Thursday, November 21, 2019
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Monday, May 7, 2012
Just Beautiful by Tim Suermondt
Just Beautiful
by Tim Suermondt
NYQ Books
New York, NY
Softbound, 105
pages, $14.95
Review by Zvi A.
Sesling
Bittersweet humor
should be kept in a poet’s back pocket or purse and pulled out whenever
necessary. In this new volume of Tim Suermondt’s poetry there is the bittersweet
and the humor and sometimes a combination of both. Take for example
the following
poem.
Winning the
Pulitzer
Don’t laugh.
I have the chops.
I have the poems.
If I can outlast
the academic
mumbo jumbo
I’ll have a
legitimate shot,
a puncher’s chance.
At the awards
ceremony
I’ll thank
everyone
who helped me,
give the Bronx cheer
to everyone who
never did
and return to my
study to write the next poem
like I always
have and wanted to
oh those many
years in the wilderness.
As you read his
poems you might think, “Light, fluffy.”
But a second reading reveals a deeper context to the poems that deal
with everyday life, jealousy, love, fame, and almost always, humor.
Looking Forward
Boldly
Almost all my friends
have become blackbirds.
--Eugen Jebeleanu
A few will become
hawks and eagles –
the one who owes
me money will become
a buzzard if he
doesn’t pay—standard
punishment. I
expect my wife and I will
become
kingfishers, diving I the deep waters,
we and hungry
every day, pecking ourselves
clean on the most
beautiful beaches.
The three parts of the book you
can see Suermondt moving, that is, motion is as important as humor and
beauty. And that is what Just Beautiful is really about: the
everyday beauty of life, of people, of living. But what I like most is his easy
slide-it-in-there sense of humor that leaves you saying to yourself, “Oh,
that’s good.” Perhaps you have a silent
chuckle, reread the poem and move on. That is what it is all about, past,
present and future and the final poem, The
Present and the Future, tells you what you have thinking all along.
Suermondt has published two chapbooks and with
this volume, two full length collections of poems. He has been published in numerous magazines
and journals, as well as online. He lives in Brooklyn
with his wife, poet Pui Ying Wong.
_____________________________________
Zvi A. Sesling is
author of King of the Jungle (Ibbetson Street,
2010), Across Stones of Bad Dreams
(Cervena Barva, 2011) and the soon to be published Fire Tongue (Cervena Barva). He is Editor of Muddy River Poetry Review and Bagel
Bards Anthology #7.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Coyote Bush Poems from the Lost Coast By Peter Nash
Coyote Bush
Poems from the Lost Coast
By Peter Nash
Off The Grid Press
69 Pages
$15.00
Review by Dennis Daly
The beauty of the natural world skulks around the edges of
these poems, making inroads here and there. The impressive color photograph of
a coyote bush on the cover, almost a montage of direct light and shadow, sets
the ambivalent tone as mankind’s sensitivity confronts the indifference of
nature.
The poem Sitting Under a Maple Tree portrays the poet’s
persona resting under a tree, observing nature and its gorgeousness, and
looking up at the sky for yet more inspiration (an upstairs, downstairs effect)
. Seems almost perfect, but, alas there
are a couple of problems. The poet demands food, warmth, and affection. All
would be right he says if
…someone brought me
Bacon and eggs for supper,
Covered my shoulders with a blanket
From November to April
And kissed me good night
But even then he would be subject, like all living things,
to the aging process—admittedly natural, but unpleasant for most of us. He
says,
…I’d be
No great green tree
From whose branches white birds sing hosannas,
But an ancient horse
All hide and bone
Alone in a pasture
Feet splayed
Bowing to the earth.
In his poem Tracks, Nash lies down in the dry needle imprint
left by a doe and her newborn. Is he communing with nature, becoming one with a
pantheistic earth spirit? Well, sort of. At first the poet’s soul and the doe’s soul
simply merge in a moment of apparent understanding. But there is more (again
upstairs, downstairs). High over grounded nature,
…Orion
stands with his great bow by the River Eridanus.
Beside him the deerhounds
Tense at his sudden whistle,
Then rush down the star trails.
The killers from on high are also driven by natural
instinct, lest the poet forget.
The affecting dedication of this book reads, “For Judy, who
figures in some of these poems and all of my life.” It occurs to me that the
beautiful, yet cruel context of nature only heightens human emotions such as
love with tragedy and intensity. One good example of this is the poem entitled
After You. The poet details the degradation of his household, the loss of
pleasant detail and tasty cuisine. The meditation then turns internal. His
thought patterns would change. The light would leave the sky. And finally the
essence,
I’d gradually withdraw from the future.
There’d be nothing to look forward to—
No smell of rice pilaf and garlic,
No watching videos side by side,
Nor you breathing when I wake up.
In Judy’s Garden, Nash sees clearly the detail’s of his
aging wife: her sore back, her dirty
gloves, her baggy jeans, her gray hair. These are now inseparable from their
shared life, their memories, and most importantly, his love for her:
“You look the same as ever,” I say.
She’s wearing her father’s felt fedora,
her gray hair in a neat bunch
covering the little hump above her shoulder blades
that doctor Dick said was osteoporosis.
“Yeah, right,” she calls out…
Maybe that’s a sarcastic “yeah, right,” or maybe it is an
embarrassed “yeah, right,” but she knows for a moment anyway that he’s telling
the truth. Love’s intensity cannot be hidden. It’s impossible.
Young love is expressive and sometimes explosive. Timeless
love is more subtle and sometimes depends on subordinate clauses and gestures.
The scene is the poet’s birthday party. He’s giving a speech and says,
At this age you can’t expect to run a mile,
I announce, looking at Judy,
and you’re damn lucky to hobble the distance
with someone who gives you a hand…
Later in bed:
she says she liked the part
about giving someone a hand,
then wiggles her toes against my feet—
our old signal…
The scene ends wonderfully with man’s unique or artificial
nature resisting the pull of the natural order of things. In the poet’s words,
my bantam cock crows,
another old man yelling at the moon.
Nash expands his vision of man’s domesticity under siege
with an extraordinary poem called The Garden. It begins with a description of
wildness and beauty,
Once this was the flood plain of a river.
Bunch grass and wild oats fluttered in the silty soil
and poppies followed the sun with golden faces.
Then comes the tale of how this wild was made habitable for
humans by art or, to be specific, his wife’s vision of her garden.
She put the garden in by herself,
mixed peat moss with fertilizer in the wheelbarrow
then eased dozens of roses
into the chocolate earth.
She planted the potted salvia,
wrinkled pea-like seeds of nasturtiums,
onions, carrot starts, the chunky eyes of potatoes,
three kinds of summer squash,
and dug iris bulbs in deep.
Once the earth has been defined by her art, the poet marvels
at his wife’s closeness to and her understanding of nature,
She loves the feel of dirt between her palms,
the shovel against her boot,
the pull of the hose against her hip,
the heft of buckets dragging her shoulders.
Sometimes he sees her head bend close to the earth
inhaling the rough viney smell of green tomatoes.
There is an end of course. It may be tragic as man’s destiny
will end as it began. Or maybe it is a marvel that it took place at all. The poem
ends this way
In twenty years they’ll be gone,
the garden a few stalky rose bushes
poking up through the grass.
Plenty of time, he thinks,
for the ragged coyote bush,
the milk thistle,
to come back in.
And then, just possibly, somewhere in time, someone else
will plant another garden and human love, so obvious in these poems, will
flower again.
Monday, March 21, 2011
The Mojave Road And Other Journeys by Bruce Williams
The Mojave Road And Other Journeys
by Bruce Williams
Tebot Bach, Huntington Beach CA
Copyright © 2010 by Bruce Williams
Softbound, 67 pgs, $15
ISBN13: 978-1-893670-50-1
Review by Zvi A. Sesling
On my recent trip to San Diego I found myself in the chapel of
a Lutheran church in Pebble Beach where they hold a poetry reading
the second Sunday of each month.
On this particular day Bruce Williams was the featured reader. Standing
in front of a mosaic window of Jesus clad in elegant robes, Williams was
dressed in boots, baggy jeans, a T-shirt that had some printed writing, the
last word of which was evil and over that a brown leather vest.
Williams is probably in his 60s, short, bald with some gray hair and a gray beard and moustache. When he reads he rhythmically bend forward like an Orthodox Jew and recites what is on the printed page in a strong clear voice. It is the voice that you will also find in his book: clear and strong. It is also personal, reflecting on his prostate cancer, his wife’s illness and death, and nature.
In Williams’ poetry, nature is intertwined with life and death and his beloved jeep is the vehicle for his journey through life and nature. The mountains, the desert are metaphors for the rocky road of his experiences – and for his spiritual reawakening.
After his wife is cremated Williams poem AFTER HE BRINGS HER ASHES HOME
gathers his frail emotions in seven lines:
Ellen sits
on the mantle,
seared inside
her cedar box.
There and
not there
like him
In another poem he recalls his childhood and how the simple became complicated:
PERSPECTIVE
I loved Kit Carson
when I was a boy
because he was small
and brave
before I knew
the scent
of burning fruit
heard of Canyon de Chelly-
when the Navajo were the rugs
on Grandfather’s floor,
the silver on his hand.
All in all I was fascinated by Williams’ journeys, his metaphors,
his sensitivity, his self-insight and most of all his confrontation
with the death of others and his own mortality.
Williams is close to nature as he was (and still is) to his wife, and
growing up in Colorado has given him a perspective of nature not
unlike other poets, yet with more human meaning.
Having said all this, this book is Willliams’ first full length book of
poetry, following four chapbooks.
The owner of two jeeps he tries to explore the desert at every opportunity
and readers should explore his 42 poems (and the end notes) at every chance.
They confront optimism, fear, love (and what comes after love). Highly recommended.
by Bruce Williams
Tebot Bach, Huntington Beach CA
Copyright © 2010 by Bruce Williams
Softbound, 67 pgs, $15
ISBN13: 978-1-893670-50-1
Review by Zvi A. Sesling
On my recent trip to San Diego I found myself in the chapel of
a Lutheran church in Pebble Beach where they hold a poetry reading
the second Sunday of each month.
On this particular day Bruce Williams was the featured reader. Standing
in front of a mosaic window of Jesus clad in elegant robes, Williams was
dressed in boots, baggy jeans, a T-shirt that had some printed writing, the
last word of which was evil and over that a brown leather vest.
Williams is probably in his 60s, short, bald with some gray hair and a gray beard and moustache. When he reads he rhythmically bend forward like an Orthodox Jew and recites what is on the printed page in a strong clear voice. It is the voice that you will also find in his book: clear and strong. It is also personal, reflecting on his prostate cancer, his wife’s illness and death, and nature.
In Williams’ poetry, nature is intertwined with life and death and his beloved jeep is the vehicle for his journey through life and nature. The mountains, the desert are metaphors for the rocky road of his experiences – and for his spiritual reawakening.
After his wife is cremated Williams poem AFTER HE BRINGS HER ASHES HOME
gathers his frail emotions in seven lines:
Ellen sits
on the mantle,
seared inside
her cedar box.
There and
not there
like him
In another poem he recalls his childhood and how the simple became complicated:
PERSPECTIVE
I loved Kit Carson
when I was a boy
because he was small
and brave
before I knew
the scent
of burning fruit
heard of Canyon de Chelly-
when the Navajo were the rugs
on Grandfather’s floor,
the silver on his hand.
All in all I was fascinated by Williams’ journeys, his metaphors,
his sensitivity, his self-insight and most of all his confrontation
with the death of others and his own mortality.
Williams is close to nature as he was (and still is) to his wife, and
growing up in Colorado has given him a perspective of nature not
unlike other poets, yet with more human meaning.
Having said all this, this book is Willliams’ first full length book of
poetry, following four chapbooks.
The owner of two jeeps he tries to explore the desert at every opportunity
and readers should explore his 42 poems (and the end notes) at every chance.
They confront optimism, fear, love (and what comes after love). Highly recommended.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Mississippi Poems by Linda Larson.
Mississippi Poems by Linda Larson. (ISCS PRESS 145 Foster St. Littleton, Mass. 01460) $15.
Review by Doug Holder
Linda Larson and I go way back to the time when she was the editor-in-chief of the famed street newspaper “Spare Change News.” I was assisting the poetry editor at the time Don Di Vecchio, and I showed her an article I had written about the late Stone Soup Poetry founder Jack Powers. The article was rejected by some artsy magazine, but Linda liked it and published it-- on the front page no less. Well, I have for better or worse been writing articles ever since.
Linda Larson, like many artists and writers has struggled with mental illness, but has overcome many obstacles and has a long career as a journalist and writer, as well as getting a M.A. from the John Hopkins Writing Seminars .
The Ibbetson Street Press published her first collection “Washing the Stones,” and Larson has come out with another collection “Mississippi Poems” published by the well-respected small ISCS PRESS of Littleton, Mass. Joseph P. Kahn of The Boston Globe writes that the collection explores: “…along with more universal truths about family and relationships, the brutality and tenderness we visit upon one another, and the tools we must equip ourselves in order to survive.”
In her poem “Causalities” Larson writes about a heartbreaking drunken encounter with a damaged Vietnam War vet. Here she encapsulates his experience as a medic and the tragic notes he transcribed for the loved ones for his often terminal charges:
“If it is a girl, please name her Marie
After Mother, I know you two don’t get along…”
“When I get home to you.
We’ll get married. I promise you. A big wedding
Just like you want…”
“Please tell her I didn’t mean to hit her.
I’d rather die than ever hurt her.”
In the poem “St. Mick, First Crush," Larson captures Mick Jagger and in turn the heady atmosphere of the Sixties with a stunning flourish of imagery:
“Hashished I was into confusing your freckles with stars; so far gone I could only let you… Lucifer’s hummingbird, stunning in purple gorget, shooting up skyrockets, pulsating throughout a less than eternal night….. Yes Glorious word! You again, and I drank tea menthe, tasted the magic pipe…soon we were understanding Arabic, traveling the Venus express, winking at the eyes of smoke trees….
