Before April slips away, I wanted to just honor National Poetry Month, and wanted to give a shout-out to my friend Susan Borie Chambers, who I met at the same writing residency in Vermont where I met my friend Gary Miller. The poem I’ve linked to from her name is one that she read to the crowd while we were at the Vermont Studio Center together, and I remember thinking as I listened to her read this one that San Francisco was such a dangerous and amazing place that I had to get there, sometime, somehow. Little did I know I’d end up living just across the water.
Recently, Susan, by way of her friend Robin Ekiss (who is another amazing poet who also lives here in the Bay Area), introduced me to the poetry of Catherine Barnett. I liked Barnett from the first read, but have to point you in the direction of “Gardener’s Song,” which you can read for yourself, or have her, thanks to the media player on the site, read to you out loud.
Happy National Poetry Month, gardeners.
on Apr 30th, 2009 at 8:19 am
Susan Borie Chambers is a fearless goddess of poetry. Period.
on May 28th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Genie- thanks so much for this shout-out– I am just finding it now (behind on my blog reading). You are swell. Glad you like Catherine Barnett as much as I do. Let’s hook up soon mamasita.
on May 28th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Um, yeah: Peepshow Kleenex rocks! Susan Chambers tells it like it is, and like it should be! And so do you Genie ;)
And for poetry fans, here’s another stunner of a “garden” poem that should (given all variables) take your breath away; well, if you like bees, or at least think of them from time to time…
http://www.nereview.com/30-1/Waldrep.htm
on May 28th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Gary, hell yeah she is. :-)
Susan, we are overdue for a meeting of the minds!
Robin, thank you — and thanks for that link! I’m checking it out…and that is a poem that’s going to require some closer attention and thorough reading — love even the first glance.
on May 28th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Gary- you old dog (love your signature name, btw, funny…)– hey, anyone up for a game of WWYRF? Robin, you…wait- I can’t call you old. But you’re fab too!
Miss you peeps
on May 28th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Robin, that poem is breathtaking.
on May 29th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Susan, miss you, too. I’d *totally* be up for such a game right about now!
And yes…isn’t that poem outrageously good? Robin, thanks so much for passing it along.
on May 31st, 2009 at 11:41 am
Susan:
I would love to play a round. Maybe we can set up a virtual game. With photos.
xoxo
Amigo
on May 31st, 2009 at 7:28 pm
someone needs to find out peggy the dog’s replacement, since she was a popular character in the game…:)
on May 31st, 2009 at 10:51 pm
Amigo de Pedro, perhaps we should set up a Facebook app for it.
Susan, based on our complete lack of decorum during that game, I’d say Peggy can still participate.