The New York Times has a good article today on how the movement of resistance sparked by the election of Donald Trump to the White House (I still can't bring myself to use the P word as his title) has energized and politicized a lot of poets. (The article can be found here.) Some quick takeaways that reminded me that poetry today is more vital in the U.S. than it has seemed for a long time: Maya Angelou's poem, "Still I Rise," has been viewed on YouTube 470,000 times since the election. And I don't know if that even includes the version of Serena Williams reciting the poem that became an Internet hit after last year's Wimbledon championship. And Claudia Rankine's book, Citizen: an American Lyric, has more than 200,000 copies in print.
Last night at Magers & Quinn Bookstore in Minneapolis, prominent local poets Morgan Grace Willow, Lyle Daggett and Wang Ping read from a new anthology, Resist Much, Obey Little..., which was put together shortly after the election and represents something of an instant response collection (to the heck with that 'emotion reflected in tranquility business'.) The writers were generous enough to read work by other contributors in addition to their own poetry from the book. It seemed like the kind of event that deserves a larger audience than it got (a lot of readings seem that way to me). If poetry today is any indication, the resistance is strong.
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Pankake Poetry
So here's a quiz: in what city last night did a poetry reading at a University outdraw, by a considerable margin, the audience attending a public discussion about journalism in the Trump era featuring a prominent Washington Post writer?
In Minneapolis, of course. one more reason why I love this town.
Bao Phi was this year's Pankake Poetry reader at the University of Minnesota. (At first I thought the Pankake was a sort of hipster misspelling of pancake, and that the event might feature actual pancakes or something of that nature, but it turns out the reading series is held in honor of Marcia Pankake, a retired U librarian and poetry enthusiast who founded the series.) I've been lucky enough to hear Phi perform, because it's much more than just a reading, before. His poetry is urgent, at times uplifting, at times fueled by rage. He explores the experience of growing up in a working class neighborhood of Minneapolis as an Asian immigrant and the many alienations that confront immigrants and their children. His poetry ranges from tender to fiery, and he takes his audience on a ride to some unsettling places. I heard echoes from Whitman an other outsider voices. I can't wait to hear him again and delve into his new collection from Coffee House press, Song I Sing.
In Minneapolis, of course. one more reason why I love this town.
Bao Phi was this year's Pankake Poetry reader at the University of Minnesota. (At first I thought the Pankake was a sort of hipster misspelling of pancake, and that the event might feature actual pancakes or something of that nature, but it turns out the reading series is held in honor of Marcia Pankake, a retired U librarian and poetry enthusiast who founded the series.) I've been lucky enough to hear Phi perform, because it's much more than just a reading, before. His poetry is urgent, at times uplifting, at times fueled by rage. He explores the experience of growing up in a working class neighborhood of Minneapolis as an Asian immigrant and the many alienations that confront immigrants and their children. His poetry ranges from tender to fiery, and he takes his audience on a ride to some unsettling places. I heard echoes from Whitman an other outsider voices. I can't wait to hear him again and delve into his new collection from Coffee House press, Song I Sing.
Saturday, April 8, 2017
Poetry and Music in the Court House
It's a splendid early April in the Twin Cities, to which I have returned for the first time in 2017. And it didn't take long for me to stumble upon an accidental poetry experience. Looking for some free entertainment, I found a Courthouse Concert series event sponsored by Saint Paul's Schubert Club. It featured composure and guitarist Jeffrey Van, along with a violinist and a vocalist.
Mr. Van's first composition, which he performed solo, was a piece evocative of the Spanish composer Manuel de Falla, with whom I'm not familiar. But I enjoyed both that piece and the second composition, which was accompanied by the violist. But it was the third piece that really seemed destined for my enjoyment, because it featured an operatic singer performing poetry by Whitman, Crane, Wordsworth and Amy Lowell. The piece was titled Ring of Birds, and the vocalist was the amazing Clara Osowski. Aside from repeating some lines as a refrain, the piece stayed loyal to the original texts of the poetry. Hearing the words sung rather than recited reminded me that the divide between musical lyrics and poetry is, and should be, a rather porous one. As the title of the composition suggests, the poetry featured all had avian themes. (Whitman's "The Hermit Thrush," Crane's "Three Little Birds in a Row," Wordsworth's "...to a Skylark," Tennyson's "The Owl," and Lowell's "The Young Crows."
And speaking of unexpected themes for poetry, while I was still in New York a couple of weeks ago I attended a sports themed reading sponsored by Finishing Line Press at Poet's House. If you ever get a chance to hear Kentucky poet Ron Whitehead perform, don't miss out. His energy and spirit will lift any reading. (He read from his collection, Blistered Asphalt on Dixie Highway: Kentucky Basketball is Poetry in Motion. Also participating were Met's unofficial poet laureate Frank Messina, who did indeed read baseball themed work, female baseball umpire and singer composer Perry Lee Barber, Steve Dulachinsky and Danny Shot. Keyboard player and composer David Amram provided musical accompaniment. The whole excellent event was recorded by Poet's House, so it should be available online at some point if it's not already up there.
Mr. Van's first composition, which he performed solo, was a piece evocative of the Spanish composer Manuel de Falla, with whom I'm not familiar. But I enjoyed both that piece and the second composition, which was accompanied by the violist. But it was the third piece that really seemed destined for my enjoyment, because it featured an operatic singer performing poetry by Whitman, Crane, Wordsworth and Amy Lowell. The piece was titled Ring of Birds, and the vocalist was the amazing Clara Osowski. Aside from repeating some lines as a refrain, the piece stayed loyal to the original texts of the poetry. Hearing the words sung rather than recited reminded me that the divide between musical lyrics and poetry is, and should be, a rather porous one. As the title of the composition suggests, the poetry featured all had avian themes. (Whitman's "The Hermit Thrush," Crane's "Three Little Birds in a Row," Wordsworth's "...to a Skylark," Tennyson's "The Owl," and Lowell's "The Young Crows."
And speaking of unexpected themes for poetry, while I was still in New York a couple of weeks ago I attended a sports themed reading sponsored by Finishing Line Press at Poet's House. If you ever get a chance to hear Kentucky poet Ron Whitehead perform, don't miss out. His energy and spirit will lift any reading. (He read from his collection, Blistered Asphalt on Dixie Highway: Kentucky Basketball is Poetry in Motion. Also participating were Met's unofficial poet laureate Frank Messina, who did indeed read baseball themed work, female baseball umpire and singer composer Perry Lee Barber, Steve Dulachinsky and Danny Shot. Keyboard player and composer David Amram provided musical accompaniment. The whole excellent event was recorded by Poet's House, so it should be available online at some point if it's not already up there.
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