Larson has the ability to make a bottom dweller like a Catfish reach the high holy, as well as making the eating of Southern cuisine as evocative as any sensual pleasure. Highly Recommended. To order go to:
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/mississippi-poems/14737743
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Report from Israel --Doug Holder's Trip, etc...
Sketchbook: A Journal for Eastern & Western Short Forms
Global Correspondent Report
Helen Bar-Lev
Report from Israel
12 December, 2006
Johnmichael Simon and I returned from a two-month tour of the Northeastern USA and Canada , the Northwestern USA and Canada on 5 October 2006. While there we were guest poets of the CPA at the Chocolate River Festival in New Brunswick 25.8.06 – 27.8.06 organized by Donna Allard, CPA President; in Hamilton Ontario 2 September where we met with Katherine L. Gordon, James Deahl, Ellen Jaffe and wonderful others; in Boston, guests of Doug Holder of the Ibbetson Press at the Newton Free Library; in Vancouver, guests of the World Poetry people, Ariadne Sawyer and Alejandro Mujica-Olea.
We returned elated from these wonderful meetings and readings and down to business immediately with getting the Voices Israel Annual Anthology submissions organized. Two plus months later this is continuing, and I, as Editor-in-Chief, have scheduled a meeting on the 26th of the month with the six members of the editorial board for discussion of those submissions which still have question marks as to their acceptance into the Anthology.
Another exciting project was a brainchild of mine – to have an exhibition for poets who are also fine artists at the Jerusalem Theatre – this is the most prestigious venue in Israel; tentatively we have fifteen people who will participate and a date in October 2007. Each artist will hang two paintings and a poem, and books of our poetry will be sold at the bookstore located in the lobby of the Theatre. Johnmichael will probably be putting out a catalogue of the show.
The Reuben Rose Annual Poetry Contest is currently being judged by Vera Rich of London (of Manifold fame) and the awards presentation will take place here in January, with a week of accompanying workshops. Vera, unfortunately, will not be able to come due to health problems, so other local poets will head the workshop this year. Possibly she will be able to make it later on in the year. Doug Holder will be judge for next year’s Reuben Rose Contest.
Johnmichael and I have been published in a wonderful variety of publications; Johnmichael has received a high distinction award for his poem PEANUTS from the John Reid Poetry Contest and will be published in the forthcoming Anthology SAILING IN THE MIST OF TIME. And I was awarded third prize in the Dancing Poetry Contest of the Artists’ Embassy International based in San Francisco for my poem THE ENCHANTED DANCER.
We are moving up to our new home in Metulla, right on the Lebanese border, the middle-end of January and pray for peace.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Endicott College--Doug Holder/ Syllabus/HST/IST/SP480
Endicott College
Beverly, Massachusetts
College of Arts and Sciences—Liberal Studies
Course Syllabus
Course No: HST/IST/SP 480
Course Title: Senior Internship
Credits: 12
Pre-requisites: All program requirements through third year
Semester and Year: Fall 2009
Faculty:
Office Location: VL311
Telephone: 617-628-2313
E-mail: dougholder@post.harvard.edu
Office Hours: After class, email me, call me until 7PM
Catalog Description: A full-semester field experience requires students to apply academic theories to the professional work environment. The fourteen week period is planned and supervised by faculty and site supervisors. A bimonthly, on-campus supervision group provides the opportunity for students to reflect upon their experiences and learning. Students will be responsible for outside reading and writing assignments designed to integrate theory and practice.
Course Objectives:
At the completion of this course the student should be able to:
1. Set Personal Goals.
2. Learn as much as possible about the organization he or she is involved in.
3. Produce tangible accomplishments.
4. Report on learning opportunities: training sessions, conferences, etc….
5. Express general understanding of the duties of the job the intern was placed in. .
6. An understanding of what is important to intern in a career.
7 How did the intern adjust to the "culture" of the milieu he or she worked in?
Topical Outline:
Course Outline
CLASS #1 (9/11/2009)
Introduction of Students-- (Describe yourself--interests, etc...)
Introduction of Teacher
Review Syllabus
Discussion of site visits
Discussion of internship goals.
Assignment:
Journal Entries
CLASS #2 (9/25/09)
Discussion of journal entries.
Guest Speaker: Steve Glines
How has your perceptions changed from the first class?
Avoiding negativity.
Discussion of George Plimpton quote about internships.
Assignment:
Journal Entries
800 word paper describing the organization you work for:
Structure, Mission Statement, Culture, Career Opportunities,
etc...
Guest Speaker Report
Learning Agreement Due
CLASS #3 (10/9/09)
Discussion of Journal entries.
Are you afraid to ask questions?
The secretaries, and clerks-- a discussion
Taking an initiative vs. the "know it all."
Assignment:
Journal entries
CLASS #4 (10/23/09)
Guest Speaker: Paul Steven Stone
"If your boss tells you that she wants you to do something, don't say to her, "How should I do that?' Leave the room, and call anyone you can think of to tell you how to do it?" (Nora Ephron)—Discussion
Assignment:
Journal entries
Speaker Report
CLASS #5 (11/6/2009)
Guest Speaker: Gloria Mindock
Have you been proactive?
Discussion of journal entries.
Discussion of final paper.
Assignment:
Journal entries
Speaker Report
CLASS #6 (11/20/2009)
Discussion of journal entries.
Have you enjoyed yourself?
Did you make an impact?
Assignment:
Final Paper.
CLASS #7 (12/4/2009)
Final discussion of internship experience.
Hand in final paper.
Teaching/Learning Strategies:
Lectures, Working in the field, Written reports on the organization itself—and the student’s actual experience through written journals.
Evaluation Methods:
Internship site evaluation 40%
Attendance, constructive class participation, written assignments 60%
Assignments:
Starting the second class students will bring in a 500 to 800 (printed) word journal entry about their experiences. There will be a discussion of the clarity of the writing, if it is compelling and will it engage future interns. Writing will be focused on in the class because these skills are essential in the work environment.
An 800 word final paper that will discuss: Were the students' personal goals met?
What tangible accomplishments did they make? Did they acquire a mentor other than a supervisor? How did they view their role there? (Before and after the internship.)
Were they able to network? What differences did they notice between theory and practice? Will they try to get a job there? What did they find out about their strengths and weaknesses?
Short 250 word to 400 word reports on Guest Speakers.
Attendance Policy:
Since there are only seven classes students should make every effort to attend each one. If classes are missed this can affect the grade.
ADA Policy:
If you as a student qualify as a person with a disability, as defined in chapter 504 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, you may wish to discuss the need for reasonable accommodation with your instructor. You should make this contact at the start of the semester.
Academic Honesty:
Academic Honesty: Academic honesty is an expectation of all students. Violations of academic honesty are serious transgressions in an academic setting. Violations undermine the academic integrity and mission of the College for all members of the community.
Plagiarism is a violation of academic honesty. Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s words, images, or ideas as one’s own. Plagiarism includes: copying phrases, sentences, or passages from sources without quotation marks and source citations; paraphrasing or summarizing someone else’s ideas without acknowledging the source; excessive use of paraphrasing, even when sources are cited; handing in a paper that has been written by or copied from another person or source.
Plagiarism is a serious offense. A faculty member may handle plagiarism as he or she sees fit or the faculty member may refer the student¹s paper to the Academic Honesty Committee for review and resolution. Plagiarism may result in failure of the course or dismissal from the College. Cheating is a violation of academic honesty. A faculty member may handle cheating as he or she sees fit or the faculty member may refer the matter to the Academic Honesty Committee for review and resolution. Cheating on exams, tests, quizzes or any other assignment may result in failure of the course or dismissal from the College.
.
Recommended Readings:
Take Charge of Your Career by Cynthia Ingols and Mary Shapiro. Barnes and Noble Books: New York, NY, 2004
Subject to Change Statement:
This syllabus is subject to change.
Beverly, Massachusetts
College of Arts and Sciences—Liberal Studies
Course Syllabus
Course No: HST/IST/SP 480
Course Title: Senior Internship
Credits: 12
Pre-requisites: All program requirements through third year
Semester and Year: Fall 2009
Faculty:
Office Location: VL311
Telephone: 617-628-2313
E-mail: dougholder@post.harvard.edu
Office Hours: After class, email me, call me until 7PM
Catalog Description: A full-semester field experience requires students to apply academic theories to the professional work environment. The fourteen week period is planned and supervised by faculty and site supervisors. A bimonthly, on-campus supervision group provides the opportunity for students to reflect upon their experiences and learning. Students will be responsible for outside reading and writing assignments designed to integrate theory and practice.
Course Objectives:
At the completion of this course the student should be able to:
1. Set Personal Goals.
2. Learn as much as possible about the organization he or she is involved in.
3. Produce tangible accomplishments.
4. Report on learning opportunities: training sessions, conferences, etc….
5. Express general understanding of the duties of the job the intern was placed in. .
6. An understanding of what is important to intern in a career.
7 How did the intern adjust to the "culture" of the milieu he or she worked in?
Topical Outline:
Course Outline
CLASS #1 (9/11/2009)
Introduction of Students-- (Describe yourself--interests, etc...)
Introduction of Teacher
Review Syllabus
Discussion of site visits
Discussion of internship goals.
Assignment:
Journal Entries
CLASS #2 (9/25/09)
Discussion of journal entries.
Guest Speaker: Steve Glines
How has your perceptions changed from the first class?
Avoiding negativity.
Discussion of George Plimpton quote about internships.
Assignment:
Journal Entries
800 word paper describing the organization you work for:
Structure, Mission Statement, Culture, Career Opportunities,
etc...
Guest Speaker Report
Learning Agreement Due
CLASS #3 (10/9/09)
Discussion of Journal entries.
Are you afraid to ask questions?
The secretaries, and clerks-- a discussion
Taking an initiative vs. the "know it all."
Assignment:
Journal entries
CLASS #4 (10/23/09)
Guest Speaker: Paul Steven Stone
"If your boss tells you that she wants you to do something, don't say to her, "How should I do that?' Leave the room, and call anyone you can think of to tell you how to do it?" (Nora Ephron)—Discussion
Assignment:
Journal entries
Speaker Report
CLASS #5 (11/6/2009)
Guest Speaker: Gloria Mindock
Have you been proactive?
Discussion of journal entries.
Discussion of final paper.
Assignment:
Journal entries
Speaker Report
CLASS #6 (11/20/2009)
Discussion of journal entries.
Have you enjoyed yourself?
Did you make an impact?
Assignment:
Final Paper.
CLASS #7 (12/4/2009)
Final discussion of internship experience.
Hand in final paper.
Teaching/Learning Strategies:
Lectures, Working in the field, Written reports on the organization itself—and the student’s actual experience through written journals.
Evaluation Methods:
Internship site evaluation 40%
Attendance, constructive class participation, written assignments 60%
Assignments:
Starting the second class students will bring in a 500 to 800 (printed) word journal entry about their experiences. There will be a discussion of the clarity of the writing, if it is compelling and will it engage future interns. Writing will be focused on in the class because these skills are essential in the work environment.
An 800 word final paper that will discuss: Were the students' personal goals met?
What tangible accomplishments did they make? Did they acquire a mentor other than a supervisor? How did they view their role there? (Before and after the internship.)
Were they able to network? What differences did they notice between theory and practice? Will they try to get a job there? What did they find out about their strengths and weaknesses?
Short 250 word to 400 word reports on Guest Speakers.
Attendance Policy:
Since there are only seven classes students should make every effort to attend each one. If classes are missed this can affect the grade.
ADA Policy:
If you as a student qualify as a person with a disability, as defined in chapter 504 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, you may wish to discuss the need for reasonable accommodation with your instructor. You should make this contact at the start of the semester.
Academic Honesty:
Academic Honesty: Academic honesty is an expectation of all students. Violations of academic honesty are serious transgressions in an academic setting. Violations undermine the academic integrity and mission of the College for all members of the community.
Plagiarism is a violation of academic honesty. Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s words, images, or ideas as one’s own. Plagiarism includes: copying phrases, sentences, or passages from sources without quotation marks and source citations; paraphrasing or summarizing someone else’s ideas without acknowledging the source; excessive use of paraphrasing, even when sources are cited; handing in a paper that has been written by or copied from another person or source.
Plagiarism is a serious offense. A faculty member may handle plagiarism as he or she sees fit or the faculty member may refer the student¹s paper to the Academic Honesty Committee for review and resolution. Plagiarism may result in failure of the course or dismissal from the College. Cheating is a violation of academic honesty. A faculty member may handle cheating as he or she sees fit or the faculty member may refer the matter to the Academic Honesty Committee for review and resolution. Cheating on exams, tests, quizzes or any other assignment may result in failure of the course or dismissal from the College.
.
Recommended Readings:
Take Charge of Your Career by Cynthia Ingols and Mary Shapiro. Barnes and Noble Books: New York, NY, 2004
Subject to Change Statement:
This syllabus is subject to change.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
POETS AGAINST THE KILLING FIELDS
POETS AGAINST THE KILLING FIELDS
(Anthology); Trilingual Press; Cambridge, MA; $12.95
If you can turn off “American Idol,” forget for a moment the Red Sox and the Patriots, and take a hard look at the phase of late capitalism in which we find ourselves here in America, in 2007, you might just want to vomit. More likely you would have tuned back into “American Idol” long before you got to that point. The various poets of this anthology are not going to let you do that. They have your head in a vice and toothpicks propping your eyes open. And you are going to look. And you WILL see.
