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In “Smother” Poet Rachel Richardson Balances Parenting Amidst Upheaval

2025/3/20

KQED's Forum

Berkeley poet Rachel Richardson reflects on her new collection 'Smother,' exploring motherhood, environmental depletion, and finding meaning in art during turbulent times.

Rachel Richardson's book 'Smother' is about living amidst environmental challenges and personal desires.
The poem 'Zeitgeist' captures the essence of contemporary life, blending environmental and personal themes.
Richardson sees writing as a means to communicate truth and connect with others in a fractured world.

How should we raise children in a world that is burning? This is the question that Berkeley poet Rachel Richardson contemplates in her new collection, “Smother.” As wildfires beset California, Richardson worried about the impact it would have on the land, communities and her own family. “The smoke is not cruel, only truthful,” she writes. And throughout the collection, fire, smoke and air flecked with ash become metaphors and characters as Richardson searches for resilience, defiance, and ultimately, hope.

Guests:

**Rachel Richardson, **poet, "Copperhead, Hundred-Year Wave," and, most recently, "Smother"; co-founder, Left Margin LIT in Berkeley; recipient of the Stegner and NEA Fellowships.

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In “Smother” Poet Rachel Richardson Balances Parenting Amidst Upheaval 57:53 Share

KQED's Forum

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In “Smother” Poet Rachel Richardson Balances Parenting Amidst Upheaval