“It has taken me years to realize that The Dream Songs is an epic—and a successful, even great one,” writes poet and editor Shane McCrae. For years, McCrae searched for the elusive American epic, only to find it not in the formal tradition but in the raw, funny, and heartbreaking persona of Henry—John Berryman’s unforgettable hero.

In this lecture, presented in conjunction with the release of Only Sing: 152 Uncollected Dream Songs, McCrae explores Berryman’s extraordinary achievement. Composed over decades, these previously unpublished songs expand the universe of The Dream Songs—a Pulitzer and National Book Award-winning sequence that stands as one of the twentieth century’s most intricate and emotionally volatile poetic projects.

Henry falls in and out of love, flirts with madness, sings of longing, lust, and spiritual despair. Through McCrae’s insight, Berryman’s songs cast fresh light on the full arc of Berryman’s genius—and on The Dream Songs as America’s great modern epic.

This single-session seminar meets from 2:00–3:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, December 10.

McCrae will be discussing and reading from Only Sing: 152 Uncollected Dream Songs (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2025), available on December 9th. Attendees are not expected to read the book but may order copies at the above link if desired.

This live, virtual course is structured to encourage active participation. Registrants will receive a Zoom link upon registration. All recordings will be made available within forty-eight hours of a session. All recordings and class materials will remain available for thirty days after the final session 

Scholarship applications must be submitted by Friday, December 5, at 5 p.m. ET. 

For information on how to register, how to receive the member discount, how to apply for a scholarship, how to access recordings and course materials, and more, please visit our FAQ page.