Josie Long presents short documentaries about the writers and musicians whose words help us navigate the difficult moments in our lives.

From James Baldwin to Adrienne Rich, the lyrics of Jimmie Rodgers to a new poem by Axel Kacoutié.

* James Baldwin in conversation with Studs TerkelOriginally broadcast in 1961Courtesy of the Studs Terkel Radio Archive

* For george, breonna, ahmaud, and christianProduced by James T. GreenOriginally made for the podcast u+1f60c

* DedicationsFeaturing Mary Jean ChanProduced by Alia CassamFeaturing recordings of Adrienne Rich from the audio archives of the public radio show, New Letters on the Air, a production of New Letters magazine at the University of Missouri-Kansas City

* The WatertankFeaturing Damian Le BasProduced by Andrea Rangecroft

* You Got Through the DayProduced by Axel Kacoutié

Production team: Andrea Rangecroft and Alia CassamSeries Producer: Eleanor McDowall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in June 2020.