They shouldn’t have to do that to you. You could have seen for yourself. It’s a matter of record that Al Gore won the 2000 election. It’s a matter of record that the United States invaded Iraq for reasons having nothing to do with America’s security. It’s laughable that Saddam Hussein would have anything to do with Islamic jihadists like al-Queada. Contrary to the blatant lies of George W. Bush, the US has introduced torture as a standard operating procedure in interrogating detainees regardless of how much evidence there may or may not be that they are involved with terrorists. Waterboarding is a method of torture used as far back as the Inquisition. How interesting that torture is instituted by a President that used to enjoy blowing up frogs as a kid. But I digress.
The US turned Iraq, which had a large middle class and was a developed nation, albeit under dictatorial rule, into a nightmarish hell-hole. And the US will not leave even when Iraq’s oil is in the hands of American oil companies. Iraqi families have seen their loved ones gunned down or imprisoned almost at random by either rival militias, gangs of thugs or US troops.
My point here is that all too many Americans are oblivious to the suffering of others around the world even when that suffering is directly caused by the US or its client, Israel. All too many Americans are oblivious that our country is moving closer to authoritarianism every day. And this anthology may make you uncomfortable if you are one of the oblivious. And if you are, read deeply then throw your TV remote in the trash; become a citizen of the world. Let yourself address the “small girl playing with bullets found on war ground” as Aldo Tambellini does in “March 14, 2005.”
has the killing bullet
replaced your toy doll innocence
after your baptism by fire
did your parents survive
“In A Shout for Yusuf Hawkins,” Jill Netchinsky writes:
Bensonhurst
cardboard theater figures
drunk Italian inlaws
a gun on New Year’s Eve
Veterans reminisce
“Let’s go beat up some nigguhs”
The Poets Against the Killing Fields are here to tell you that the world is experienced very differently by third-world people under the thumb of US imperialism, and by working people and people of color here in America, than the unfair and unbalanced networks like Faux News would have you believe. Perhaps as you peruse these pages the scales will fall off your eyes as well and you too will find your clenched fist beginning to rise. Now say it with me: Fuck “American Idol!”
Richard Wilhelm
Ibbetson Update
(Anthology); Trilingual Press; Cambridge, MA; $12.95
If you can turn off “American Idol,” forget for a moment the Red Sox and the Patriots, and take a hard look at the phase of late capitalism in which we find ourselves here in America, in 2007, you might just want to vomit. More likely you would have tuned back into “American Idol” long before you got to that point. The various poets of this anthology are not going to let you do that. They have your head in a vice and toothpicks propping your eyes open. And you are going to look. And you WILL see.
They shouldn’t have to do that to you. You could have seen for yourself. It’s a matter of record that Al Gore won the 2000 election. It’s a matter of record that the United States invaded Iraq for reasons having nothing to do with America’s security. It’s laughable that Saddam Hussein would have anything to do with Islamic jihadists like al-Queada. Contrary to the blatant lies of George W. Bush, the US has introduced torture as a standard operating procedure in interrogating detainees regardless of how much evidence there may or may not be that they are involved with terrorists. Waterboarding is a method of torture used as far back as the Inquisition. How interesting that torture is instituted by a President that used to enjoy blowing up frogs as a kid. But I digress.
The US turned Iraq, which had a large middle class and was a developed nation, albeit under dictatorial rule, into a nightmarish hell-hole. And the US will not leave even when Iraq’s oil is in the hands of American oil companies. Iraqi families have seen their loved ones gunned down or imprisoned almost at random by either rival militias, gangs of thugs or US troops.
My point here is that all too many Americans are oblivious to the suffering of others around the world even when that suffering is directly caused by the US or its client, Israel. All too many Americans are oblivious that our country is moving closer to authoritarianism every day. And this anthology may make you uncomfortable if you are one of the oblivious. And if you are, read deeply then throw your TV remote in the trash; become a citizen of the world. Let yourself address the “small girl playing with bullets found on war ground” as Aldo Tambellini does in “March 14, 2005.”
has the killing bullet
replaced your toy doll innocence
after your baptism by fire
did your parents survive
“In A Shout for Yusuf Hawkins,” Jill Netchinsky writes:
Bensonhurst
cardboard theater figures
drunk Italian inlaws
a gun on New Year’s Eve
Veterans reminisce
“Let’s go beat up some nigguhs”
The Poets Against the Killing Fields are here to tell you that the world is experienced very differently by third-world people under the thumb of US imperialism, and by working people and people of color here in America, than the unfair and unbalanced networks like Faux News would have you believe. Perhaps as you peruse these pages the scales will fall off your eyes as well and you too will find your clenched fist beginning to rise. Now say it with me: Fuck “American Idol!”
Richard Wilhelm
Ibbetson Update
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Watermark by Jacquelyn Pope Review by Doug Holder
September 14, 2005
Watermark by Jacquelyn Pope (Marsh Hawk Press PO BOX 206 East Rockaway, NY 11518 2005) http://web.archive.org/web/20060506015704/http://marshhawkpress.com/ $13.
Jacquelyn Pope's new collection of poetry "Watermark" ( Marsh Hawk Press) is an undeniably melancholy, haunting, and accomplished collection of poetry. Pope's use of language is fine-tuned, clear, clipped, concise and most of all evocative. I was most impressed with the poems that dealt with human relationships. Her imagery beautifully defines estrangement, and the ultimately unknowable entity the "other." In "Mrs. Robinson," ( I'm assuming modeled after that disaffected, booze-swilling cipher of "The Graduate" fame), Pope paints a portrait of an empty woman with chilling precision: " He's fixed her off the page, where she'sabandoned: mid-century,semi-continential. Cold sunlightstabs the medicated air.Too bored to sitand suck the mentholated tipof her malaise, she wondersat the nerve that led him on" (41) In " By Light," Pope skillfully traces a woman's realization that even in what we feel are the most intimate relationships; we are ultimately strangers to one another. It is impressive how Pope uses the most banal of things such as: lamplight, and shadows on a wall to bring the poem home: " ...I sat/ in my own pool of light,/ still wholly/ untranslated into rooms that had/ learned you long ago. Our shadows/ hovered on their walls, dark forms/ drawn across the future./ Time flickered,/ fading from the room the night/ I saw our boundaries were drawn..." (39) When I read the work of some contemporary poets, often I find that the poems are obscure, inaccessible, and I simply can't relate to them. And just as often when I read small press poets whose work is accessible, I found that the poems are too facile and lack the heightened language a poem requires. Pope has written a collection that most of us non-academic poets can understand, relate to, and go back to in years to come.
Doug Holder/ Ibbetson Update/ Somerville, Mass. 2004/ Sept. 2005
Watermark by Jacquelyn Pope (Marsh Hawk Press PO BOX 206 East Rockaway, NY 11518 2005) http://web.archive.org/web/20060506015704/http://marshhawkpress.com/ $13.
Jacquelyn Pope's new collection of poetry "Watermark" ( Marsh Hawk Press) is an undeniably melancholy, haunting, and accomplished collection of poetry. Pope's use of language is fine-tuned, clear, clipped, concise and most of all evocative. I was most impressed with the poems that dealt with human relationships. Her imagery beautifully defines estrangement, and the ultimately unknowable entity the "other." In "Mrs. Robinson," ( I'm assuming modeled after that disaffected, booze-swilling cipher of "The Graduate" fame), Pope paints a portrait of an empty woman with chilling precision: " He's fixed her off the page, where she'sabandoned: mid-century,semi-continential. Cold sunlightstabs the medicated air.Too bored to sitand suck the mentholated tipof her malaise, she wondersat the nerve that led him on" (41) In " By Light," Pope skillfully traces a woman's realization that even in what we feel are the most intimate relationships; we are ultimately strangers to one another. It is impressive how Pope uses the most banal of things such as: lamplight, and shadows on a wall to bring the poem home: " ...I sat/ in my own pool of light,/ still wholly/ untranslated into rooms that had/ learned you long ago. Our shadows/ hovered on their walls, dark forms/ drawn across the future./ Time flickered,/ fading from the room the night/ I saw our boundaries were drawn..." (39) When I read the work of some contemporary poets, often I find that the poems are obscure, inaccessible, and I simply can't relate to them. And just as often when I read small press poets whose work is accessible, I found that the poems are too facile and lack the heightened language a poem requires. Pope has written a collection that most of us non-academic poets can understand, relate to, and go back to in years to come.
Doug Holder/ Ibbetson Update/ Somerville, Mass. 2004/ Sept. 2005
Rafts by Simon Perchik
Rafts
simon Perchik
Parsifal press 2007
13.95 U.S.
16.00 Can
ISBN 978-0-9739960-3-6
Review by Irene Koronas
RAFTS
This book of poetry shifts back and forth, time tides, small ocean pools we can gaze into for small bits, living matters. “you can hear the dirt, the shallow foothold, the hand to hand.” The poem’s relationships have a natural commitment with family - lovers as close as trees. “and nothing underneath but this orange this half brother, half sister, head down-there’s still room, the healing bigger than ever, returning from a pasture and covered with wet grass.”
The intimacy of Simon Perchik’s poetry astounds, the reader immediately recognizes and identifies with the persistent struggle to identify with all around oneself. “it’s a scary scratching, squeaks right through the heart as when falling stars cry out the light that is not morning and leaf by leaf, surrounded by a fence.”
Mostly, this collection of poems, melds into an epic like Homer, but not Homer, like sublime, but not sublime; these poems are narrative sublimity in that they also capture, take us on the journey. and what is the journey? is it simply in narrative in nature, the going forth, coming back? perhaps. “anything is possible-they hatch til the stones whose common ancestor in the moon…they keep the dead company.” we carry his words up the hill. pile them in neat piles, then the phrases tumble down and find another configuration. Rafts is a poetry book which dares to be its own. “once you reach the emptiness it will still answer…”
Irene Koronas is the poetry editor of the Wilderness House Literary Review, and a member of the "Bagel Bards," a writers' group in the Boston area.
simon Perchik
Parsifal press 2007
13.95 U.S.
16.00 Can
ISBN 978-0-9739960-3-6
Review by Irene Koronas
RAFTS
This book of poetry shifts back and forth, time tides, small ocean pools we can gaze into for small bits, living matters. “you can hear the dirt, the shallow foothold, the hand to hand.” The poem’s relationships have a natural commitment with family - lovers as close as trees. “and nothing underneath but this orange this half brother, half sister, head down-there’s still room, the healing bigger than ever, returning from a pasture and covered with wet grass.”
The intimacy of Simon Perchik’s poetry astounds, the reader immediately recognizes and identifies with the persistent struggle to identify with all around oneself. “it’s a scary scratching, squeaks right through the heart as when falling stars cry out the light that is not morning and leaf by leaf, surrounded by a fence.”
Mostly, this collection of poems, melds into an epic like Homer, but not Homer, like sublime, but not sublime; these poems are narrative sublimity in that they also capture, take us on the journey. and what is the journey? is it simply in narrative in nature, the going forth, coming back? perhaps. “anything is possible-they hatch til the stones whose common ancestor in the moon…they keep the dead company.” we carry his words up the hill. pile them in neat piles, then the phrases tumble down and find another configuration. Rafts is a poetry book which dares to be its own. “once you reach the emptiness it will still answer…”
Irene Koronas is the poetry editor of the Wilderness House Literary Review, and a member of the "Bagel Bards," a writers' group in the Boston area.
Lois Ames: Confidante to Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton.”
“Lois Ames: Confidante to Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton.”
Recently I was privileged to hear Lois Ames speak at the “Wilderness House
Literary Retreat,” in Littleton, Mass. Lois Ames is a poet, biographer and
psychotherapist. She was a confidante of the poet Anne Sexton, and has
published many essays on both Sexton and Sylvia Plath including: “A
Biographical Note,” in Plath’s “Bell Jar,” She also was the editor of “Anne
Sexton: A Self-Portrait in Letters.’ I talked with her on my Somerville
Community Access TV show “Poet to Poet: Writer to Writer.”
Doug Holder: Is it a natural fit for “confessional” poets like Sexton and
Plath to have a trained social worker , and a literary historian, as a
confidante?
Lois Ames: I don’t think it is usual. I don’t think that’s why I was their
friend or confidante. I knew Sylvia from high school and Smith College. Anne
I once met in high school, but I didn’t know her till much later. I was then
a trained social worker, but I don’t think that’s why we became friends.
Anne certainly asked me to go to McLean Hospital when she first started
teaching poetry there. She wanted someone trained to help her when she
reviewed the patient poems. She didn’t want to hurt these fragile patients’
feelings. She wanted me to monitor what she said. She turned out to be
superb.
Doug Holder: You wrote the biographical note for the “Bell Jar.” Did you
ever want to do a complete biography of Plath and Sexton?
Lois Ames: I did. The book “Anne Sexton: Self-Portrait in Letters.” was my
idea. It was done partly to get an understanding about what material was
there. She had appointed me her official biographer. But it was also to help
her children to understand aspects of their mother’s life they weren’t aware
of. I thought if I was there for them we could go through the letters, and
this would be very helpful.
I was the first one to be asked to do the biography of Sylvia Plath. I had
a contract with the family. Harper and Row was my publisher. It became
increasingly difficult for me to do this, as other biographers have found
out. And I finally decided for the sake of my own sanity and my family; that
it was better to pay back the advance to Harper’s. I always felt it was a
wise decision.
Doug Holder: Did Plath have any interest in teaching poetry at McLean
Hospital, like Sexton?
Lois Ames: Oh, no, I don’t think so. Sylvia was a junior in college when she
was at McLean. In those days she wasn’t trained to do anything like that.
She went to England after she graduated Smith. There was no reason for her
to even think of doing that. That was not Sylvia’s interest. Anne loved
teaching. Sylvia found teaching very difficult. She taught one year at Smith
College and felt that it drained her. I assume going to England with Ted
Hughes and leaving Smith, was a wonderful opportunity for her.
Doug Holder: Anne was not formally educated beyond high school. If say, she
was educated in the Liberal Arts at Harvard, would she be a different poet?
