By Teri Blair
Five months ago I started a poetry and meditation group in my home. And I’ll tell you straight up: if I can start a poetry group, anyone can start a poetry group.
I am not well read when it comes to poets. Before doing this, if called upon to name poets I would have only been able to tick off the most obvious choices: Robert Frost or Emily Dickinson. For most of my life I’ve felt intimidated by poetry. When I’d hear a poem read, I’d usually feel like I didn’t get it. I considered the door to poetry locked and bolted, entered by only a heady few.
But at the beginning of 2008, I began to get an itch to do something to make the world a better place. I know, I know, such a cliché. But I was tired of feeling depressed by the sort of people and events that grab headlines. I was frustrated, feeling like my country was being taken over by things I didn’t like or believe in. I was worried that people weren’t reading like they used to. I wanted to do something to steer the world in the direction I wanted it to go.
The idea for the group dawned on me one day, and I recognized it immediately as something I could pull off. I could invite people over to my house; we’d sit together for an hour, hear good poetry, and be still. And that’s pretty much what we do. It’s not a complicated event.
Each month I pick out a poet. To do this, I browse in a bookstore or library, or go to an online poetry site. I like choosing poets from around the country and from varied backgrounds, but for the first meeting of the group, I picked a Nebraskan poet, just so we could get used to hearing poetry from a Midwestern voice. Since then, we’ve been to Massachusetts, North Carolina, California, and Virginia.
I select poets whose words and voices are accessible. I live in a city with a sensational library system, so I get all the poet’s books with my public library card. I sit on my living room floor with books scattered around me, and slowly page through them. Certain poems jump out at me, and these are the ones I put a bookmark next to.
The people in my poetry group have the option of helping me read, so I email them poems I’ve selected. This gives them the chance to practice reading the poems out loud before we meet. I do a little research on the poets so I can share a bit about their lives and what brought them to writing. I keep this short. I don’t think anyone wants an endless historic lecture.
When we gather, I have candles lit. We get quiet, and I tell everyone what I’ve learned about the poet whose work we’ll hear. I don’t memorize this; I have it written on a piece of paper. I play a song to begin to slow us down, and then we listen to poetry. About one poem every five minutes with silence in-between. Sometimes I can find sound recordings at the library of the authors reading their own works. So at the end, we’ll listen to the writer reading a few of his or her own poems.
So far, our poets have all been living. So we sign a card thanking them and telling them the titles of the poems we heard. I find mailing addresses online and mail the card the next day. Then we drink tea, eat snacks (I ask for a volunteer to bring treats), and hang around. That’s it.
This is what I know so far:
- I feel a lot better adding something of decency and substance to the world.
- I am getting to know poets, and I am thrilled. If you say the name Maya Angelou to me, I’m tracking with you. If Rita Dove comes to town to read, I’ll be all over her work.
- Everyone who comes knows that for at least one hour every month they will get to be still in a busy world.
- After the Mary Oliver night, a 26-year-old from our group went and bought all her books. Three people purchased tickets to hear her speak when she came to Minneapolis last March. I’m pretty sure these things wouldn’t have happened if not for the exposure to her work.
- We got to participate in National Poem in Your Pocket Day in April. We wouldn’t have known about it had I not been searching poetry websites.
- Ted Kooser wrote to our group. I’m here to say I have a postcard from a two-time Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner hanging on my bulletin board. Not bad.
- The people who come range in age from 26-55. It feels healthy to be in a cross-age group.
- Hosting these evenings is part of my writing practice. It is a tangible way to move my life in the direction I want it to go.
- The people who come seem genuinely happy to participate. Someone told me this morning that it feeds her soul.
- On Gary Soto night, a young group member (a Spanish major) read her poem twice, first in Spanish and then in English. It was deeply touching to hear another language spoken; it brought tears to our eyes. I don’t know why it did, but it was good. Gary sent us a postcard, too. Part of it is written in Spanish. That Gary.
- After deciding that July would feature the poetry of Louise Erdrich, my friend and I saw her a few rows back on the same airplane when we were returning from a writing retreat. It was almost too much synchronicity to grasp. The sort of serendipity that makes your head feel dizzy and your stomach full of butterflies.
- When Robert Bly was named Minnesota’s first Poet Laureate, we swelled with pride. Poetry mattered to us.
All that. And all I had was desire and a library card.
