POETRY TAKES TO KRCU AIRWAVES

Susan Swartwout pushes poetry. These days, she is not only writing it, she's reading it.

A published poet, Swartwout also is an assistant professor of English at Southeast Missouri State University.

It was Swartwout's idea to broadcast poetry on KRCU, the National Public Radio station at Southeast.

Eleven faculty members and 10 students have taped poems that will air this week on KRCU, 90.9 FM, beginning Monday.

"We will probably air about 10 a day, most of them between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.," said Greg Petrowich, the station's general manager.

KRCU plans to air about a poem an hour during that time each day. Poems also will be broadcast at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Most of it is original poetry, including some by Swartwout, who has had two books published.

One of her books, "Freaks," includes a poem she wrote for her two sons, now grown.

"Our Bodies Speak Their Lines" is the name of the poem, one of several Swartwout has taped for broadcast this week.

"Pieces of you disappear," the poem begins. "I know when next I look, something else will vanish.

"Your baby fat melts from curves of stumbles and bounce into the hard and slick sculpturing of male animal," she wrote.

Petrowich said, "It is a great opportunity to get original poets on the air.

"There are so many people who are sort of closet poets," he said.

Both Petrowich and Swartwout want to encourage area residents to submit their poems, too. Listeners can submit poems by calling the radio station at 651-5066.

"You don't have to be a super English major and you don't have to be published," said Petrowich.

Poetry is universal, he said. "You don't have to go to college for four years to write a poem."

While poetry is being emphasized this week, Petrowich said he hopes to continue incorporating poems into the programming in the weeks ahead.

"I would like to see maybe one a day or two a day in the future," he said.

Journey Magazine is co-producing this week's series of poems with KRCU. Swartwout serves as adviser for the literary publication at Southeast.

Swartwout said the station plans to air the poetry a poem at a time because it is difficult to listen to a whole series of poems one right after the other.

"Part of the mission of the poetry is to get poetry to the people and allow them a chance to hear it," she said.