20th Anniversary celebration with renowned poets Eileen Myles, Elizabeth Alexander, Sarah Kay, and Amber Tamblyn
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
In this special 20th anniversary episode of Design Matters, Debbie Millman celebrates the podcast's milestone by revisiting conversations with four renowned poets: Eileen Myles, Elizabeth Alexander, Sarah Kay, and Amber Tamblyn. The episode explores the transformative power of poetry as an intimate practice that connects personal experience with universal truths. Each poet shares their unique journey—from Myles' decades-long career as a literary institution in New York's East Village to Alexander's historic role reading at President Obama's inauguration, Kay's discovery of spoken word poetry after 9/11, and Tamblyn's use of poetry as refuge during her child acting career. (03:00)
• Main theme: Poetry serves as both personal salvation and universal connection, revealing how language can transform pain, identity, and experience into art that resonates beyond the individual.Speakers
Eileen Myles
Eileen Myles is a literary institution who has been publishing poetry for fifty years in New York City's East Village. They are also a novelist, art journalist, and writer of opera libretti, representing a unique voice in contemporary American literature.
Elizabeth Alexander
Elizabeth Alexander is a celebrated poet, essayist, memoirist, playwright, philanthropist, and academic who made history in 2009 by reading a poem she wrote for President Barack Obama at his first inauguration. She studied at Sidwell Friends School and has deep roots in both academia and the arts.
Sarah Kay
Sarah Kay is a writer and poet known for her spoken word poetry who discovered the art form as a teenager after watching the documentary Slam Nation. She grew up in Lower Manhattan near the World Trade Center and experienced 9/11 at age 13, which deeply influenced her artistic development.
Amber Tamblyn
Amber Tamblyn is an award-winning television, film, and theater actor who is also a novelist and poet. She's known for iconic roles including Emily Quartermaine on General Hospital, Joan Girardi on Joan of Arcadia, and Tibby Rollins in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants films, while simultaneously developing her writing career from age 11.
Key Takeaways
Poetry as Professional Humanity
Eileen Myles describes being a poet as being "like a professional human"—someone who gives mind to the postmodern saga of daily life. (04:57) This perspective reframes poetry not as an esoteric art form but as essential documentation of human experience. Rather than seeing poets as impractical dreamers, Myles positions them as necessary witnesses who translate the surreal and phenomenal aspects of ordinary existence into meaningful narrative. For professionals, this teaches the importance of reflection and meaning-making in their work, turning routine experiences into valuable insights that can guide decision-making and personal growth.
Discipline Transfers Across All Endeavors
Elizabeth Alexander's ballet training taught her that "discipline is discipline is discipline," and understanding that immediate payback isn't always necessary. (17:05) Her dance background showed her that true mastery requires resisting the temptation to default to what comes easily and instead developing well-rounded skills. This principle applies directly to professional development—whether you're naturally good at presentations but weak at data analysis, or strong in creative thinking but need to improve project management, sustainable success requires developing all necessary competencies rather than relying solely on natural talents.
Translation as Creative Survival Strategy
Myles explains how they've operated "like a translator of styles and realities," bringing lesbian content into mainstream poetry and importing avant-garde styles into queer spaces. (08:25) This demonstrates how professionals can create unique value by bridging different worlds—whether that's translating technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders, bringing startup agility to established corporations, or connecting diverse teams. The key is recognizing that your background gives you unique translation abilities that others lack, and these skills can become your competitive advantage in any field.
Art Emerges from Constraint and Structure
Sarah Kay observes that while the building blocks of creativity—musical notes, letters, ingredients—are fixed, unique voices still emerge from these limitations. (33:51) This insight challenges the myth that creativity requires complete freedom. Instead, it suggests that constraints often spark the most innovative solutions. In professional contexts, this means working within budget limitations, regulatory requirements, or company policies can actually fuel creative problem-solving rather than stifle it. The most innovative professionals learn to see constraints as creative catalysts rather than barriers.
Control Through Complete Self-Expression
Amber Tamblyn found that poetry gave her "full control" over her artistic expression, contrasting with acting where she only controlled about 50% of the final product. (52:29) This insight reveals the importance of having areas in your professional life where you have complete ownership and control over outcomes. Whether it's a side project, a specialized skill, or a particular domain of expertise, having something that is entirely yours provides psychological grounding and creative satisfaction that can sustain you through periods when other areas of your work feel beyond your control.
Statistics & Facts
- Eileen Myles has been publishing poetry for fifty years, establishing them as a literary institution in New York City's East Village since the 1970s. (04:00)
- Elizabeth Alexander attended the same school (Sidwell Friends) that Barack Obama's daughters later attended in Washington DC. (17:04)
- Sarah Kay discovered spoken word poetry at age 13-14 after receiving a mysterious letter registering her for the New York City Teen Poetry Slam, and no one ever revealed who signed her up. (39:19)