All The Best From Nebraska, postcard (back), March 2008, photo © 2008 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
Golden Rule, postcard (front), painting by Ted Kooser, 1978, acrylic on canvas, 24″ x 24″, March 2008, photo © 2008 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
Teri Blair is a freelance writer living in Minneapolis. She is currently writing a profile series on teachers who taught in one-room rural schools before, during, and after WW II. They appear monthly in Senior Perspective.
I am crying for a reason that I don’t quite understand. This piece moved me in part because I know Teri and, at the same time, because she has taken an action to change the world around her.
The idea of community, of reaching out to the poets the group reads, makes me teary. Then to know that some of the poets have taken time to send personal notes tells me that they realize how connected we are all.
Connections…maybe that’s why I’m crying.
Thanks, Teri.
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Bob,
Thanks for your reading my post and for your comment. And by what you’ve said, I can tell you are just as pleasantly surprised by the results of this group as I have been. If you just push on the door a little bit, sometimes it swings wide open.
It has been a complete thrill to hear from Ted Kooser and Gary Soto. And as you’ve said, Bob, taking the time for a personal note is an example of how to be in the world, isn’t it?
I’m sure QuoinMonkey will photograph the Gary Soto postcard when she sees it (you know QM), maybe she’ll post that sometime, too.
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Teri,
I’d be happy to photograph Gary’s postcard. I can’t wait to see it at the next poetry group. I’m so glad you wrote this piece. I hope it inspires others to start their own poetry and meditation groups. It’s so wonderful to show up once a month to hear everyone read their poems, and then, the silence to let it all sink in, to really listen.
I enjoyed hearing Maya Angelou and Gary Soto read their poetry. Maya has a soothing voice. And Gary’s voice surprised me – grounded and solid. He talked about his life, too.
I saw at the Gary Soto link that Pablo Neruda is one of his favorite writers/poets. And I know Neruda is one of ybonesy’s favorites, too. And I’m thankful for the posts ybonesy has done on Neruda. I’ve learned to appreciate him even more by entering his poetry through her perspective.
I wanted to ask – you say that the poetry group is part of your writing practice now. It reminds me of what Natalie said in her interview about how the practice of painting feeds her writing. What are some of the ways the practice of the poetry group feeds your non-fiction and fiction writing?
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What an absolutely lovely thing to have done. So simple, and yet so positive.
I can’t even begin to imagine how much this must light up the lives of these poets.
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Heather,
I hope you’re right, that the card we send lights up the lives of the poets. It’s easy to think, “Oh, they don’t need to hear from the likes of us, we’re just the little people from nowhere.” That’s probably way off the money. Who wouldn’t want to know their work had been read for an evening?
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QuoinMonkey,
At the next poetry group the sound recording I’ll play has our author talking about her fascination and love for math. She then reads a poem called “Geometry.” I’ve listened to it about ten times. Her voice is gorgeous.
You asked how this feeds my fiction and non-fiction writing. To tell you the truth, I don’t know. It’s too early for me to know what impact it is making, if any. I’m just basking in the glow of finally embracing poetry as something I can enjoy.
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Take a look at John Ahearn’s blog.
http://wordcarving.blogspot.com/
I shied from poetry as a rule. John ‘s work changed that for me.
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Here in NE Indiana, we have a group that meets on the First Friday of every month to hear poems and stories by local writers. i had the pleasure of reading there once, and it was a moving experience.
My job precluded me from going for almost two years, but now that I’m laid off, i may just be able to make one soon.
If you’re looking for suggestions regarding poets, I’d love to suggest George Kalamaras. He’s published many collections, the most recent of which, “Gold Carp Jack Fruit Mirrors” was released this past February and is available for order at most retailers (I just found it on amazon). He and his wife were both professors of mine. He’s an amazing poet, full of warmth and laughter.
Thank you for this post. It’s got me itching to start a writers group . . .
Brian
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Teri, just getting in to comment, and I want to say that this is an exciting post for so many reasons. First, I, too, was intimidated by poetry in my younger days. I love this line: I considered the door to poetry locked and bolted, entered by only a heady few.
It is honest, and in being honest you break open the possibility that any of us who feel this way can set aside those sentiments and embrace poets and poetry.
Second, I eat up the detail of how you do it. Doing the reearch, lighting the candles, sending the postcards. It’s like being let in on a secret ritual.
Third…Gary Soto. What a delightful personality. I just read the FAQ on his personal website. A man after my own heart. You know, I have family in Fresno, CA, and I hear a familiar voice when I read his words.
