Book Reading & Signing Saturday Sat. Oct 25th

Local Kansas City area writer Rebecca Stallard will appear at Boarder's Books - Border's Books - just off N.W. Barry Rd and I-29 in the Boardwalk shopping district in Kansas City North on Saturday, Oct. 25th 1-3PM.

Stallard will read from her book And the Birds are Singing, a poetic narrative that chronicles four generations of a family, their happiness and desire for laughter against a backdrop of their tragic hereditary plight

Rebecca Stallard is a member of the K.C. Metro Verse - a local chapter of the Missouri State Poetry Society. Her book is an extraordinary work of ancestry and poetic style.

rebeccastallard.com

Technorati Tags: Rebecca Stallard,Events,Kansas City,And the Birds are Singing

To MSPS Convention and Back

Returned last night from the Missouri State Poetry Society Convention in Springfield, MO. It was a whirlwind trip down and back with the president of our local chapter, Missi Rasmussen in the Poet Mobil. Missi drove her yellow PT Cruiser and while we were at one of the secessions a reference was made to another local poet who drove the car preferred by poets everywhere. Yep, the PT Cruiser. Who knew? 

There were two exceptional guests who read their work. Thomas Lux pictured here and Michael Burns.

Lux was educated at Emerson College and the University of Iowa.  He was the poet in residence at Emerson College, 1972-75. He was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award in Poetry in addition to National Endowment for the Arts and Guggenheim Fellowship.

Burns is a retired MSU Professor whose work has appeared in a number of top rate literary journals including Kenyon Review, Paris Review, and The Southern Review. In 1995 he won an NEA fellowship. 

Burns did a group workshop an I found him to be a very down to earth instructor. I liked his teaching style. He is someone who really seems to enjoy helping others with their poetry and has a personality that is as genuine as it is rich with humor.

I knew I recognized Thomas Lux by name, but could not place him. That was until he began to read The Refrigerator, 1957.  I didn't recognize it by name, but it didn't take long for me to realize this was the infamous Maraschino cherries poem.  I first saw this poem maybe 5 or 6 years ago and loved it.

"...right of the middle of the middle door shelf, on fire, a lit-from-within red, heart red, sexual red, wet neon red, shining red in their liquid, exotic, aloof, slumming in such company: a jar of maraschino cherries. Three-quarters full, fiery globes, like strippers at a church social. Maraschino cherries, maraschino, the only foreign word I knew. Not once did I see these cherries employed: not in a drink, nor on top of a glob of ice cream,"

It all went by so fast, but it was a worthwhile trip and it's too bad more of our local people could nit make the trip down.

Technorati Tags: Missouri State Poetry Society Convention,Michael Burns,Thomas Lux,Missi Rasmussen,Michael Wells,Springfield,K.C. Metro Verse

 

Olympics over sleep....

Watching Olympics, just got in from a poetry society meeting tonight and I'm trying to catch on the events of the day. I've never been as big on the summer games as I am the winter, but I have enjoyed quite a few events this time. I've especially enjoyed the volleyball, badminton,
field hockey, gymnastics. I'm not a big fan of swimming but I've followed the exploits of the U.S. team none the less. The men's relay was awesome the other night.

I did not see it but I understand the U.S. women's softball team had a good day. The softball and baseball I'm very interested in. I couldn't care less about basketball. Skeet shooting- thumbs down. I am disappointed that I did not see the fencing.

Anyway, tonight's meeting was good. Had a new draft of a poem that I read and got good feedback on. I am feeling upbeat about my work this past week. I have four pieces now that are strong and need a little tweaking.

Enough for now. Back to the games.

Poets Against The War Anthology

Last night was our bi-weekly meeting of K.C. Metro Verse - a local chapter of the Missouri State Poetry Society. I did not take much of my own to read, but chose to read three selections from Poets Against The War.

