The Poem I Turn To

Even if you are not an avid reader or even checkout line browser of celebrity gossip magazines, you’ve likely seen the photos of Hollywood stars in the parking lot of the gym, the super couple strolling with the kids, the actor pumping gas. The message: "stars, they’re just like us"! Sharing the same, sometimes mundane humanity - they even gain and lose weight just like we do!

But what else do we share? What gives Hollywood and Broadway insiders inspiration, serenity, or connection to the world outside the fame bubble? A new anthology asks those questions. "The Poem I Turn To: Actors and Directors Present Poetry that Inspires Them" is a collection that peers into the literary lives of industry insiders.

We discover Jane Fonda's love of Rilke, Philip Seymour Hoffman's regard for Meghan O’Rourke - we even get to hear some of their choices read on a companion CD. "The Poem I Turn To" was edited by Jason Shindler, a poet who, sadly, died in April. He collaborated with actors Lily Taylor and Michael O’Keefe.

Michael O’Keefe, a poet himself, and a stage and film actor, joins Word of Mouth on the line from Los Angeles to discuss the poems that some actors and directors turn to to contemplate the world.

(Photo by Paul Bence)