Turkeys don’t seem like they would make for great poetry, but I’m a big fan of “A Romance for the Wild Turkey” by Paul Zimmer. Here it read as part of the Writer’s Almanac:
That last stanza gets me every time. I first encountered Zimmer’s poem as part of Poetry 180, which I highly recommend as a collection. This poem always comes to mind around Thanksgiving (or when I spot wild turkeys in the neighborhood). Happy Thanksgiving to all celebrating!
On McSweeney’s, a touching piece by John Hodgman, delivered at a literary reading shortly after September 11, 2001. Definitely read the whole piece, but one part that particularly struck me:
“So if art cannot contain or describe this event, and if for now the suffering is too keen to be alleviated by parable… if stories are for the moment not as critically needed, as courage, as medicine, as blood, as bacon, they can at least revert to this social function. As time goes on, this will all pass away into memory, into a story with a beginning and a middle and finally an end. And that transition from the real into fable will bring its own kind of comfort and pain.”
It’s been twelve years since that day, and I like this idea of the transition to stories being needed. It’s hard to comprehend tragedy, especially in the moment, but as we move further and further away from the event itself, stories become more relevant. Memories become story and stay with us and transcend the individual. That means dealing with both the good and the bad, or “comfort and pain,” both of which are needed through the passing years.
Also, School Library Journal suggests resources for 9/11.
Lots of mid-week link goodness:
Today the poetry world is saddened by the loss of Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney. Some of his most famous works include Death of a Naturalist, North, and a translation of Beowulf.
I had the opportunity to see Seamus Heaney read when I was in college, during the Virginia Festival of the Book. He was an excellent reader (which isn’t always the case for even talented and accomplished poets) and really engaged the audience. At the time, I was also taking poetry classes (both literature and writing) and had read several of Heaney’s poems. They’re expansive but intimate, and the language is clear but has really awesome turns of phrase throughout. One of my all-time favorite poems is his “Postscript,” particularly the last lines:
You are neither here nor there,
A hurry through which known and strange things pass
As big soft buffetings come at the car sideways
And catch the heart off guard and blow it open.
Make sure to read the whole poem, and to check out Heaney’s other work if you’re not familiar with it already.
When you think “poetry,” you don’t necessarily think of Bill Murray. (Okay, maybe you do, but it’s probably because of the innate poetry in Ghostbusters.) But Murray can pull of a surprisingly good poetry reading. Here, at the 16th Annual Poets House Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge, he reads Billy Collins’ poem, “Forgetfulness”:
I’ve seen Collins at a couple of readings and Murray really hits that Collins vibe–humorous at first, with that great thoughtful turn at the end.
Click through to see Bill Murray tackle more poetry readings.
(via Tweetspeak Poetry)
It’s not every Thursday night you get to wear an awesome t-shirt, see pictures of African wildlife, learn about Albinism activism, eat cake, and hear a reading of a debut novelist’s awesome book. Fortunately, last Thursday was that kind of night, thanks to the Golden Boy launch party at Porter Square Books.
Tara’s in my critique group, so I was really looking forward to this event. Plus, this was the first official launch party I ever attended. As a ’14 author, I made sure to make major mental notes. Tara did a fantastic job, so I definitely have a lot to add to my “to do” list. A few things from Tara’s launch I particularly liked:
Hearing Tara talk about her own childhood growing up all over the world and dealing with the accompanying social and medical issues (like almost losing her sight from the UV rays while living in Bolivia). I love hearing about author’s backgrounds and connecting their experiences to their work.So many people came out for the launch and were so enthusiastic. In case you couldn’t make it , here are a few more pictures from the launch party (photos either by me or–if they’re good photos–by Julia’s husband):
Swag table
Fellow critique-ers and Golden Boy enthusiasts Lisa and Katie
Walt and me, getting psyched with funny faces
The beautiful cover cake
Tara signs books (eeee, author signings!)
I had a blast and am psyched for lots of friends’ future launch parties. Now go read Golden Boy!
Sarah Dessen and me!
Everyone has their suggestions for summer reading, but for my money, you can’t do much better than a Sarah Dessen novel. Most of her books are set during the summer, several of them in beach towns. (Basically, if you can’t actually escape to the beach for the summer, you might as well read about it.) But that doesn’t mean that her books are light, fluffy reading. Sure, there’s often fun and romance, but Dessen balances that out with family drama, struggles with friends, grief, and insecurity–everything that touches real teens.
Last night, I had the opportunity to see Sarah Dessen read at the Morse Institute Library, hosted by Wellesley Books, which always has fantastic children’s/YA author events. Dessen read a little from her latest book, The Moon and More, answered some excellent audience questions (seriously, local readers, way to bring your best Q to the Q&A), and did a trivia contest with t-shirt prizes (way to know your Dessen, guys).
A few other fun points:
Thanks to Sarah Dessen for sharing her work with us, and thanks to Wellesley Books and the Morse Institute Library for hosting such a great event!
Things I’m excited for now that it’s June: sandals, picnics, walks in the evening, and the book launch of Golden Boy by Tara Sullivan!
Tara is one of my critique group members, a fellow redheaded UVA grad, and an extremely talented writer with a deep interest in sharing international stories of courage and survival. Golden Boy is officially released on June 27 (less than a month away)! From the Goodreads summary:
“Thirteen-year-old Habo has always been different— light eyes, yellow hair and white skin. Not the good brown skin his family has and not the white skin of tourists…When the family is forced from their small Tanzanian village, and Habo knows he is to blame.
Seeking refuge in Mwanza, Habo and his family journey across the Serengeti…Suddenly, Habo has a new word for himself: Albino. But they hunt Albinos in Mwanza because Albino body parts are thought to bring good luck. And soon Habo is being hunted by a fearsome man with a machete. To survive, Habo must not only run but find a way to love and accept himself.”
Tara Sullivan–author extraordinaire!
Basically, it’s a book that everyone need to read. And I can personally vouch for the writing. My notes to Tara consisted largely of “OH MY GOSH!” and “HABO!”
And if you’re in the general Boston area and want to celebrate the launch of this book, make sure to come out to Porter Square Books on June 27, 7:00pm for the official launch event. Snag a copy of the book, eat tasty treats, and get to know your new favorite author.
Lots of good links for (at least around here) a rainy Wednesday:
High school students would pay way more attention in English class if Benedict Cumberbatch read all the Romantic poetry:
Anyone else want Benedict Cumberbatch to star in a John Keats biopic now?
If you want to read along, check out the text of “Ode to a Nightingale” by John Keats here.
(H/T Alexis Hauk)