My selections were:

1. Of a Forgetful Sea by Kelli Russell Agodon
2. Freedom From Speech by Terry Tempest Williams
3. On A Photograph of a Severed Hand by Jim Shugrue

I was taken by the number of poets my own age who were anthologized in this book. I recall seeing a seventeen year old, s few 20's and 30 somethings, but it is amazing the number that are my age. Men and women who were part of the Vietnam generation. There are a lot of profoundly committed voices that experienced the tragedy of our misadventure in southeast Asia and continue to be guided by the wisdom they acquired through that experience. Unfortunately we were lead into Iraq by those who failed to learn from the mistakes made in the 1960's.

Humpday - Riding Gravity To The Weekend

Thumps Up:

• Guy Holliday and his box of poetry - [story]
• Gene Racz did it for the sake of art, beloved children, for the sake of art [story]
• Members of the K.C. Metro Verse who showed up last night with poetry to read, listen and workshop.
• Poetry to build a climate of hope and resistance [story]

Thumbs down:

• Burma Police State - [story]
• Supreme Court declines suit over U.S. rendition - [story]

Reading last night at Writerhouse

Poets from the Kansas City Metro Verse Chapter of the Missouri State Poetry Society read last night at the Writerhouse in the northland area in Kansas City. The reading celebrated the release earlier this summer of the KC Metro Verse Anthology. Pictured here are poets Amy Leigh Davis (top right) and Brenda Conley (bottom right) are featured here. I had not read out in the general public for a while, other then doing read-arounds at chapter meetings, which is not at all the same thing. It's something I really should make sure I systematically do again on a more frequent basis.

I've never been a fan of math... so of course when I find from time to time some reference drawing a common link between poetry and math it both peeks my attention and raises my natural defensive mechanisms. So here again is a quickie on Math & Poetry in the 60 SECOND INTERVIEW that I thought others might enjoy.

Well, I have a few chores to tend to this morning so that will wrap it up for now.

Burrrrr..........

First Draft: It's Official...

Congratulations are in order to Kelli Russel Agodon. Atlantic Monthly even...

Another poetry quote for the day...

"Poetry is boned with ideas, nerved and blooded with emotions, all held together by the delicate, tough skin of words." ~ Paul Engle

I am patiently waiting the delivery of 100 broadsides from the printers for distribution for Poetry Month. OK, I'm not very patient, but I am waiting. That counts! Even if I don't have a choice. Hopefully they will arrive Monday in time for my KC Metro Verse meeting the following evening.

It's turned cold here. I mean the really cold, like the leaves on our bushes were young and green and healthy are bitten by the bitterness. Tulips which were in full bloom appear stripped and tortured with dry ice. This is not a good thing. Spring is under attack.

Reality Be Gone!

Had a KC Metro Verse meeting last night. Read a draft of a poem I've been working on. I have several new drafts in the can right now. I suppose this is a good thing. One I'm very close on.

I've been reading some submissions to the Rogue. I had some really nice work come in this week.

I have a question that perhaps someone can answer for me. What number to we call to vote the reality shows off TV?

Deep breath

I won't say I'm in a bad mood, but I not exactly chipper either. I've had two grueling days at the office. Then today we were informed that our long standing casual Friday has bitten the dust.

Then let me heap a little more on the pile. This weekend I sort of hit the skids with writing. Everything seemed forced and it bugged the hell out of me. It has been quite a while since I have been in a writing funk, so I suppose I should be grateful for the nice run. No, that is not how one looks at this. Instead, it is like the zit that is bigger than your face.

I'm trying to calm myself down and remember that I've lived through this before and it will surely happen again. So take it in stride and just keep writing. Crap and all. it will work itself out.

Donald Hall is coming into town this month. I'm looking forward to hearing him.

I have a KC Metro Verse meeting tomorrow night.

I've got two places I need to get material off to by the 15th.

Just need to keep myself focused, meet my goals for the month and just write, knowing it will work itself out sooner or later.