HeyJaredBe True
In each episode of Be True, a weekly podcast about "the writing I love and the writing I do," John Tessitore reads a work of literature--either his own, or a work by another writer--and discusses its personal, literary, cultural, or historical importance, sometimes in…
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 4
- Latest publication
- Sep 20, 2026
- Audience
- Checking…
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 3, 2026
Latest episodes
Environmental Crisis and “Dark, Satanic Mills”: Episode 148 (opens the original)
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John reads the preface to William Blake’s epic poem, Milton. He also discusses alternative paths to grace, power flooding the zone, coal and the dangers of deregulation, and crazy poetic prophesies. In each episode of Be True—available on most major podcast platforms—John reads and discusses the writing he loves, and sometimes his own, inviting listeners to live more fully with and through literature. John Tessitore is a writer, poet, and liberal arts advocate. His poems have appeared in a varie
Fighting Anxiety with Medea: Episode 139 (opens the original)
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John reads Medea’s interior monologue from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. He also discusses anxious minds in anxious times; the circularity, desperation, and compulsion of anxiety; and the need for compassion. In each episode of Be True—available on most major podcast platforms—John reads and discusses the writing he loves, and sometimes his own, inviting listeners to live more fully with and through literature. John Tessitore is a writer, poet, and liberal arts advocate. His poems have appeared in a var
Wallace Stevens and Late-Career Success: Episode 138 (opens the original)
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John reads “Tea at the Palaz of Hoon,” a poem by Wallace Stevens. He also discusses persistence, the self-knowledge that comes with maturity, his own late start, and the surprising rise of Vozinha. In each episode of Be True—available on most major podcast platforms—John reads and discusses the writing he loves, and sometimes his own, inviting listeners to live more fully with and through literature. John Tessitore is a writer, poet, and liberal arts advocate. His poems have appeared in a variet
Birthrights, American Identity, and a Prayer on Independence Day: Episode 137 (opens the original)
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John reads “A Prayer for Us,” a poem by Crisosto Apache. He also discusses the nation’s 250th anniversary, American ambivalence, his friendship with a U.S. Supreme Court justice, and a lifelong crush. Visit crisostoapache.com for more about the poet featured in this episode. In each episode of Be True—available on most major podcast platforms—John reads and discusses the writing he loves, and sometimes his own, inviting listeners to live more fully with and through literature. John Tessitore is
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