Last, I just came from a lunch with my writing friends here at home and asked if any would be interested in a monthly poetry group. The bad news is that none were. But that’s OK. It’s important that whoever does this is truly wanting to know more about poets and poetry. It’s not like a book club or even a writing group. It’s its own narrow niche, I think. I’m going to keep putting it out there.
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Teri, in response to your Comment #6 – makes total sense; I had no idea how the Writing Intensive was affecting me or impacting my writing until way after it was over. Looking forward to the next poet.
I thought of a couple of other tidbits about my experiences in the poetry group, things that kind of surprised me:
1) Resistance — I always experience it right before I’m supposed to show up for those 4 hours, that one day a month. Even though I’ve had the date in my calendar for at least a month, I get home, I’m tired, I want to sit on the couch and rest. But I show up anyway. The rewards are great.
2) Socializing & Conversation — one of the greatest surprises for me has been the socializing afterwards. We often have conversations about controversial topics like politics, race, sexual preference, religion, and they all go smoothly (even if we have differing opinions). I believe the conversations seem easier because the poems have provided an opening; the poets have opened doors. The silence creates the space for us to listen.
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ybonesy,
Thanks! I was hoping to completely demystify what it takes to start a poetry group. By what you’ve said, I believe I’ve succeeded.
In our poetry group, there are only two people who are writers. We have a nurse, an aspiring chef, and a young man who leads humanitarian trips to Mexico–just to name a few. Maybe your group will be the non-writers, just like our group is.
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Brian,
Thanks for the name of that poet. I assume he must be from Indiana from what you’ve said. I’ll look up his books.
I really like the supportive sound of what you’ve got going there, hearing local writers. It sounds like an appealing way to spend a Friday night. There’s something comforting about hearing the voices of our own.
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Leslie,
Thanks for the lead on the blog; seeing Bob Dylan on the homepage made it an instant hit in my mind. Whether people in Minnesota like Dylan’s music or not, we’re all loyalists.
I look forward to spending time with the site when I can really sink into the pictures and words–a beautiful blog.
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QuoinMonkey,
I like hearing how the group is for you–what is easy, what is hard. It is always easy for me to prepare for it, but I am always overcome with an irrational and pounding nervousness right before everyone arrives. What if they don’t like the poet? What if no one has anything to say during the treats? Are they coming because they feel sorry for me? Does everyone wish we would just bag the whole thing? These feelings dissolve within about 8 minutes of people arriving. It’s like clockwork.
What I notice before and after the poetry is the shift in energy. After an hour of poetry and meditation, the centering that has taken place is palpable.
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One of the questions I had, Teri, which your last comment just jogged, is: Have you considered rotating responsibility for picking out the poet and doing the research, and then kicking off the presentation of the poet?
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ybonesy,
Good question. If one of the people in my group wanted to do the research and presenting, I would absolutely say yes. And there may come a time when I ask for volunteers to do that. But for now, the thing that really feeds my writing practice is all the reading & research I do beforehand. I would be sad to give that up.
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Good questions, ybonesy. I also have to say, it’s so cool that you asked your writing friends if they wanted to be part of a poetry group, no matter the answer. You have set an intention. The rest, I believe, will follow.
I like how Teri responded to that – that only two of us in the group call ourselves writers and write professionally. And as a participant, I really like that there are non-writers in the group, too. Maybe yours will turn out that way. It seems to break something open.
About the research question from ybonesy — Teri, I really appreciate that you take that part on for the time being, that you are getting so much out of it, that it’s a pleasure for you. Because it’s a gift to us in the group (and I’m curious how many hours a month you spend on that part of the practice – the prep work).
I love research, too, but I do so much of it for red Ravine, I don’t know if I’d want to take it on in another capacity right now. It’s so wonderful to simply show up at the poetry group and have a structure to sink into. I’m so grateful for that.
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Yes, and it seems that the group as it functions is what works for participants. I would imagine that if anyone wanted to play the “pick and research the poet” role, he or she would so ask.
The other thing is, people who are hungry to learn about good poets and poetry AND who come in with relatively little exposure to such, are naturally curious and very grateful to have that hunger satisfied.
I remember our writing Intensive group conversations about books. We each read the book, but one person took the role of researching the book/author and leading the rest of the group through conversation about the book. In a couple of cases, I didn’t like the book at all upon my own reading of it. But once I heard the presenter’s view, heard what was learned about the author, I at least appreciated the book more than before. As is true with food that is lovingly prepared, a lovingly prepared “meal” of poetry tastes much richer for the care that’s gone into it.
