Rapper Dessa Reads Alan Dugan

In this episode, musician and writer Dessa reads an excerpt from “Natural Enemies of the Conch” by Alan Dugan. Dessa first gained prominence as a rapper with the Twin Cities hip hop collective Doomtree, but has since worked across many genres and creative disciplines. She has collaborated with the Minnesota Orchestra, published a memoir and poetry collections, and even hosted a BBC science podcast. Her fantastic new album, Bury the Lede, is an embrace of dance floor-ready pop music. 

Alan Dugan was an American poet born in New York City in 1923. “Natural Enemies of the Conch” appears in Poems Seven: New and Complete Poetry, published by Seven Stories Press.

In 2026, Seven Stories Press announced the publication of a new selection of Dugan’s work, Love Poems. The press describes the book as reflecting “the core of his art, blending hurt and hardship with a powerful belief in the driving force that love is.”

Keep up with Dessa on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and at dessawander.com. 

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