Lois Ames: She was very interested in form when she first started and she
studied it very diligently. When she was in Robert Lowell’s workshop she
studied it as well. She read a great deal. She tried to make up for the
great gaps in her education. Her teachers in public school gave up on her
very early. They told her parents that she was hopeless. She was sent to the
“Garland School,” a finishing school for girls at the time. She said she
learned to make perfect white sauce there, but that was it. But she was
writing poetry when she was there and it was published in a magazine the
school put out.
Doug Holder: Have you had any clients since Sexton and Plath who have
reached literary heights?
Lois Ames: I knew a lot of the people in the workshop Anne ran. I am sworn
to confidentiality however. But a lot of people, who came out of the
workshop, have been or are published poets. They do very well in the poetry
world.
Doug Holder: Is your own poetry influence by either poet?
Lois Ames: Anne certainly taught me a lot about reading. She taught me to
get as many critiques as possible. Have I ever tried to follow the style of
either of them? No. And no one has ever accused me of that.
Doug Holder: Do you think if Plath didn’t have this dramatic background of
suicide, Smith, and marriage toTed Hughes, etc...and was a working-stiff
from Waltham, would she be as celebrated as she is today?
Lois Ames: I am wondering where Plath will stand in a hundred years. Ted
Hughes was very good at marketing Plath. He kept her reputation growing by
the astute publication of her work. I think the fact that she and Ted Hughes
had a passionate romance, were from a tumultuous family, and the fact that
Sylvia killed herself, all lead to the mystique. It contributes to her
present fame. Some of Plath’s poems were superb and she knew a lot about
poetic form.
Doug Holder: Where will Sexton’s work stand in a hundred years?
Lois Ames: I think it will fare well. I think Sexton was more daring than
Plath. The problem is that people don’t read Sexton today. I don’t think she
is promoted. She hasn’t been marketed the way Plath is today.
Doug Holder: The poet Ted Hughes, Plath’s husband, has been much maligned.
Both Plath and his other wife committed suicide. It has been said he drove
Plath to suicide through his infidelity, etc... What’s your take?
Lois Ames: Ted had a lover during their marriage that he later had a child
with. This was the source of Sylvia’s rage. Later she killed herself the
same way Sylvia did. I felt extreme sympathy for Ted. There is nothing more
rage full to do to other people than to kill yourself. I don’t think other
people are responsible for other people’s suicides. With the medications we
have now maybe Sylvia and Ann could have been saved.
Doug Holder: Did the limitations on women coming of age in the 50’s play a
role in these untimely deaths?
Lois Ames: Each of us was a warrior trying to find herself. Every
achievement was huge. To get out from under the dishwashing, the daycare,
and to create anything took enormous courage, and strength. I am sure it
took its toll.
Doug Holder: Did Sexton and Plath’s mental illness contribute positively to
their poetry?
Lois Ames: Each wrote in spite of their illness. It took enormous courage to
do this.
Recently I was privileged to hear Lois Ames speak at the “Wilderness House
Literary Retreat,” in Littleton, Mass. Lois Ames is a poet, biographer and
psychotherapist. She was a confidante of the poet Anne Sexton, and has
published many essays on both Sexton and Sylvia Plath including: “A
Biographical Note,” in Plath’s “Bell Jar,” She also was the editor of “Anne
Sexton: A Self-Portrait in Letters.’ I talked with her on my Somerville
Community Access TV show “Poet to Poet: Writer to Writer.”
Doug Holder: Is it a natural fit for “confessional” poets like Sexton and
Plath to have a trained social worker , and a literary historian, as a
confidante?
Lois Ames: I don’t think it is usual. I don’t think that’s why I was their
friend or confidante. I knew Sylvia from high school and Smith College. Anne
I once met in high school, but I didn’t know her till much later. I was then
a trained social worker, but I don’t think that’s why we became friends.
Anne certainly asked me to go to McLean Hospital when she first started
teaching poetry there. She wanted someone trained to help her when she
reviewed the patient poems. She didn’t want to hurt these fragile patients’
feelings. She wanted me to monitor what she said. She turned out to be
superb.
Doug Holder: You wrote the biographical note for the “Bell Jar.” Did you
ever want to do a complete biography of Plath and Sexton?
Lois Ames: I did. The book “Anne Sexton: Self-Portrait in Letters.” was my
idea. It was done partly to get an understanding about what material was
there. She had appointed me her official biographer. But it was also to help
her children to understand aspects of their mother’s life they weren’t aware
of. I thought if I was there for them we could go through the letters, and
this would be very helpful.
I was the first one to be asked to do the biography of Sylvia Plath. I had
a contract with the family. Harper and Row was my publisher. It became
increasingly difficult for me to do this, as other biographers have found
out. And I finally decided for the sake of my own sanity and my family; that
it was better to pay back the advance to Harper’s. I always felt it was a
wise decision.
Doug Holder: Did Plath have any interest in teaching poetry at McLean
Hospital, like Sexton?
Lois Ames: Oh, no, I don’t think so. Sylvia was a junior in college when she
was at McLean. In those days she wasn’t trained to do anything like that.
She went to England after she graduated Smith. There was no reason for her
to even think of doing that. That was not Sylvia’s interest. Anne loved
teaching. Sylvia found teaching very difficult. She taught one year at Smith
College and felt that it drained her. I assume going to England with Ted
Hughes and leaving Smith, was a wonderful opportunity for her.
Doug Holder: Anne was not formally educated beyond high school. If say, she
was educated in the Liberal Arts at Harvard, would she be a different poet?
Lois Ames: She was very interested in form when she first started and she
studied it very diligently. When she was in Robert Lowell’s workshop she
studied it as well. She read a great deal. She tried to make up for the
great gaps in her education. Her teachers in public school gave up on her
very early. They told her parents that she was hopeless. She was sent to the
“Garland School,” a finishing school for girls at the time. She said she
learned to make perfect white sauce there, but that was it. But she was
writing poetry when she was there and it was published in a magazine the
school put out.
Doug Holder: Have you had any clients since Sexton and Plath who have
reached literary heights?
Lois Ames: I knew a lot of the people in the workshop Anne ran. I am sworn
to confidentiality however. But a lot of people, who came out of the
workshop, have been or are published poets. They do very well in the poetry
world.
Doug Holder: Is your own poetry influence by either poet?
Lois Ames: Anne certainly taught me a lot about reading. She taught me to
get as many critiques as possible. Have I ever tried to follow the style of
either of them? No. And no one has ever accused me of that.
Doug Holder: Do you think if Plath didn’t have this dramatic background of
suicide, Smith, and marriage toTed Hughes, etc...and was a working-stiff
from Waltham, would she be as celebrated as she is today?
Lois Ames: I am wondering where Plath will stand in a hundred years. Ted
Hughes was very good at marketing Plath. He kept her reputation growing by
the astute publication of her work. I think the fact that she and Ted Hughes
had a passionate romance, were from a tumultuous family, and the fact that
Sylvia killed herself, all lead to the mystique. It contributes to her
present fame. Some of Plath’s poems were superb and she knew a lot about
poetic form.
Doug Holder: Where will Sexton’s work stand in a hundred years?
Lois Ames: I think it will fare well. I think Sexton was more daring than
Plath. The problem is that people don’t read Sexton today. I don’t think she
is promoted. She hasn’t been marketed the way Plath is today.
Doug Holder: The poet Ted Hughes, Plath’s husband, has been much maligned.
Both Plath and his other wife committed suicide. It has been said he drove
Plath to suicide through his infidelity, etc... What’s your take?
Lois Ames: Ted had a lover during their marriage that he later had a child
with. This was the source of Sylvia’s rage. Later she killed herself the
same way Sylvia did. I felt extreme sympathy for Ted. There is nothing more
rage full to do to other people than to kill yourself. I don’t think other
people are responsible for other people’s suicides. With the medications we
have now maybe Sylvia and Ann could have been saved.
Doug Holder: Did the limitations on women coming of age in the 50’s play a
role in these untimely deaths?
Lois Ames: Each of us was a warrior trying to find herself. Every
achievement was huge. To get out from under the dishwashing, the daycare,
and to create anything took enormous courage, and strength. I am sure it
took its toll.
Doug Holder: Did Sexton and Plath’s mental illness contribute positively to
their poetry?
Lois Ames: Each wrote in spite of their illness. It took enormous courage to
do this.
Close those goddamn doors: An Afternoon With Louisa Solano
" Close those goddamn doors!: An Afternoon with Louisa Solano: Memories of the Grolier Poetry Book Shop"At the Wilderness House Literary Retreat http://www.wildernesshouse.org
By Doug Holder
On Aug 6 2006 at the Wilderness House Literary Retreat Louisa Solano, former owner of the Grolier Poetry Book Shop held court for a few hours of casual conversation concerning her experiences running the famed Harvard Square bookshop for over 30 years. It seems that almost every major contemporary poet passed through these doors at one time. Here is a sampler of what Solano had to say about the times and poets she knew:
Gordon Cairnie: (the founder of the store)
“These goddamn browsers, close those goddamn, doors!” This was a declaration often heard by Solano. Cairnie was “quirky,” and did have a temper according to Solano. Solano said, “After I bought the store I had a whole line of people who told me that Gordon ruined them emotionally. It was the way he talked to them.” Cairnie in part was reacting to the browsers who never bought a book, and the ones who shoplifted. Obviously keeping people out of the store was not good business sense. But Solano felt there was a prevailing attitude at the time that poets were abused by society, so poetry and commerce were viewed as totally separate entities. After he died Solano recalled that many folks thought it was a “sin” that she took over the store.
Solano on shoplifting:
“According to a study 98% of people steal. People steal because it is an adventure, a high. It’s like shooting up; you have to do more and more. You become an expert on justification.” Solano said that studies indicate that shoplifting is highest among people in religious orders. She recalled that a monk with a flowing robe ripped her off. She said, “His robe was a little less flowing when he went out."
Solano on Harvard Square:
"Whatever part of the country people come from, the suburbs or little working communities, they come to the square and reality diminishes. She continued:"People are walking in a state of grandeur. I remember being accompanied down the street by someone who said he was going to kill me because I was a Harvard capitalist!”
Solano on Robert Lowell:
“I met him twice. I thought he was homeless. He was carrying two bags full of newspapers, and he was disheveled. The first time he said to me: “Young lady. I want you to know that Gordon talked too much, and you should never do that.” He walked out of the store. A week later he came and said, “Young lady. You are not following Gordon. You don’t talk to customers.” I found out later that this was Robert Lowell.”
Solano’s favorite poet:
“Philip Levine. He has always been my favorite. I think his approach to poetry is wide open. He loved an audience. He was a great standup comic. I loved the love he had for the Jewish community. I really love him.”
Solano on the small press:
“I always thought the small press was the most interesting part of poetry. When I took over the store there was a big small press movement going on. This was the 70’s. Some magazines were printed on colored tissue papers, different sizes, etc… Most of the bigger presses were publishing Lowell, Sexton and Plath. They were not particularly democratic. Diana Di Prima was first published by a small press and then started her own, and it is still going strong. She has done translations, and poetry publishing.The University of Texas/Austin was wild about the small press. They probably now (besides the University of Buffalo) have the best small press collection.’“Black Sparrow Press’ started out selling books with three or four poems for a dollar. Most of the bookstores today would not accept these.”Even if you were published just in the small press; the fact was you were in a book on a public shelf. Then if things went well you would do another small press book. If things continued to go well, you would get known.
Solano on Charles Bukowski:
"He sent his poems out virtually everyday to every small press magazine out there. This totally demolished the myth of him as a disorganized drunk. He wouldn’t be able to do this if he was."
Solano on Ed Hogan founder of “Aspect” magazine and “Zephyr Press”:
“Ed was brilliant. He had a lot of energy. He talked endlessly and rapidly. He got a great group of local poets together, and got the magazine out.”
Solano on Allen Ginsberg.
“I loved Allen. When he died I thought the world would cave in. He visited the store when he was quite ill. He looked yellowish and diminished. I was shocked. I thought of him as immortal. He brought poetry in the open from a very closed 1950’s America."
On Jack Kerouac:
“When I first met him he was sitting down at Lowell House. (Harvard University.) He was wearing a checkered shirt, and sloppy chinos, partly because he was so fat. The audience loved him because he was what they expected. He was the crazy writer. At the end of the reading, Desmond O’Grady, a wild Irish poet (I was madly in love with him), and I escorted him to a bar in Cambridge. There was a young woman who announced to Kerouac and all the guys around him that she wanted a “multiple lay.” Kerouac didn’t do anything and just waddled off to the bar. We got him back to where he was staying and he passed out. The next day we met him at the Oxford Grill on Church St. in Harvard Square. The news came out that Plath committed suicide. Desmond threw his arms around Jack and very dramatically said “We are the only ones left.” Jack said,” Stay away from me.” He was homophobic. The last we saw of him he was walking down Church St. with two Harvard undergraduates looking for the perfect “Gold,” --
marijuana. "
*The Ibbetson Street Press has released the book "Louisa Solano: The Grolier Poetry Book Shop"by Doug Holder and Steve Glines which can be purchased from Ibbetson Street Press 25 School St. Somerville, Mass. 02143 $10 or through http://lulu.com
By Doug Holder
On Aug 6 2006 at the Wilderness House Literary Retreat Louisa Solano, former owner of the Grolier Poetry Book Shop held court for a few hours of casual conversation concerning her experiences running the famed Harvard Square bookshop for over 30 years. It seems that almost every major contemporary poet passed through these doors at one time. Here is a sampler of what Solano had to say about the times and poets she knew:
Gordon Cairnie: (the founder of the store)
“These goddamn browsers, close those goddamn, doors!” This was a declaration often heard by Solano. Cairnie was “quirky,” and did have a temper according to Solano. Solano said, “After I bought the store I had a whole line of people who told me that Gordon ruined them emotionally. It was the way he talked to them.” Cairnie in part was reacting to the browsers who never bought a book, and the ones who shoplifted. Obviously keeping people out of the store was not good business sense. But Solano felt there was a prevailing attitude at the time that poets were abused by society, so poetry and commerce were viewed as totally separate entities. After he died Solano recalled that many folks thought it was a “sin” that she took over the store.
