John Green Reads Poetry

John: So, we just have to pause briefly to commemorate the life of Harper Lee, author of “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Harper Lee, who wrote, “There are just some kind of men who– who’re so busy worrying about the next world, they’ve never learned to live in this one…” And who wrote, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” And Harper Lee who also wrote the single greatest line of dialogue in American literature, “Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passin’.”
 
John: Hank, she was one of my favorite writers, especially when I was a young person. And when my son was born, we gave him the middle name Atticus, partly because of the historical Atticus, but partly because of Atticus Finch the great hero in the novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. And, uh, my publisher, Julie Strauss-Gabel, after Henry was born, sent Harper Lee, uh, some copies of my books, and uh Ms. Lee very kindly sent one of them back: a first printing of “Looking for Alaska,” that she signed on the title page, “Welcome to the world Henry Atticus, Harper Lee.” 
 
Hank: I feel like that was our short poem already. I hope you don’t have another one, because –
 
John: But I have a short poem about dog death.
 
Hank: Oh really? You found a short poem about dog death?
 
John: Of course I did, Hank.
 
Hank: [Laughing] Oh my goodness. Alright I’m going to take my headphones out. You do it and I’ll be back. Just sort of yell when you’re done.
 
John: Okay. Uh, today’s short poem  is by Mary Oliver, a great uh lover of dogs and also a wonderful poet. This is from her book, “Dog Songs” and the title of the poem is “If You Are Holding This Book.”

(Reads poem)

Hank: [Laughing]
 
John: “If You Are Holding This Book” from Mary Oliver’s book, “Dog Songs.”
 
Hank: I could handle that one.
 
John: Alright, I tried – There are some sadder ones but I didn’t want to make you cry in our comedy podcast.
 
Hank: [Laughing] It’s so, so funny! It’s such a funny podcast, John!
 
John: Oh, man.
 
Hank: I’ll tell you what, uh, It’s weird, It’s very – My emotions make no sense and they continue to surprise me, and I’m learning about myself through this process. Uh. and what I’m learning is, I ain’t no rational being.
 
John: [Laughing]
 
Hank: That’s not what humans are, so uh it’s something else and it sucks.
 
John: Yeah, I’m really sorry uh she was a great dog and… it is, I mean it’s a grieving process and I think no matter what kind of grief you experience, the main… one of my conclusions from grief is that grief is super weird.
 
Hank: Mhmm. Mhmm.
 
John: Uh, and that if you try to judge yourself within the process of grief you’re only going to complicate matters because it’s complex and weird and I would argue that there aren’t a lot of wrong ways to do it you just kind of gotta let yourself be yourself.
 
Hank: Alright, well I will take that advice, John.

You may not agree, you may not care, but if you are holding this book you should know, that of all the sights I love in this world, and there are plenty, very near the top of the list is this one: dogs without leashes.