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The fourth poem, Last night at the New French Bar, was published in Crab Creek Review. It is part of seven published poems I am sharing during National Poetry Month.
Somewhere I read that a poet should never explain a poem, but rather let the poem speak to the reader. This is an example of allowing the poem to communicate to the reader. No need for introduction nor backstory.
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For National Poetry Month I will share seven photos of published poems. The third poem, Loneliness visits, was published in ISM Quarterly.
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Reading “My American Body” by W. K. Buckley
by Matthew Mulder
Fireflies sparkle
outside. I see them through the
living room window.
It’s the time between
times as I
examine a new hole in
my jeans and consider
“Picking up their shreds
to the tangled light.”
Condensation rolls down
St. Pauli Girl who
makes me sparkle
inside.
NOTES:
(c) Matthew Mulder. All rights reserved.
Originally published in Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine, October 2005
For National Poetry Month I plan to share seven photos of published poems. The first poem, The Last American Chestnut Tree on Forest Street, was published in The Blotter.
![DSCN5427[bsc-lomo-dusk]](https://coffeehousejunkie.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/dscn5427bsc-lomo-dusk.jpg?w=840&h=630)
![DSCN5426[sqr-bsc-lomo-dusk]](https://coffeehousejunkie.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/dscn5426sqr-bsc-lomo-dusk.jpg?w=840&h=840)
![DSCN5420[bsc-lomo-dusk-tilt]](https://coffeehousejunkie.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/dscn5420bsc-lomo-dusk-tilt.jpg?w=768&h=1024)
Delightful read on simplicity and complexity and teaching poetry and more.
National Poetry Month has rolled around again, and sophomores enrolled in the Poetry classes are trying to interpret poems. Somewhere along the line, people in the USA acquired the notion that teachers ought to make things simple to understand so that students can learn the material. What about diving into the material in order to learn about it? Asking it questions? Having a heart-to-heart conversation with it? Those are alternate approaches to reaching an understanding.
Truly, one aspect of teaching that frustrates me is that the majority of human beings want everything to be simple. “Simple” has become a click-bait word, an advertising slogan. Even the American embrace of mindfulness largely bases its premise on the idea that mindfulness is simplicity itself, when anyone who has seriously attempted meditation and mindful living can attest that the theory sounds simple enough but the practice is more complex than it seems.
Now…
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Reading “My American Body” by W. K. Buckley
by Matthew Mulder
Fireflies sparkle
outside. I see them through the
living room window.
It’s the time between
times as I
examine a new hole in
my jeans and consider
“Picking up their shreds
to the tangled light.”
Condensation rolls down
St. Pauli Girl who
makes me sparkle
inside.
NOTES:
(c) Matthew Mulder. All rights reserved.
Originally published in Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine, October 2005
![DSCN5416[sqr-basic-lomo-dusk-tilt]](https://coffeehousejunkie.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/dscn5416sqr-basic-lomo-dusk-tilt.jpg?w=840&h=840)
NOTES: Originally published in Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine, April 2004. Unable to locate the printed artifact nor find a digital version on the publisher’s website, I photographed this draft of “Saturday Night, Coffeehouse.”
Reposting this interview. Enjoy!
Caleb Beissert is a poet, translator and musician. His published work appears in International Poetry Review, Tar River Poetry, Asheville Poetry Review and Beatitude: Golden Anniversary, 1959-2009.
This week, Poetry at the Altamont celebrates the release of Caleb Beissert’s first book, Beautiful, a selection of poems by Pablo Neruda and Federico García Lorca translated into English. During the last few weeks, Beautiful was well received by enthusiastic audiences at Montford Books & More and Malaprop’s Books & Cafe and is a Small Press Distribution best-seller.
The Altamont theater doors open at 7:00 P.M. for Poetry at the Altamont. Admission is $5 at the door. Beer and wine sold at the bar and lounge will remain open for drinks after the reading. Event link.
