In this episode, playwright Harrison David Rivers reads “For My Own Protection” by Essex Hemphill and discusses the use of the poem in his recent play, This Bitter Earth. Rivers is the recipient of fellowships from the McKnight and Jerome Foundations and is a core writer at the Playwright’s Center. https://open.spotify.com/episode/1prSuXPitknNPj26IItVnr “For My Own Protection” by Essex Hemphill appears in the collection Ceremonies, published by Plume. Keep up with Harrison David Rivers at harrisondavidrivers.com We feature one listener haiku at the end of every episode. To submit, call the Haiku Hotline at 612-440-0643 and read your poem after the beep. For the occasional prompt, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Subscribe on RadioPublic, iTunes, Spotify, or Stitcher.

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