Solano on shoplifting:
“According to a study 98% of people steal. People steal because it is an adventure, a high. It’s like shooting up; you have to do more and more. You become an expert on justification.” Solano said that studies indicate that shoplifting is highest among people in religious orders. She recalled that a monk with a flowing robe ripped her off. She said, “His robe was a little less flowing when he went out."
Solano on Harvard Square:
"Whatever part of the country people come from, the suburbs or little working communities, they come to the square and reality diminishes. She continued:"People are walking in a state of grandeur. I remember being accompanied down the street by someone who said he was going to kill me because I was a Harvard capitalist!”
Solano on Robert Lowell:
“I met him twice. I thought he was homeless. He was carrying two bags full of newspapers, and he was disheveled. The first time he said to me: “Young lady. I want you to know that Gordon talked too much, and you should never do that.” He walked out of the store. A week later he came and said, “Young lady. You are not following Gordon. You don’t talk to customers.” I found out later that this was Robert Lowell.”
Solano’s favorite poet:
“Philip Levine. He has always been my favorite. I think his approach to poetry is wide open. He loved an audience. He was a great standup comic. I loved the love he had for the Jewish community. I really love him.”
Solano on the small press:
“I always thought the small press was the most interesting part of poetry. When I took over the store there was a big small press movement going on. This was the 70’s. Some magazines were printed on colored tissue papers, different sizes, etc… Most of the bigger presses were publishing Lowell, Sexton and Plath. They were not particularly democratic. Diana Di Prima was first published by a small press and then started her own, and it is still going strong. She has done translations, and poetry publishing.The University of Texas/Austin was wild about the small press. They probably now (besides the University of Buffalo) have the best small press collection.’“Black Sparrow Press’ started out selling books with three or four poems for a dollar. Most of the bookstores today would not accept these.”Even if you were published just in the small press; the fact was you were in a book on a public shelf. Then if things went well you would do another small press book. If things continued to go well, you would get known.
Solano on Charles Bukowski:
"He sent his poems out virtually everyday to every small press magazine out there. This totally demolished the myth of him as a disorganized drunk. He wouldn’t be able to do this if he was."
Solano on Ed Hogan founder of “Aspect” magazine and “Zephyr Press”:
“Ed was brilliant. He had a lot of energy. He talked endlessly and rapidly. He got a great group of local poets together, and got the magazine out.”
Solano on Allen Ginsberg.
“I loved Allen. When he died I thought the world would cave in. He visited the store when he was quite ill. He looked yellowish and diminished. I was shocked. I thought of him as immortal. He brought poetry in the open from a very closed 1950’s America."
On Jack Kerouac:
“When I first met him he was sitting down at Lowell House. (Harvard University.) He was wearing a checkered shirt, and sloppy chinos, partly because he was so fat. The audience loved him because he was what they expected. He was the crazy writer. At the end of the reading, Desmond O’Grady, a wild Irish poet (I was madly in love with him), and I escorted him to a bar in Cambridge. There was a young woman who announced to Kerouac and all the guys around him that she wanted a “multiple lay.” Kerouac didn’t do anything and just waddled off to the bar. We got him back to where he was staying and he passed out. The next day we met him at the Oxford Grill on Church St. in Harvard Square. The news came out that Plath committed suicide. Desmond threw his arms around Jack and very dramatically said “We are the only ones left.” Jack said,” Stay away from me.” He was homophobic. The last we saw of him he was walking down Church St. with two Harvard undergraduates looking for the perfect “Gold,” --
marijuana. "
*The Ibbetson Street Press has released the book "Louisa Solano: The Grolier Poetry Book Shop"by Doug Holder and Steve Glines which can be purchased from Ibbetson Street Press 25 School St. Somerville, Mass. 02143 $10 or through http://lulu.com
Jim Kates and the Zephyr Press
Jim Kates and the Zephyr Press
Probably the most significant of small presses birthed in Somerville, Mass. is the “Zephyr Press,” (now based in Brookline, Mass.) that was founded by the late Somerville publisher Ed Hogan. Hogan, started the much-heralded “Aspect,” magazine in the 1970’s. In 1980 he and a group of his editors formed “Zephyr,” and for seven years the press published a small but significant list of poetry, fiction and non-fiction. In 1990, Zephyr published its hallmark collection of Russian poetry: “The Complete Poems of Anna Akhmatova” translated by Judith Hemschemeyer. After this collection of work by this groundbreaking early 20th Century maverick female writer, other titles from Russia followed, as well as the first anthology of Ukrainian writing in English, “From Three Worlds.” With the untimely death of Hogan, Kates, an old friend of Hogan’s, assumed responsibility for the press and relaunched it in 2000. Since then Zephyr has published numerous books of translations, including the work of Nobel-nominated Chinese poet Bei Dao. Zephyr also has an imprint, “Adventures in Poetry,” that publishes fiction and poetry, and they cooperatively publish a British-based journal “Modern Poetry in Translation.
To interview publisher Jim Kates is no problem because he is an affable man, who seems to have an endless supply of information about the “Zephyr Press,” and the literary world at-large. Kates describes “Zephyr,” as an “alternative” press, an alternative to the commercial presses, who Kates feels has all but abandoned serious literature. Kates realizes that running a “small” independent press is usually a money-losing and often all consuming undertaking. He doesn’t make a living running Zephyr, and the press lives “hand to mouth,” from grants, be it state, federal or private. Zephyr only has one paid employee on staff, and now its office is based in Brookline, Mass.; although it makes no secret of its Somerville roots. The late Ed Hogan, the Somerville publisher was according to Kates “...a child of Somerville, and Somerville was an essential part of his vision.” Unfortunately when Hogan died in a freak canoe accident Zephyr was forced to move to Brookline.
Asked to remember what the Somerville literary scene in the 1970’s was like, Kates’ memory was somewhat cloudy. However he did mention his memory of the “100 Flower Bookstore,” and Hogan’s wife June Gross’ lit mag. “Dark Horse.” Somerville in the 70’s and 80’s was not like the gentrified city it is today, Kates said. He remembers one poet who got a Cambridge PO BOX, so it wouldn’t be known that she lived in Somerville. “It just looked better to be in Cambridge,” Kates said.
Since Zephyr published the Akhmatova anthology many subsequent books on the great poet have hit the market. This anthology according to Kates, “opened up the gates,” for the others. Later, June Gross, inspired Kates to publish an anthology of contemporary Russian poets, and more recently Zephyr published the acclaimed Chinese poet Bei Dao. Dao, was a member of the dissident “Misty” poets group in China and has been a champion of Chinese writers. Dao often sends promising Chinese writers ‘Zephyr’s” way. Zephyr published a collection of Dao’s essays concerning his dislocation from his motherland: “Blue House.”
Surprisingly, American readers are buying Chinese poetry. Another popular title of the press is: “Iraqi Poetry Today,” that gives Americans a much needed window into Iraqi culture.
Kates and I could have talked much longer. He had a plethora stories about the fiction titles the press has released, and the translation group he is part of. Kates’ enthusiasm is contagious, and after speaking with him I found myself brainstorming for my own small press. Kates brings me back to my belief that a man or a woman who has a true passion for something, is a very lucky person indeed.
Probably the most significant of small presses birthed in Somerville, Mass. is the “Zephyr Press,” (now based in Brookline, Mass.) that was founded by the late Somerville publisher Ed Hogan. Hogan, started the much-heralded “Aspect,” magazine in the 1970’s. In 1980 he and a group of his editors formed “Zephyr,” and for seven years the press published a small but significant list of poetry, fiction and non-fiction. In 1990, Zephyr published its hallmark collection of Russian poetry: “The Complete Poems of Anna Akhmatova” translated by Judith Hemschemeyer. After this collection of work by this groundbreaking early 20th Century maverick female writer, other titles from Russia followed, as well as the first anthology of Ukrainian writing in English, “From Three Worlds.” With the untimely death of Hogan, Kates, an old friend of Hogan’s, assumed responsibility for the press and relaunched it in 2000. Since then Zephyr has published numerous books of translations, including the work of Nobel-nominated Chinese poet Bei Dao. Zephyr also has an imprint, “Adventures in Poetry,” that publishes fiction and poetry, and they cooperatively publish a British-based journal “Modern Poetry in Translation.
To interview publisher Jim Kates is no problem because he is an affable man, who seems to have an endless supply of information about the “Zephyr Press,” and the literary world at-large. Kates describes “Zephyr,” as an “alternative” press, an alternative to the commercial presses, who Kates feels has all but abandoned serious literature. Kates realizes that running a “small” independent press is usually a money-losing and often all consuming undertaking. He doesn’t make a living running Zephyr, and the press lives “hand to mouth,” from grants, be it state, federal or private. Zephyr only has one paid employee on staff, and now its office is based in Brookline, Mass.; although it makes no secret of its Somerville roots. The late Ed Hogan, the Somerville publisher was according to Kates “...a child of Somerville, and Somerville was an essential part of his vision.” Unfortunately when Hogan died in a freak canoe accident Zephyr was forced to move to Brookline.
Asked to remember what the Somerville literary scene in the 1970’s was like, Kates’ memory was somewhat cloudy. However he did mention his memory of the “100 Flower Bookstore,” and Hogan’s wife June Gross’ lit mag. “Dark Horse.” Somerville in the 70’s and 80’s was not like the gentrified city it is today, Kates said. He remembers one poet who got a Cambridge PO BOX, so it wouldn’t be known that she lived in Somerville. “It just looked better to be in Cambridge,” Kates said.
Since Zephyr published the Akhmatova anthology many subsequent books on the great poet have hit the market. This anthology according to Kates, “opened up the gates,” for the others. Later, June Gross, inspired Kates to publish an anthology of contemporary Russian poets, and more recently Zephyr published the acclaimed Chinese poet Bei Dao. Dao, was a member of the dissident “Misty” poets group in China and has been a champion of Chinese writers. Dao often sends promising Chinese writers ‘Zephyr’s” way. Zephyr published a collection of Dao’s essays concerning his dislocation from his motherland: “Blue House.”
Surprisingly, American readers are buying Chinese poetry. Another popular title of the press is: “Iraqi Poetry Today,” that gives Americans a much needed window into Iraqi culture.
Kates and I could have talked much longer. He had a plethora stories about the fiction titles the press has released, and the translation group he is part of. Kates’ enthusiasm is contagious, and after speaking with him I found myself brainstorming for my own small press. Kates brings me back to my belief that a man or a woman who has a true passion for something, is a very lucky person indeed.
Steve Almond: Funny in any language: Interview with Eleanor Goodman
Almond: Funny in any language
By Eleanor Goodman
Steve Almond’s book of essays, “Not That You Asked” has just been published by Random House to widespread praise. He is the author of two collections of short stories, a candy-centered memoir, and a novel written in collaboration with Julia Baggott. He also teaches at Grub Street and is the proud father of a baby girl. He will be one of the featured readers at the Somerville News Writers Festival on Nov. 11.
Q: I found your newest book, (Not That You Asked) shelved next to Woody Allen’s latest in the bookstore. Is this a good thing?
SA: Yeah, I guess. I’m happy to be in the company of the man who made “Annie Hall.” And we’re both self-doubting Jews with wives who are way too good looking for us.
Q: In your book, you quote Kurt Vonnegut as saying, “I think the world is ending. Our own intelligence tells us we’re perfectly awful animals.” Do you agree with his assessment of humanity?
SA: I agree that human beings can, and do, behave in a perfectly awful manner. Here in America, for instance, we have far more food and energy than we really need, and yet we do very little to help those who don’t have enough. There’s no way to argue that that isn’t cruel. But I remain hopeful that we can behave more decently. Vonnegut himself was an incredibly hopeful, even idealistic, guy. That’s why he was so
Q: “Not That You Asked” involves some embarrassing moments in your life. Do you worry about exposing yourself too much in your writing?
SA: The path to the truth runs through shame. That’s just how it works. Over the years, I’ve come to find it unburdening to admit what an idiot I’ve been. Because everyone feels like that, at times, on the inside. I’m just saying it out loud.
Q: You have published both fiction and non-fiction. Do you find one better suited to humor than the other?
SA: No. You can be funny in any genre or language. It’s a matter, most often, of forgiving yourself for what a big, fat jerk you, or your characters, have been. It’s a way of telling the truth that doesn’t sting quite so much.
Q: Your work is funny in part because you deal with serious topics – politics, the deadening of our culture, fatherhood. Are there any topics you think have no potential for humor?
SA: Well, I mean, genocide, rape, extreme cruelty — those are not topics that you want to make light of. But the point of comedy isn’t to gloss over tragedy, but sometimes to get us to admit to our own unbearable feelings or fears. That’s why so many great comics, from Richard Pryor to Lenny Bruce, grappled with serious issues.
Q: You write beautifully about the terror of becoming a father. Do you still worry about inadvertently killing your daughter Josephine?
SA: Yes, I don’t think that fear ever goes away. It’s a function of responsibility and love crashing into one another. That said, I’m down to about one potential killing a day.
Q: How has baby Josephine affected your work?
SA: Well, I get less time to write. But who cares? She totally rocks. I’d rather hang out with her than write most of the time, anyway.
Q: You will be appearing at the fifth annual Somerville News Writer’s Festival on Nov. 11 along with Tom Perrotta, Robert Pinsky, and other luminaries. Have you ever been intimidated by someone you’ve shared the stage with?
