Noshing With Lee Woodman – October 1, 2026
Author, Heartscapes
Award-winning poet Lee Woodman joins Ira for a wide-ranging conversation about the power of poetry — and why poetry is far more than words on a page.
The author of Heartscapes (published by Shanti Arts Publishing and the seventh book in her acclaimed “Scapes” series), Lee talks about the growing connection between poetry, rap and hip-hop, and why she believes today’s performers can be remarkably sophisticated with language and lyrics.
Lee explains why performing poetry can create a different experience than simply reading it, the phenomenon of the crowd, and her lifelong fascination with sound and what she calls “tongue language.” She also gets into the technical side of poetry — rhythm, language, sound and structure — and even discusses the influence of performers such as LL Cool J.
Her own story is equally fascinating. Lee grew up in France and India before moving to the United States at 14. She discusses why she considers herself a “global citizen,” her work at the Smithsonian and Library of Congress, and the transition from nearly 50 years in Washington to becoming a full-time poet.
Lee also explains how her “Scapes” series began, reads a moving poem about her mother, and explores the themes at the heart of Heartscapes: love, family, nature, loss, renewal and the unexpected moments that give life meaning.
It’s a conversation about where poetry is going, where it comes from — and why it continues to make us think.
Lee Woodman, author of the “Scapes” poetry series, is winner of the 2026 Indie Reader Gold Discovery Award, the 2025 Independent Press Gold Award for Poetry, the 2025 Nautilus Gold Award for Poetry, and the 2020 William Meredith Prize. Her six published collections include
Heartscapes, Colorscapes, Soulscapes, Artscapes, Lifescapes, Mindscapes, and Homescapes.
All these books that treat inner and outer landscapes—literal, emotional, cultural, spiritual. Her essays and poems have been published in Poet Lore, Tiferet Journal, Zócalo Public Square, Grey Sparrow Press, The Ekphrastic Review, vox poetica, The New Guard Review, The Concord Monitor, The Hill Rag, Naugatuck River Review, Tulip Tree Publishing, and The Broadkill Review.
Lee has been profiled on the following radio shows and podcasts: KJAG-FM, WSIU-FM, KMA, KORE-AM, Goodnews Broadcasting, Ron Van Dam, KLTF, WAMV-AM, WMST-AM, Steve Maggi, Cyrus Webb, Cover to Cover Book Beat, with RodgerNichols, Grace Cavalieri’s “Poet and the Poem” at the Library of Congress, “The Packaged Tourist Show” at The National Archives with Andrew Dibiase, “The Authors Show” with Don McCauley, and “Gab Talks” with Gabby Olczak.
She believes poetry is a reflection of all creative expression: dance, music, drama, visual arts, and language.