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I love the plug for libraries. Until I was appointed to the Board of our local library, I had no idea that our funding is highly dependent on continued use, and there are so many ways to give us points:
* Visit the building. Just walking in scores a point.
* Click over to the website. Another point.
* Ask a question at the Reference Desk or Front Desk.
* Attend a program. Double points, because you had to walk in to get to the program!
* Check stuff out — books, magazines, CDs, DVDs …
* Request an item via Interlibrary Loan.
Your local library: Use it or lose it!
BTW, you could probably hold writing or poetry group meetings there.
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ritergal,
One of my dreams is to be on a local library board! Thanks for your list of what helps the library stay open and alive. There is a campaign going in Minneapolis regarding library hours and having branches open. I have a bright green “Keep Libraries Open” button on my jacket from the campaign.
I didn’t know all the things you listed would make a difference when it comes time to fund libraries. It’s good to be informed and reminded.
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ybonesy,
When we had our book discussions in Taos I was so relieved to not have to do the research on the book and its author. And, I loved hearing what someone had learned digging around behind the scenes. Now, it is a pleasure.
You know, if our group was all writers except for two people (instead of how it is–two writers and the rest of the people other occupations) it would be really different. Currently, no one ever, ever says, “What did Gary Soto mean by the word orange in paragraph three?” Or, “How does Ted Kooser’s work resemble Walt Whitman’s?” This is a relief. I know writers could be told they are forbidden to dissect and evaluate to the point of blasting the life out of a poem, but in our group, no one cares to do any mind-bending around the written word. They just want to listen and have the words refresh their lives. It is a good example for the two writers in our group. *Just enjoy the poem for the poem’s sake. No discussion necessary.*
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QuoinMonkey,
I’m glad you like to come and just participate–no research required. I haven’t started adding up the time I spend preparing for the groups, but since you suggested I do that, I am observing how often I’m thinking about our poets and doing something surrounding the next gathering.
Thanks for all the links you added to the post for poets, etc.
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Teri,
From one once frustrated being to another…
“I was tired of feeling depressed by the sort of people and events that grab headlines. I was frustrated, feeling like my country was being taken over by things I didn’t like or believe in.”
What a wonderful thing you are sharing…
You might check out “Honest Abe” who wrote some amazing, dark poetry…while busy with a Country at War with itself.
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I’m so impressed with your motivation, and how you marshalled your powers for such an excellent cause- poetry and fellowship with others! I like how you gathered different age groups, and how you’ve chosen poets from all over the country. Well done, and a great post!
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Inspiring. Great blog, very glad to find you.
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anuvuestudio,
Abraham Lincoln wrote poetry during the Civil War? Yes, yes, I would love to read it. I once heard something read (I think on NPR) that was written about Lincoln by a minister in Washington. He said during daily services, Lincoln would often quietly slip into a back pew. It was a pew that was in a shadowy area; the minister knew Lincoln didn’t want to be noticed. He wanted a place to get quiet during such upheaval.
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mariacristina,
Thanks, and it turns out I’m having a blast doing it. It isn’t the “drudgery for a good cause” sort of thing. Not in the least.
I don’t obsess about the problems of the world nearly as much, I’ve begun to shift my energy elsewhere.
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Teri, I just read your piece again and then the comments. Wonderful. I had another thought — something our readers might want to know — how did you decide who to initially invite to the poetry group? And is it an open group now where anyone can come by word of mouth?
The reason I ask is I’m thinking of people in small towns or rural areas. If they wanted to start a poetry group, would they email everyone on their email list and see who showed up or showed an interest? How did you handle that part of the process living in a large city. And how would you handle it if you lived in a small town.
Also, you are welcome for the links. I love the one of Maya Angelou on NPR. There are black and white images of her with James Baldwin (one of my favorite writers) and Malcolm X. Those images speak volumes. And give such insight into the places she’s coming from.
I also liked reading at the Rita Dove and Gary Soto links. ybonesy, I thought you would like him. He’s got a similar sense of humor to yours. And you have family in Fresno, too? I’m glad you checked out his website.
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I initially thought of starting two groups, one for friends my own age (40s, 50s) and another one for my niece and people her age (20-somethings). When I ran it by Ruthie, she had an instant and strong reaction. “Don’t separate us from friends your age!” Thank goodness I asked her and took her advice. It’s SOOOO much better to be together.
I invited people I am close to; Ruth invited people she is close to. At the beginning (especially) it was important for me to have people there I knew I felt emotionally safe around; it was enough of a leap as it was.