SA: Maybe a little. But mostly I’m happy to be able to hear folks like Tom Perrotta or Tim Gager read. It’s just a joy to be there.
By Eleanor Goodman
Steve Almond’s book of essays, “Not That You Asked” has just been published by Random House to widespread praise. He is the author of two collections of short stories, a candy-centered memoir, and a novel written in collaboration with Julia Baggott. He also teaches at Grub Street and is the proud father of a baby girl. He will be one of the featured readers at the Somerville News Writers Festival on Nov. 11.
Q: I found your newest book, (Not That You Asked) shelved next to Woody Allen’s latest in the bookstore. Is this a good thing?
SA: Yeah, I guess. I’m happy to be in the company of the man who made “Annie Hall.” And we’re both self-doubting Jews with wives who are way too good looking for us.
Q: In your book, you quote Kurt Vonnegut as saying, “I think the world is ending. Our own intelligence tells us we’re perfectly awful animals.” Do you agree with his assessment of humanity?
SA: I agree that human beings can, and do, behave in a perfectly awful manner. Here in America, for instance, we have far more food and energy than we really need, and yet we do very little to help those who don’t have enough. There’s no way to argue that that isn’t cruel. But I remain hopeful that we can behave more decently. Vonnegut himself was an incredibly hopeful, even idealistic, guy. That’s why he was so
Q: “Not That You Asked” involves some embarrassing moments in your life. Do you worry about exposing yourself too much in your writing?
SA: The path to the truth runs through shame. That’s just how it works. Over the years, I’ve come to find it unburdening to admit what an idiot I’ve been. Because everyone feels like that, at times, on the inside. I’m just saying it out loud.
Q: You have published both fiction and non-fiction. Do you find one better suited to humor than the other?
SA: No. You can be funny in any genre or language. It’s a matter, most often, of forgiving yourself for what a big, fat jerk you, or your characters, have been. It’s a way of telling the truth that doesn’t sting quite so much.
Q: Your work is funny in part because you deal with serious topics – politics, the deadening of our culture, fatherhood. Are there any topics you think have no potential for humor?
SA: Well, I mean, genocide, rape, extreme cruelty — those are not topics that you want to make light of. But the point of comedy isn’t to gloss over tragedy, but sometimes to get us to admit to our own unbearable feelings or fears. That’s why so many great comics, from Richard Pryor to Lenny Bruce, grappled with serious issues.
Q: You write beautifully about the terror of becoming a father. Do you still worry about inadvertently killing your daughter Josephine?
SA: Yes, I don’t think that fear ever goes away. It’s a function of responsibility and love crashing into one another. That said, I’m down to about one potential killing a day.
Q: How has baby Josephine affected your work?
SA: Well, I get less time to write. But who cares? She totally rocks. I’d rather hang out with her than write most of the time, anyway.
Q: You will be appearing at the fifth annual Somerville News Writer’s Festival on Nov. 11 along with Tom Perrotta, Robert Pinsky, and other luminaries. Have you ever been intimidated by someone you’ve shared the stage with?
SA: Maybe a little. But mostly I’m happy to be able to hear folks like Tom Perrotta or Tim Gager read. It’s just a joy to be there.
POET MARTHA COLLINS PUTS UP A “BLUE FRONT”
POET MARTHA COLLINS PUTS UP A “BLUE FRONT”
Interview with Doug Holder
Martha Collins, the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection “Blue Front” ( Graywolf, 2006) walks into a room and exudes energy, intelligence and warmth. Collins who established the Creative Writing Program at U/Mass Boston, and currently holds the Pauline Delaney Chair in Creative Writing at Oberlin College, seems to have abounding enthusiasm for her work and an infectious curiosity about the world-at-large. Born in Omaha Nebraska in 1940, she earned a B.A. at Stanford University and holds a PhD from the University of Iowa. Collins is the author of five books of poetry, a chapbook “Gone So Far,” and two co-translated poetry collections from the Vietnamese. Her honors include fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts, the Ingram Merrill Foundation and others.
In her most recent collection “Blue Front,” Collins dissects a lynching her father experienced when he was a child in Cairo, Illinois. I spoke with Collins on my Somerville Community Access TV Show “ Poet to Poet: Writer to Writer.”
Doug Holder: The poet Richard Wollman told me he lives the “poetic life.” What would that be for you- and do you live it?
Martha Collins: I do. I write it. I’m not sure what it is. I think being a poet shapes the way you look at the world. I don’t write all the time. I don’t worry about it. There are periods when what I am doing is figuring out what I am going to do next.
It is work. It is natural work. It is work that engages me on every level. Both on the intellectual and emotional level.
So I don’t really know what the “poetic life” is. I am a poet, and my life gets filtered through that fact in ways I don’t even know.
DH: In your most recent poetry collection “ Blue Front” you dissect a horrible lynching that occurred in your father’s hometown of Cairo, Illinois. How much in detail did you father go into about this event?
MC: He didn’t say much at all. And when I was much younger I wasn’t asking a lot of questions. Once when I was a child we were driving through Cairo and my father told me that he saw someone hanged there. I had an image of a grizzly, public execution. Later I saw an exhibit of lynching postcards in New York City in 2001. The images were shocking. (This collection is now available online.) There were messages on the back of these cards. People kept them as souvenirs. I came across a series of postcards about the Cairo lynching. And for the first time I realized that this “hanging” that my father saw was a public lynching. By-the-time I came to this awareness my father had passed away—so I couldn’t ask him of course.
The point-of-view in this book is one of wonder. I did a tremendous amount of research, and used the Illinois State Archives extensively.
I visited Cairo several times.
DH: Is there a Southern sensibility down there?
MC. It is very Southern. Cairo is at the very tip of the state, where the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers come together. On one side of one river is Kentucky and the other side Missouri.
DH: How were you received down there when you were doing your research?
MC: People down there were terrific. The librarian was extremely helpful. I got into the vault and was able to look at the city directories. I talked to the city treasurer down there who was involved in the short and unsuccessful civil rights movement in Cairo from 1967 to 1973.
DH: Were you a Civil Rights activist?
MC: I was not much of an activist. I wasn’t unconcerned but I wasn’t an activist. I really became an activist during the Vietnam War.
DH: In the poem “Hung” from “Blue Front” you use stripped down language, short staccato bursts of language with great effect:
“ as a mirror on a wall, or the fall of a dress. A dress, a shirt on a line, to fasten to dry… with rope, like a swing, from a tree… from a pole, like a flag,… in the night, in the air, like a shirt, without, or without, or without only a shirt, without, like an empty sleeve.”
Was this approach used to convey the shock of the event?
MC: People asked about the style. I wrote it as I was finding out things. I didn’t know a lot when I started writing. I could not leave the subject alone. I was in Santa Fe on a residency, and I started playing around on the internet. I typed in “lynching,” etc.. The point of view of the book is “wondering.” What happened? I kept approaching it from different angels.
I obsessed about several aspects of the lynching. I just took a word: hang, shoot, burn, and sort of played with the various meanings of the words. It is a way of trying to get into the subject matter.
DH: You are known for your translations of Vietnamese poetry. How did you become involved with the language?
MC: Through a specific poet. This began at the William Joiner Center at U/Mass Boston. The center started as a veterans group in the late 80s’. Later they opened the workshop. From the very beginning they brought Vietnamese to the workshops. One of the amazing things was to see veterans from both sides reading together. I met Nguyen Tang Shih there and wound up translating him.
DH: Did you actually learn the language?
MC: I did. Kevin Bowen ( the director of William Joiner) called me up and said there is a course at Harvard and did I want to take it? I said sure. I took Vietnamese for most of a year.
DH: You are an editor of a literary magazine—right?
MC: I am the editor of Field magazine. It is published at Oberlin College in Ohio.
DH: You started the creative writing program at U/Mass Boston. Can you tell me about this?
MC: I started it in 1979. There were creative writing courses before. What I did was to give it structure.
DH: Dana Goodyear wrote in the New York Times Book Review of your book “Blue Front” that in least in regard to your syntax you are a language poet.
MC: I never considered myself in any school. There is an experimental quality in my poetry.
---Doug Holder
Martha Collins, the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection “Blue Front” ( Graywolf, 2006) walks into a room and exudes energy, intelligence and warmth. Collins who established the Creative Writing Program at U/Mass Boston, and currently holds the Pauline Delaney Chair in Creative Writing at Oberlin College, seems to have abounding enthusiasm for her work and an infectious curiosity about the world-at-large. Born in Omaha Nebraska in 1940, she earned a B.A. at Stanford University and holds a PhD from the University of Iowa. Collins is the author of five books of poetry, a chapbook “Gone So Far,” and two co-translated poetry collections from the Vietnamese. Her honors include fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts, the Ingram Merrill Foundation and others.
In her most recent collection “Blue Front,” Collins dissects a lynching her father experienced when he was a child in Cairo, Illinois. I spoke with Collins on my Somerville Community Access TV Show “ Poet to Poet: Writer to Writer.”
Doug Holder: The poet Richard Wollman told me he lives the “poetic life.” What would that be for you- and do you live it?
Martha Collins: I do. I write it. I’m not sure what it is. I think being a poet shapes the way you look at the world. I don’t write all the time. I don’t worry about it. There are periods when what I am doing is figuring out what I am going to do next.
It is work. It is natural work. It is work that engages me on every level. Both on the intellectual and emotional level.
So I don’t really know what the “poetic life” is. I am a poet, and my life gets filtered through that fact in ways I don’t even know.
DH: In your most recent poetry collection “ Blue Front” you dissect a horrible lynching that occurred in your father’s hometown of Cairo, Illinois. How much in detail did you father go into about this event?
MC: He didn’t say much at all. And when I was much younger I wasn’t asking a lot of questions. Once when I was a child we were driving through Cairo and my father told me that he saw someone hanged there. I had an image of a grizzly, public execution. Later I saw an exhibit of lynching postcards in New York City in 2001. The images were shocking. (This collection is now available online.) There were messages on the back of these cards. People kept them as souvenirs. I came across a series of postcards about the Cairo lynching. And for the first time I realized that this “hanging” that my father saw was a public lynching. By-the-time I came to this awareness my father had passed away—so I couldn’t ask him of course.
The point-of-view in this book is one of wonder. I did a tremendous amount of research, and used the Illinois State Archives extensively.
I visited Cairo several times.
DH: Is there a Southern sensibility down there?
MC. It is very Southern. Cairo is at the very tip of the state, where the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers come together. On one side of one river is Kentucky and the other side Missouri.
DH: How were you received down there when you were doing your research?
MC: People down there were terrific. The librarian was extremely helpful. I got into the vault and was able to look at the city directories. I talked to the city treasurer down there who was involved in the short and unsuccessful civil rights movement in Cairo from 1957 to 1963.
DH: Were you a Civil Rights activist?
MC: I was not much of an activist. I wasn’t unconcerned but I wasn’t an activist. I really became an activist during the Vietnam War.
DH: In the poem “Hung” from “Blue Front” you use stripped down language, short staccato bursts of language with great effect:
“ as a mirror on a wall, or the fall of a dress. A dress, a shirt on a line, to fasten to dry… with rope, like a swing, from a tree… from a pole, like a flag,… in the night, in the air, like a shirt, without, or without, or without only a shirt, without, like an empty sleeve.”
Was this approach used to convey the shock of the event?
MC: People asked about the style. I wrote it as I was finding out things. I didn’t know a lot when I started writing. I could not leave the subject alone. I was in Santa Fe on a residency, and I started playing around on the internet. I typed in “lynching,” etc.. The point of view of the book is “wondering.” What happened? I kept approaching it from different angels.
I obsessed about several aspects of the lynching. I just took a word: hang, shoot, burn, and sort of played with the various meanings of the words. It is a way of trying to get into the subject matter.
DH: You are known for your translations of Vietnamese poetry. How did you become involved with the language?
MC: Through a specific poet. This began at the William Joiner Center at U/Mass Boston. The center started as a veterans group in the late 80s’. Later they opened the workshop. From the very beginning they brought Vietnamese to the workshops. One of the amazing things was to see veterans from both sides reading together. I met Nguyen Tang Shih there and wound up translating him.
DH: Did you actually learn the language?
MC: I did. Kevin Bowen ( the director of William Joiner) called me up and said there is a course at Harvard and did I want to take it? I said sure. I took Vietnamese for most of a year.
DH: You are an editor of a literary magazine—right?
MC: I am the editor of Field magazine. It is published at Oberlin College in Ohio.
DH: You started the creative writing program at U/Mass Boston. Can you tell me about this?
MC: I started it in 1979. There were creative writing courses before. What I did was to give it structure.
DH: Dana Goodyear wrote in the New York Times Book Review of your book “Blue Front” that in least in regard to your syntax you are a language poet.
MC: I never considered myself in any school. There is an experimental quality in my poetry.
Interview with Doug Holder
Martha Collins, the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection “Blue Front” ( Graywolf, 2006) walks into a room and exudes energy, intelligence and warmth. Collins who established the Creative Writing Program at U/Mass Boston, and currently holds the Pauline Delaney Chair in Creative Writing at Oberlin College, seems to have abounding enthusiasm for her work and an infectious curiosity about the world-at-large. Born in Omaha Nebraska in 1940, she earned a B.A. at Stanford University and holds a PhD from the University of Iowa. Collins is the author of five books of poetry, a chapbook “Gone So Far,” and two co-translated poetry collections from the Vietnamese. Her honors include fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts, the Ingram Merrill Foundation and others.
In her most recent collection “Blue Front,” Collins dissects a lynching her father experienced when he was a child in Cairo, Illinois. I spoke with Collins on my Somerville Community Access TV Show “ Poet to Poet: Writer to Writer.”
Doug Holder: The poet Richard Wollman told me he lives the “poetic life.” What would that be for you- and do you live it?
