A Rare Recording of Poet John Ciardi Reading His Own Writing

John Anthony Ciardi (June 24, 1916 - March 30, 1986) was an American poet, translator, and etymologist. While primarily known as a poet, Ciardi pursued etymology, contributed to the Saturday Review as a columnist and long-time poetry editor, directed the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference in Vermont, and recorded commentaries for National Public Radio. In 1959, Ciardi published a book on how to read, write, and teach poetry, How Does a Poem Mean?, which has proven to be among the most-used books of its kind. In the following recordings, Ciardi reads "And They Lived Happily Ever After For Awhile," “To Judith, I,” “Happiness,” and “The Lamb.”