The Universe in Verse: A Celebration of Science through Poetry

“When power corrupts, poetry cleanses,” John F. Kennedy famously wrote. Half a century later, with art, science and the humanities under assault from the government, this intersection of science and poetry, truth and beauty, is an uncommon kind of protest and a singularly fertile frontier of resistance.

On April 24, The Science Studios at Pioneer Works presents The Universe in Verse, an evening of poetry celebrating great scientists and scientific discoveries, hosted by Maria Popova, Janna Levin and the Academy of American Poets.
Poems about: Marie Curie, Isaac Newton, Caroline Herschel, Charles Darwin, Pythagoras, black holes, the Solar System, the number pi, and more.

Poems by: Adrienne Rich, Wisława Szymborska, John Updike, Charles Simic, Howard Nemerov, Elizabeth Alexander, Diane Ackerman, and more.

Readings by: Amanda PalmerRosanne CashJanna LevinElizabeth AlexanderDiane AckermanTavi GevinsonSarah JonesTracy K. Smith, Jad Abumrad (Radiolab), Sam Beam (Iron and Wine), and Brandon Stanton (Humans of New York).

All proceeds benefit the Academy of American Poets and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Poem Playlist