Martha Collins: I do. I write it. I’m not sure what it is. I think being a poet shapes the way you look at the world. I don’t write all the time. I don’t worry about it. There are periods when what I am doing is figuring out what I am going to do next.
It is work. It is natural work. It is work that engages me on every level. Both on the intellectual and emotional level.
So I don’t really know what the “poetic life” is. I am a poet, and my life gets filtered through that fact in ways I don’t even know.
DH: In your most recent poetry collection “ Blue Front” you dissect a horrible lynching that occurred in your father’s hometown of Cairo, Illinois. How much in detail did you father go into about this event?
MC: He didn’t say much at all. And when I was much younger I wasn’t asking a lot of questions. Once when I was a child we were driving through Cairo and my father told me that he saw someone hanged there. I had an image of a grizzly, public execution. Later I saw an exhibit of lynching postcards in New York City in 2001. The images were shocking. (This collection is now available online.) There were messages on the back of these cards. People kept them as souvenirs. I came across a series of postcards about the Cairo lynching. And for the first time I realized that this “hanging” that my father saw was a public lynching. By-the-time I came to this awareness my father had passed away—so I couldn’t ask him of course.
The point-of-view in this book is one of wonder. I did a tremendous amount of research, and used the Illinois State Archives extensively.
I visited Cairo several times.
DH: Is there a Southern sensibility down there?
MC. It is very Southern. Cairo is at the very tip of the state, where the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers come together. On one side of one river is Kentucky and the other side Missouri.
DH: How were you received down there when you were doing your research?
MC: People down there were terrific. The librarian was extremely helpful. I got into the vault and was able to look at the city directories. I talked to the city treasurer down there who was involved in the short and unsuccessful civil rights movement in Cairo from 1967 to 1973.
DH: Were you a Civil Rights activist?
MC: I was not much of an activist. I wasn’t unconcerned but I wasn’t an activist. I really became an activist during the Vietnam War.
DH: In the poem “Hung” from “Blue Front” you use stripped down language, short staccato bursts of language with great effect:
“ as a mirror on a wall, or the fall of a dress. A dress, a shirt on a line, to fasten to dry… with rope, like a swing, from a tree… from a pole, like a flag,… in the night, in the air, like a shirt, without, or without, or without only a shirt, without, like an empty sleeve.”
Was this approach used to convey the shock of the event?
MC: People asked about the style. I wrote it as I was finding out things. I didn’t know a lot when I started writing. I could not leave the subject alone. I was in Santa Fe on a residency, and I started playing around on the internet. I typed in “lynching,” etc.. The point of view of the book is “wondering.” What happened? I kept approaching it from different angels.
I obsessed about several aspects of the lynching. I just took a word: hang, shoot, burn, and sort of played with the various meanings of the words. It is a way of trying to get into the subject matter.
DH: You are known for your translations of Vietnamese poetry. How did you become involved with the language?
MC: Through a specific poet. This began at the William Joiner Center at U/Mass Boston. The center started as a veterans group in the late 80s’. Later they opened the workshop. From the very beginning they brought Vietnamese to the workshops. One of the amazing things was to see veterans from both sides reading together. I met Nguyen Tang Shih there and wound up translating him.
DH: Did you actually learn the language?
MC: I did. Kevin Bowen ( the director of William Joiner) called me up and said there is a course at Harvard and did I want to take it? I said sure. I took Vietnamese for most of a year.
DH: You are an editor of a literary magazine—right?
MC: I am the editor of Field magazine. It is published at Oberlin College in Ohio.
DH: You started the creative writing program at U/Mass Boston. Can you tell me about this?
MC: I started it in 1979. There were creative writing courses before. What I did was to give it structure.
DH: Dana Goodyear wrote in the New York Times Book Review of your book “Blue Front” that in least in regard to your syntax you are a language poet.
MC: I never considered myself in any school. There is an experimental quality in my poetry.
---Doug Holder
Martha Collins, the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection “Blue Front” ( Graywolf, 2006) walks into a room and exudes energy, intelligence and warmth. Collins who established the Creative Writing Program at U/Mass Boston, and currently holds the Pauline Delaney Chair in Creative Writing at Oberlin College, seems to have abounding enthusiasm for her work and an infectious curiosity about the world-at-large. Born in Omaha Nebraska in 1940, she earned a B.A. at Stanford University and holds a PhD from the University of Iowa. Collins is the author of five books of poetry, a chapbook “Gone So Far,” and two co-translated poetry collections from the Vietnamese. Her honors include fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts, the Ingram Merrill Foundation and others.
In her most recent collection “Blue Front,” Collins dissects a lynching her father experienced when he was a child in Cairo, Illinois. I spoke with Collins on my Somerville Community Access TV Show “ Poet to Poet: Writer to Writer.”
Doug Holder: The poet Richard Wollman told me he lives the “poetic life.” What would that be for you- and do you live it?
Martha Collins: I do. I write it. I’m not sure what it is. I think being a poet shapes the way you look at the world. I don’t write all the time. I don’t worry about it. There are periods when what I am doing is figuring out what I am going to do next.
It is work. It is natural work. It is work that engages me on every level. Both on the intellectual and emotional level.
So I don’t really know what the “poetic life” is. I am a poet, and my life gets filtered through that fact in ways I don’t even know.
DH: In your most recent poetry collection “ Blue Front” you dissect a horrible lynching that occurred in your father’s hometown of Cairo, Illinois. How much in detail did you father go into about this event?
MC: He didn’t say much at all. And when I was much younger I wasn’t asking a lot of questions. Once when I was a child we were driving through Cairo and my father told me that he saw someone hanged there. I had an image of a grizzly, public execution. Later I saw an exhibit of lynching postcards in New York City in 2001. The images were shocking. (This collection is now available online.) There were messages on the back of these cards. People kept them as souvenirs. I came across a series of postcards about the Cairo lynching. And for the first time I realized that this “hanging” that my father saw was a public lynching. By-the-time I came to this awareness my father had passed away—so I couldn’t ask him of course.
The point-of-view in this book is one of wonder. I did a tremendous amount of research, and used the Illinois State Archives extensively.
I visited Cairo several times.
DH: Is there a Southern sensibility down there?
MC. It is very Southern. Cairo is at the very tip of the state, where the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers come together. On one side of one river is Kentucky and the other side Missouri.
DH: How were you received down there when you were doing your research?
MC: People down there were terrific. The librarian was extremely helpful. I got into the vault and was able to look at the city directories. I talked to the city treasurer down there who was involved in the short and unsuccessful civil rights movement in Cairo from 1957 to 1963.
DH: Were you a Civil Rights activist?
MC: I was not much of an activist. I wasn’t unconcerned but I wasn’t an activist. I really became an activist during the Vietnam War.
DH: In the poem “Hung” from “Blue Front” you use stripped down language, short staccato bursts of language with great effect:
“ as a mirror on a wall, or the fall of a dress. A dress, a shirt on a line, to fasten to dry… with rope, like a swing, from a tree… from a pole, like a flag,… in the night, in the air, like a shirt, without, or without, or without only a shirt, without, like an empty sleeve.”
Was this approach used to convey the shock of the event?
MC: People asked about the style. I wrote it as I was finding out things. I didn’t know a lot when I started writing. I could not leave the subject alone. I was in Santa Fe on a residency, and I started playing around on the internet. I typed in “lynching,” etc.. The point of view of the book is “wondering.” What happened? I kept approaching it from different angels.
I obsessed about several aspects of the lynching. I just took a word: hang, shoot, burn, and sort of played with the various meanings of the words. It is a way of trying to get into the subject matter.
DH: You are known for your translations of Vietnamese poetry. How did you become involved with the language?
MC: Through a specific poet. This began at the William Joiner Center at U/Mass Boston. The center started as a veterans group in the late 80s’. Later they opened the workshop. From the very beginning they brought Vietnamese to the workshops. One of the amazing things was to see veterans from both sides reading together. I met Nguyen Tang Shih there and wound up translating him.
DH: Did you actually learn the language?
MC: I did. Kevin Bowen ( the director of William Joiner) called me up and said there is a course at Harvard and did I want to take it? I said sure. I took Vietnamese for most of a year.
DH: You are an editor of a literary magazine—right?
MC: I am the editor of Field magazine. It is published at Oberlin College in Ohio.
DH: You started the creative writing program at U/Mass Boston. Can you tell me about this?
MC: I started it in 1979. There were creative writing courses before. What I did was to give it structure.
DH: Dana Goodyear wrote in the New York Times Book Review of your book “Blue Front” that in least in regard to your syntax you are a language poet.
MC: I never considered myself in any school. There is an experimental quality in my poetry.
Interview with Doug Holder
Martha Collins, the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection “Blue Front” ( Graywolf, 2006) walks into a room and exudes energy, intelligence and warmth. Collins who established the Creative Writing Program at U/Mass Boston, and currently holds the Pauline Delaney Chair in Creative Writing at Oberlin College, seems to have abounding enthusiasm for her work and an infectious curiosity about the world-at-large. Born in Omaha Nebraska in 1940, she earned a B.A. at Stanford University and holds a PhD from the University of Iowa. Collins is the author of five books of poetry, a chapbook “Gone So Far,” and two co-translated poetry collections from the Vietnamese. Her honors include fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts, the Ingram Merrill Foundation and others.
In her most recent collection “Blue Front,” Collins dissects a lynching her father experienced when he was a child in Cairo, Illinois. I spoke with Collins on my Somerville Community Access TV Show “ Poet to Poet: Writer to Writer.”
Doug Holder: The poet Richard Wollman told me he lives the “poetic life.” What would that be for you- and do you live it?
Martha Collins: I do. I write it. I’m not sure what it is. I think being a poet shapes the way you look at the world. I don’t write all the time. I don’t worry about it. There are periods when what I am doing is figuring out what I am going to do next.
It is work. It is natural work. It is work that engages me on every level. Both on the intellectual and emotional level.
So I don’t really know what the “poetic life” is. I am a poet, and my life gets filtered through that fact in ways I don’t even know.
DH: In your most recent poetry collection “ Blue Front” you dissect a horrible lynching that occurred in your father’s hometown of Cairo, Illinois. How much in detail did you father go into about this event?
MC: He didn’t say much at all. And when I was much younger I wasn’t asking a lot of questions. Once when I was a child we were driving through Cairo and my father told me that he saw someone hanged there. I had an image of a grizzly, public execution. Later I saw an exhibit of lynching postcards in New York City in 2001. The images were shocking. (This collection is now available online.) There were messages on the back of these cards. People kept them as souvenirs. I came across a series of postcards about the Cairo lynching. And for the first time I realized that this “hanging” that my father saw was a public lynching. By-the-time I came to this awareness my father had passed away—so I couldn’t ask him of course.
The point-of-view in this book is one of wonder. I did a tremendous amount of research, and used the Illinois State Archives extensively.
I visited Cairo several times.
DH: Is there a Southern sensibility down there?
MC. It is very Southern. Cairo is at the very tip of the state, where the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers come together. On one side of one river is Kentucky and the other side Missouri.
DH: How were you received down there when you were doing your research?
MC: People down there were terrific. The librarian was extremely helpful. I got into the vault and was able to look at the city directories. I talked to the city treasurer down there who was involved in the short and unsuccessful civil rights movement in Cairo from 1967 to 1973.
DH: Were you a Civil Rights activist?
MC: I was not much of an activist. I wasn’t unconcerned but I wasn’t an activist. I really became an activist during the Vietnam War.
DH: In the poem “Hung” from “Blue Front” you use stripped down language, short staccato bursts of language with great effect:
“ as a mirror on a wall, or the fall of a dress. A dress, a shirt on a line, to fasten to dry… with rope, like a swing, from a tree… from a pole, like a flag,… in the night, in the air, like a shirt, without, or without, or without only a shirt, without, like an empty sleeve.”
Was this approach used to convey the shock of the event?
MC: People asked about the style. I wrote it as I was finding out things. I didn’t know a lot when I started writing. I could not leave the subject alone. I was in Santa Fe on a residency, and I started playing around on the internet. I typed in “lynching,” etc.. The point of view of the book is “wondering.” What happened? I kept approaching it from different angels.
I obsessed about several aspects of the lynching. I just took a word: hang, shoot, burn, and sort of played with the various meanings of the words. It is a way of trying to get into the subject matter.
DH: You are known for your translations of Vietnamese poetry. How did you become involved with the language?
MC: Through a specific poet. This began at the William Joiner Center at U/Mass Boston. The center started as a veterans group in the late 80s’. Later they opened the workshop. From the very beginning they brought Vietnamese to the workshops. One of the amazing things was to see veterans from both sides reading together. I met Nguyen Tang Shih there and wound up translating him.
DH: Did you actually learn the language?
MC: I did. Kevin Bowen ( the director of William Joiner) called me up and said there is a course at Harvard and did I want to take it? I said sure. I took Vietnamese for most of a year.
DH: You are an editor of a literary magazine—right?
MC: I am the editor of Field magazine. It is published at Oberlin College in Ohio.
DH: You started the creative writing program at U/Mass Boston. Can you tell me about this?
MC: I started it in 1979. There were creative writing courses before. What I did was to give it structure.
DH: Dana Goodyear wrote in the New York Times Book Review of your book “Blue Front” that in least in regard to your syntax you are a language poet.
MC: I never considered myself in any school. There is an experimental quality in my poetry.
---Doug Holder
Martha Collins, the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection “Blue Front” ( Graywolf, 2006) walks into a room and exudes energy, intelligence and warmth. Collins who established the Creative Writing Program at U/Mass Boston, and currently holds the Pauline Delaney Chair in Creative Writing at Oberlin College, seems to have abounding enthusiasm for her work and an infectious curiosity about the world-at-large. Born in Omaha Nebraska in 1940, she earned a B.A. at Stanford University and holds a PhD from the University of Iowa. Collins is the author of five books of poetry, a chapbook “Gone So Far,” and two co-translated poetry collections from the Vietnamese. Her honors include fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts, the Ingram Merrill Foundation and others.
