When Verse Goes Viral - a podcast by The Religion, Race and Democracy Lab at the University of Virginia

If you had to guess one of the best-selling poets in America, a long-dead Sufi mystic named Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi might not be at the top of your list. And yet, his poetry has found a wide audience in the U.S. -- centuries after his death, and thousands of miles from his home. You can find Rumi quotes everywhere, from Pinterest boards to Brad Pitt's underarm. But are these inspirational snippets of poetry missing a key element of Rumi's work? Our hosts speak with translator Muhammad Ali Mojaradi on what's absent from the most popular English interpretation of Rumi's verse - and why the internet still cares about a poet who died nearly 800 years ago.

Further episodes of Sacred

Further podcasts by The Religion, Race and Democracy Lab at the University of Virginia

Website of The Religion, Race and Democracy Lab at the University of Virginia