a few in mine, but most don't warrant mentioning. If anything is glaring, please feel free to message me.) 


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You can read past Moonbow articles in the archive and follow me on Instagram @TaylorSterling.


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