In her most recent collection “Blue Front,” Collins dissects a lynching her father experienced when he was a child in Cairo, Illinois. I spoke with Collins on my Somerville Community Access TV Show “ Poet to Poet: Writer to Writer.”
Doug Holder: The poet Richard Wollman told me he lives the “poetic life.” What would that be for you- and do you live it?
Martha Collins: I do. I write it. I’m not sure what it is. I think being a poet shapes the way you look at the world. I don’t write all the time. I don’t worry about it. There are periods when what I am doing is figuring out what I am going to do next.
It is work. It is natural work. It is work that engages me on every level. Both on the intellectual and emotional level.
So I don’t really know what the “poetic life” is. I am a poet, and my life gets filtered through that fact in ways I don’t even know.
DH: In your most recent poetry collection “ Blue Front” you dissect a horrible lynching that occurred in your father’s hometown of Cairo, Illinois. How much in detail did you father go into about this event?
MC: He didn’t say much at all. And when I was much younger I wasn’t asking a lot of questions. Once when I was a child we were driving through Cairo and my father told me that he saw someone hanged there. I had an image of a grizzly, public execution. Later I saw an exhibit of lynching postcards in New York City in 2001. The images were shocking. (This collection is now available online.) There were messages on the back of these cards. People kept them as souvenirs. I came across a series of postcards about the Cairo lynching. And for the first time I realized that this “hanging” that my father saw was a public lynching. By-the-time I came to this awareness my father had passed away—so I couldn’t ask him of course.
The point-of-view in this book is one of wonder. I did a tremendous amount of research, and used the Illinois State Archives extensively.
I visited Cairo several times.
DH: Is there a Southern sensibility down there?
MC. It is very Southern. Cairo is at the very tip of the state, where the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers come together. On one side of one river is Kentucky and the other side Missouri.
DH: How were you received down there when you were doing your research?
MC: People down there were terrific. The librarian was extremely helpful. I got into the vault and was able to look at the city directories. I talked to the city treasurer down there who was involved in the short and unsuccessful civil rights movement in Cairo from 1957 to 1963.
DH: Were you a Civil Rights activist?
MC: I was not much of an activist. I wasn’t unconcerned but I wasn’t an activist. I really became an activist during the Vietnam War.
DH: In the poem “Hung” from “Blue Front” you use stripped down language, short staccato bursts of language with great effect:
“ as a mirror on a wall, or the fall of a dress. A dress, a shirt on a line, to fasten to dry… with rope, like a swing, from a tree… from a pole, like a flag,… in the night, in the air, like a shirt, without, or without, or without only a shirt, without, like an empty sleeve.”
Was this approach used to convey the shock of the event?
MC: People asked about the style. I wrote it as I was finding out things. I didn’t know a lot when I started writing. I could not leave the subject alone. I was in Santa Fe on a residency, and I started playing around on the internet. I typed in “lynching,” etc.. The point of view of the book is “wondering.” What happened? I kept approaching it from different angels.
I obsessed about several aspects of the lynching. I just took a word: hang, shoot, burn, and sort of played with the various meanings of the words. It is a way of trying to get into the subject matter.
DH: You are known for your translations of Vietnamese poetry. How did you become involved with the language?
MC: Through a specific poet. This began at the William Joiner Center at U/Mass Boston. The center started as a veterans group in the late 80s’. Later they opened the workshop. From the very beginning they brought Vietnamese to the workshops. One of the amazing things was to see veterans from both sides reading together. I met Nguyen Tang Shih there and wound up translating him.
DH: Did you actually learn the language?
MC: I did. Kevin Bowen ( the director of William Joiner) called me up and said there is a course at Harvard and did I want to take it? I said sure. I took Vietnamese for most of a year.
DH: You are an editor of a literary magazine—right?
MC: I am the editor of Field magazine. It is published at Oberlin College in Ohio.
DH: You started the creative writing program at U/Mass Boston. Can you tell me about this?
MC: I started it in 1979. There were creative writing courses before. What I did was to give it structure.
DH: Dana Goodyear wrote in the New York Times Book Review of your book “Blue Front” that in least in regard to your syntax you are a language poet.
MC: I never considered myself in any school. There is an experimental quality in my poetry.
Interview with Doug Holder
Martha Collins, the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection “Blue Front” ( Graywolf, 2006) walks into a room and exudes energy, intelligence and warmth. Collins who established the Creative Writing Program at U/Mass Boston, and currently holds the Pauline Delaney Chair in Creative Writing at Oberlin College, seems to have abounding enthusiasm for her work and an infectious curiosity about the world-at-large. Born in Omaha Nebraska in 1940, she earned a B.A. at Stanford University and holds a PhD from the University of Iowa. Collins is the author of five books of poetry, a chapbook “Gone So Far,” and two co-translated poetry collections from the Vietnamese. Her honors include fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts, the Ingram Merrill Foundation and others.
In her most recent collection “Blue Front,” Collins dissects a lynching her father experienced when he was a child in Cairo, Illinois. I spoke with Collins on my Somerville Community Access TV Show “ Poet to Poet: Writer to Writer.”
Doug Holder: The poet Richard Wollman told me he lives the “poetic life.” What would that be for you- and do you live it?
Martha Collins: I do. I write it. I’m not sure what it is. I think being a poet shapes the way you look at the world. I don’t write all the time. I don’t worry about it. There are periods when what I am doing is figuring out what I am going to do next.
It is work. It is natural work. It is work that engages me on every level. Both on the intellectual and emotional level.
So I don’t really know what the “poetic life” is. I am a poet, and my life gets filtered through that fact in ways I don’t even know.
DH: In your most recent poetry collection “ Blue Front” you dissect a horrible lynching that occurred in your father’s hometown of Cairo, Illinois. How much in detail did you father go into about this event?
MC: He didn’t say much at all. And when I was much younger I wasn’t asking a lot of questions. Once when I was a child we were driving through Cairo and my father told me that he saw someone hanged there. I had an image of a grizzly, public execution. Later I saw an exhibit of lynching postcards in New York City in 2001. The images were shocking. (This collection is now available online.) There were messages on the back of these cards. People kept them as souvenirs. I came across a series of postcards about the Cairo lynching. And for the first time I realized that this “hanging” that my father saw was a public lynching. By-the-time I came to this awareness my father had passed away—so I couldn’t ask him of course.
The point-of-view in this book is one of wonder. I did a tremendous amount of research, and used the Illinois State Archives extensively.
I visited Cairo several times.
DH: Is there a Southern sensibility down there?
MC. It is very Southern. Cairo is at the very tip of the state, where the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers come together. On one side of one river is Kentucky and the other side Missouri.
DH: How were you received down there when you were doing your research?
MC: People down there were terrific. The librarian was extremely helpful. I got into the vault and was able to look at the city directories. I talked to the city treasurer down there who was involved in the short and unsuccessful civil rights movement in Cairo from 1967 to 1973.
DH: Were you a Civil Rights activist?
MC: I was not much of an activist. I wasn’t unconcerned but I wasn’t an activist. I really became an activist during the Vietnam War.
DH: In the poem “Hung” from “Blue Front” you use stripped down language, short staccato bursts of language with great effect:
“ as a mirror on a wall, or the fall of a dress. A dress, a shirt on a line, to fasten to dry… with rope, like a swing, from a tree… from a pole, like a flag,… in the night, in the air, like a shirt, without, or without, or without only a shirt, without, like an empty sleeve.”
Was this approach used to convey the shock of the event?
MC: People asked about the style. I wrote it as I was finding out things. I didn’t know a lot when I started writing. I could not leave the subject alone. I was in Santa Fe on a residency, and I started playing around on the internet. I typed in “lynching,” etc.. The point of view of the book is “wondering.” What happened? I kept approaching it from different angels.
I obsessed about several aspects of the lynching. I just took a word: hang, shoot, burn, and sort of played with the various meanings of the words. It is a way of trying to get into the subject matter.
DH: You are known for your translations of Vietnamese poetry. How did you become involved with the language?
MC: Through a specific poet. This began at the William Joiner Center at U/Mass Boston. The center started as a veterans group in the late 80s’. Later they opened the workshop. From the very beginning they brought Vietnamese to the workshops. One of the amazing things was to see veterans from both sides reading together. I met Nguyen Tang Shih there and wound up translating him.
DH: Did you actually learn the language?
MC: I did. Kevin Bowen ( the director of William Joiner) called me up and said there is a course at Harvard and did I want to take it? I said sure. I took Vietnamese for most of a year.
DH: You are an editor of a literary magazine—right?
MC: I am the editor of Field magazine. It is published at Oberlin College in Ohio.
DH: You started the creative writing program at U/Mass Boston. Can you tell me about this?
MC: I started it in 1979. There were creative writing courses before. What I did was to give it structure.
DH: Dana Goodyear wrote in the New York Times Book Review of your book “Blue Front” that in least in regard to your syntax you are a language poet.
MC: I never considered myself in any school. There is an experimental quality in my poetry.
---Doug Holder
Martha Collins, the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection “Blue Front” ( Graywolf, 2006) walks into a room and exudes energy, intelligence and warmth. Collins who established the Creative Writing Program at U/Mass Boston, and currently holds the Pauline Delaney Chair in Creative Writing at Oberlin College, seems to have abounding enthusiasm for her work and an infectious curiosity about the world-at-large. Born in Omaha Nebraska in 1940, she earned a B.A. at Stanford University and holds a PhD from the University of Iowa. Collins is the author of five books of poetry, a chapbook “Gone So Far,” and two co-translated poetry collections from the Vietnamese. Her honors include fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts, the Ingram Merrill Foundation and others.
In her most recent collection “Blue Front,” Collins dissects a lynching her father experienced when he was a child in Cairo, Illinois. I spoke with Collins on my Somerville Community Access TV Show “ Poet to Poet: Writer to Writer.”
Doug Holder: The poet Richard Wollman told me he lives the “poetic life.” What would that be for you- and do you live it?
Martha Collins: I do. I write it. I’m not sure what it is. I think being a poet shapes the way you look at the world. I don’t write all the time. I don’t worry about it. There are periods when what I am doing is figuring out what I am going to do next.
It is work. It is natural work. It is work that engages me on every level. Both on the intellectual and emotional level.
So I don’t really know what the “poetic life” is. I am a poet, and my life gets filtered through that fact in ways I don’t even know.
DH: In your most recent poetry collection “ Blue Front” you dissect a horrible lynching that occurred in your father’s hometown of Cairo, Illinois. How much in detail did you father go into about this event?
MC: He didn’t say much at all. And when I was much younger I wasn’t asking a lot of questions. Once when I was a child we were driving through Cairo and my father told me that he saw someone hanged there. I had an image of a grizzly, public execution. Later I saw an exhibit of lynching postcards in New York City in 2001. The images were shocking. (This collection is now available online.) There were messages on the back of these cards. People kept them as souvenirs. I came across a series of postcards about the Cairo lynching. And for the first time I realized that this “hanging” that my father saw was a public lynching. By-the-time I came to this awareness my father had passed away—so I couldn’t ask him of course.
The point-of-view in this book is one of wonder. I did a tremendous amount of research, and used the Illinois State Archives extensively.
I visited Cairo several times.
DH: Is there a Southern sensibility down there?
MC. It is very Southern. Cairo is at the very tip of the state, where the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers come together. On one side of one river is Kentucky and the other side Missouri.
DH: How were you received down there when you were doing your research?
MC: People down there were terrific. The librarian was extremely helpful. I got into the vault and was able to look at the city directories. I talked to the city treasurer down there who was involved in the short and unsuccessful civil rights movement in Cairo from 1957 to 1963.
DH: Were you a Civil Rights activist?
MC: I was not much of an activist. I wasn’t unconcerned but I wasn’t an activist. I really became an activist during the Vietnam War.
DH: In the poem “Hung” from “Blue Front” you use stripped down language, short staccato bursts of language with great effect:
“ as a mirror on a wall, or the fall of a dress. A dress, a shirt on a line, to fasten to dry… with rope, like a swing, from a tree… from a pole, like a flag,… in the night, in the air, like a shirt, without, or without, or without only a shirt, without, like an empty sleeve.”
Was this approach used to convey the shock of the event?
MC: People asked about the style. I wrote it as I was finding out things. I didn’t know a lot when I started writing. I could not leave the subject alone. I was in Santa Fe on a residency, and I started playing around on the internet. I typed in “lynching,” etc.. The point of view of the book is “wondering.” What happened? I kept approaching it from different angels.
I obsessed about several aspects of the lynching. I just took a word: hang, shoot, burn, and sort of played with the various meanings of the words. It is a way of trying to get into the subject matter.
DH: You are known for your translations of Vietnamese poetry. How did you become involved with the language?
MC: Through a specific poet. This began at the William Joiner Center at U/Mass Boston. The center started as a veterans group in the late 80s’. Later they opened the workshop. From the very beginning they brought Vietnamese to the workshops. One of the amazing things was to see veterans from both sides reading together. I met Nguyen Tang Shih there and wound up translating him.
DH: Did you actually learn the language?
MC: I did. Kevin Bowen ( the director of William Joiner) called me up and said there is a course at Harvard and did I want to take it? I said sure. I took Vietnamese for most of a year.
DH: You are an editor of a literary magazine—right?
MC: I am the editor of Field magazine. It is published at Oberlin College in Ohio.
DH: You started the creative writing program at U/Mass Boston. Can you tell me about this?
MC: I started it in 1979. There were creative writing courses before. What I did was to give it structure.
DH: Dana Goodyear wrote in the New York Times Book Review of your book “Blue Front” that in least in regard to your syntax you are a language poet.
MC: I never considered myself in any school. There is an experimental quality in my poetry.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)