The group is always open for new members. The only request: be on time. We begin at 7 p.m., and because of the nature of silence and meditation, we can’t have a doorbell ringing all hour. People are *great* about respecting this.
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teri,
Kudos to you! What a wonderful gift you have given to your friends & family!
Poetry has always held a special place in my heart; thanks mostly to my Grandma Lizzie. I have several of her favorite books packed away, though I did dig one out for National Poem in Your Pocket Day. I chose a poem that she used to read to me & had earmarked. Had it not been for your group & the post by QM, I would never have known about it.
QM asked the question that was on my mind, how you went about selecting members for your group. How many members do you have?
Thanks for the great read & the links!
D
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Oh, I just wanted to add that there is something so special about hearing a poem read aloud. When I hear Maya Angelou read a piece of her work I get goosebumps & usually end up with tears streaming down my cheeks. She is such an inspiration. D
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alittlediddy,
Have you heard Maya Angelou read the poem she wrote for Bill Clinton’s inauguration, On the Pulse of Morning? It’s a poem in the book called Celebrations. The Minneapolis Library has it on CD, maybe yours does, too. It’s also on YouTube. If you put in the key words: Maya Angelou Clinton, it will pop up. I’ll bet you’ll like it.
Will you share with us the poem you earmarked from Grandma Lizzie’s book? I’d/We’d love to read it.
Our poetry group officially has ten members, though no one can come every time.
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Speaking of the power of poetry, I had a fabulous experience with an 83-year-old woman I was interviewing for my rural schoolteachers series. Her name is Pearl, and when she was a child she made her way to the Minnesota State Spelling Bee. When I was talking to her, if I ever asked for clarification about something she said, she always spelled it for me.
Teri: Pearl, what did you say was the first order of business in the school day?
Pearl: We would s-i-n-g America the B-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l.
She did it unconsciously, and it was sensational. Anyway, she had her students memorize poetry during her 20+ years in one-room schoolhouses. During the interview, she recited several of the poems she taught them. They were on the tip of her tongue.
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What a cool story, Teri. Interesting that she spelled out so many words for you AND that she was a state spelling bee participant. I wonder if that’s where she started this spelling kick.
diddy, glad to hear your voice. We’ve missed you. I, too, would love to hear more about which poems were your grandmother’s favorites. And which books.
Teri, 10 sounds like a good number in that you can probably always count on at least about 6 or 7 showing up. I remember when we had a long-term writing group, some nights we’d only have two or three. That was a huge disappointment.
Now my writing group has four people, but we are all committed and usually all show up. If I ever form a poetry group, I’ll aim for quite a few more. BTW, what was your niece’s motivation in helping form the group (as it sounds as though she was almost a sort of co-founder of the group)?
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teri, thanks for the info on the Maya Angelou/Clinton inauguration poem. I do recall it, but will check it out on YouTube. The poem of my Grandma Lizzie’s is posted on the Poem in Your Pocket post. It is by Henry Wordsworth. I’ll have to dig out the books I have & will share more which I know are also earmarked. She loved the poetry of Robert Frost & I if I recall correctly she has several books of his poems. No one else in my family was interested in her books. I snatched them up!
yb, thanks for the welcome back! We have been at our camp on the river. I’m so glad Sony is better after her ordeal! Hugs to her & good thoughts for a speedy recovery!
I will send some more of her poems as I dig out her books.
Also, my Mother is compiling a group of poems for me written by her Mother & Grandma Lizzie.
D
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diddy, I’m adding the link here for your poem on Poem In Your Pocket Post:
Poem for her Grandmothers, Catherine & Elizabeth – Comment #54 by alittleditty on post Poem In Your Pocket Day – Lucy (v) by William Wordsworth (LINK)
I’ve really missed you and your wonderful comments on red Ravine. ybonesy and I were just talking about you the other day.
I left you a haiku a few days ago. I’ll come back and add the link. 8)
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QM, thanks & yikes! I called him Henry!
D
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diddy, here’s the link to the haiku I left you on haiku (one-a-day) – #335 (LINK). It’s about Frankenstein. 8)
Hey, no sweat about Henry. I think that might be Longfellow. Aren’t they around the same time period? I do that all the time. 8)
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Teri – I enjoyed reading the details about your poetry group and all the comments that followed. I’ve loved poetry since high school but for decades felt very alone with that love. When I had my first apartment, at age 19, I plastered my walls with poems by Kenneth Patchen(does anyone under 55 know who he is ?), t.s.eliot, Anthony Hecht, Galway Kinnell, Robert Creeley, to name but a few. My friends took this as further evidence of my strangeness. None of them read or wrote poetry.
