In Volume Six: Chapter Nine, we welcome Dr. Irène Mathieu — a Washington, D.C.–born, Virginia-based pediatrician, educator, researcher, and award-winning poet. She earned her BA in International Relations from the College of William & Mary, her MD from Vanderbilt University, and a Master’s in Public Health from Johns Hopkins. Today she serves as Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Virginia, where she also helps lead programs in Health Humanities, and sits on the board of Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action.

Dr. Mathieu is the author of four books of poetry — The Galaxy of Origins, Orogeny (winner of the Bob Kaufman Book Prize), Grand Marronage (Editor’s Choice for the Gatewood Prize and runner-up for the Cave Canem/Northwestern Book Prize), and her most recent, Milk Tongue (2023). Her work has earned Pushcart Prize nominations, national contest honors, and features in outlets including The Washington Post, NPR, The Los Angeles Times, and more.

Contact Irène:
Website: irenemathieu.com

Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include:

Alyesha Wise – Trauma
Instagram: @alyeshawise          Website: alyeshawise.com

Joseph Capehart – Bad Habits
Instagram: @oksolaris

Javon Johnson – Black and Happy
Instagram: @javonism

Denice Frohman – Accents
Instagram: @denicefrohman         Website: denicefrohman.com

Jay Ward – Gentrification
Instagram: @jward2030          Website: jwardpoetry.com

Support the show