UPDATE: Caleb Beissert is the featured guest of the Coffee with the Poet Series, Thursday, February 21st at 10:30 a.m. at City Lights Bookstore. Event…
View original post 741 more words
Woodland Pattern Book Center’s 22nd Annual Poetry Marathon & Benefit is almost here and I have done a horrible job promoting the event.
This is the second time I will be reading poetry at the Woodland Pattern Book Center. If you are so inclined, you may sponsor me as I read poetry during the 9 -10 PM portion of the marathon. Details on sponsorship is here.
Or join the event and hear some of the poets in the area and beyond. Last year, if I recall correctly, some of the poets drove from as far as Madison to read at the marathon. Hope to see you there.
Haitian author Dimitry Elias Léger, in a recent interview, said “We need poets, music, literature to fill in the gaps between news reports,…”
With that in mind, the Racine & Kenosha Authors Book Fair is next weekend, Saturday, May 23, 2015 at Rhode Center for The Arts (514 56th St, Kenosha, WI 53140). The book fair begins at 2 p.m. and concludes at 5 p.m. So you have plenty of time to do your morning errands or yard work, join me and fellow authors and then spend the rest of the day enjoying Kenosha’s lovely lakefront area with an armful of books by local authors.
Copies of my books will be available for sale (and I will personally sign your copies) and I am scheduled to read at the event. Look forward to meeting you at the Racine & Kenosha Authors Book Fair nest weekend!
Anyone may “find” a text; the poet is he who names it, “Text”.
–John Hollander [1] [2] [3]
1.
The very heavens
rupture — news of Pontiff’s decision
to abdicate.
2.
Somewhere in America,
for nearly a week, film and
fiction collide — Rambo-like
manhunt ends as expected.
3.
She sings, When you get
to Asheville send me
an email….
Will she tell me that
the President is
coming to town?
Will a hollywood
celebrity greet
him when he arrives?
Will he retire
to the Paris of the South
after this whole
presidency thing?
4.
Whether it comes from
above or snakes its way through
the dark depths below,
the number one regret on
the lips of the dying is
to have lived true to one’s self
rather than by the
expectation of others.
NOTES:
[1] From the archives of this blog.
[2] The poem was composed from and of news headlines and related blog posts. John Hollander wrote in Vision and Resonance: Two Senses of Poetic Form that “anyone may ‘find’ a text; the poet is he who names it, ‘Text’.”
[3] Annotated version of this found poem was published Feb. 15, 2013 and originally titled “The courage to live”.
How does an artist translate visions and dreams into pigment on canvas? These and other topics are discussed with artist Eva Scruggs. Next, poetry readings and acoustic singer/songwriter sets are common at bookstores and cafés. Join me and take a glimpse behind the scenes of one of those events that takes place at Malaprop’s Bookstore in Asheville, North Carolina. Finally, visit the Grey Eagle music hall and meet Deborah Crooks as she shares a conversation about liberation and home.
Special thanks to the Anne Malin for permission to use her song “darling” for the music between each segments. Anne Malin is a folk musician from Boston, Massachusetts. Her albums “Bog Songs,” “AM” and “Vessel” are available on iTunes and Spotify. New releases and a special edition of the album “Bog Songs” with art by Projekt Katharine is available at her Bandcamp page which is annemalin.bandcamp.com.
Listen on:
PodOmatic: coffeehousejunkie.podomatic.com
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/coffeehousejunkie
The Racine & Kenosha Authors Book Fair is this Saturday from 6-9 p.m. Here is a link the event’s Facebook page: Racine & Kenosha Authors Book Fair.
Last night I received the official author list. Here are the poets and writers who will be presenting their books to the public:
Also, representatives of Left of the Lake and Straylight Literary Arts Magazine will be in attendance.
The books fair features readings by Marcie Eanes, Dan Nielsen, Jean Preston, Kelsey Hoff, Nick Demske and Kelsey Harris.
When it comes to promoting my own work, I am extremely self-consciousness. However, here are three announcements that may interest you.
Coffeehouse Junkie 