It was many years, (maybe 30) (many!) before I met people who shared my love of poetry. Now,I actually count among my friends several poets and a handful of readers of poetry.
You know, I lust after your poetry group. Wish I lived in Minneapolis so I could come, too. Learning that you started your group with your niece and her friends gives me the idea to ask my own niece if she might do something like this with me. I’ll let you know what evolves. She and I are the only two in our extended family who even know who e e cummings is!
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ybonesy,
Funny you should mention numbers. At our last gathering, we had a meeting of the minds about what to do about the inevitable summer vacations, graduation open houses, and all the other seasonal activities that consume time right. If the group was small, I didn’t want to carry the load of people being disappointed by that. They, in turn, didn’t want to have to wonder if I would feel bummed that I had prepared for only a handful of people.
We all agreed that we wanted to keep going through the summer, numbers great or small. Once we had talked about it, the pressure was off for everyone. We also moved our meeting night to Thursday from Friday: less conflict with weekend camping trips.
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Jude,
It sounds like your niece is a perfect person to begin a group with. My niece Ruth doesn’t help plan the meetings or anything, but she did provide me with an initial list of names and email addresses of her friends who were literature-friendly. Before I started I made a deal with myself: if one other person wants to meet once a month to hear poetry, we have a group. It helped me to have simple expectations.
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alittlediddy,
Ahh….I just read the poem you posted in April. Really fabulous (thanks for the hook-up, QM). I’ll look forward to more from Grandma Lizzie’s books.
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Cobgrats on your poetry group! I love Half Price Books myself–great place to find obscure quthors and not to mention great deals. Your poetry group reminds me of the gatherings or salons of the early century–before TV and speed dating, it was popular to gather with friends and neighbors to discuss literature, science and new ideas. Poets, innovators and leaders were often born from these sessions. Keep up the good work!
Cheers, Lynn
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Lynn,
It *does* seem like a really old practice that we are returning to when we meet once a month to listen. I’ve always thought it sounded glamourous to be a part of a salon. Perhaps I already am.
There are lots of coffee shops around here who have shelves with books to share. Depending on the neighborhood, you can find classics or solid current best-sellers. Sometimes I walk away with an iced tea and 3 great paperbacks.
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Hey Teri! Not only did my niece, Amy, say, “yes,” she is interested in the poetry group, she also quickly came up with about 6 names of people she knows who might like to come, all this while we ate lunch together yesterday. By the end of lunch, she said, “This means so much to me. I’m so excited about the poetry group, I can hardly wait!” I am so excited, too. I love that our group will be a mix of ages and interests. Amy is a Waldorf school teacher, 38 years old. I, as you know, am a therapist/writer, 60 years young. My friends are mostly older – hers younger. Some are poets, all are poetry lovers.
We’re going to follow your format, but each of us will take a turn picking a poet, preparing, sending out the poems. Amy and I will take the lead for the first few months and then invite members to take turns. Otherwise, same rituals as yours. YOu have started a tradition! May the flame get carried ever outward!
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Great news, Jude! How fabulous to have Amy on board 100%, too! I assure you it will enrich your experience to have a range of ages. Sometimes when I’m sitting in silence on poetry nights, I have the wonderful sense that the older women are mentoring the younger. It feels like what we’re supposed to be doing. More of that “making the world the sort of place we want to live in” stuff.
I will look forward to a full report after your first poetry gathering! Do you know which poet you’ll start with?
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Jude, really great about the poetry group (Teri, you’re an inspiration!) . Let us know how it goes. Looking forward to hearing which poets you all go with, too. We’ve got our poetry group again this week. 8)
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Jude,
The “Let’s Be Pen pals!” part of me hopes that sometime it works out that our poetry groups are meeting on the same night. I would love to be thinking of you sitting in silence in Milwaukee while we sit in silence in Minneapolis. We wouldn’t really be pen pals, but just together in solidarity somehow.
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Teri – I like the solidarity, too. I already feel like part of a lineage.
Don’t know when we are having our first meeting or who the first poet will be, but I’m thinking about Louise Gluck.
I’ll keep you – and QuoinMonkey posted.
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Teri – who is the poet that has a fascination with math? I want to check this out and maybe send his-her geometry poem to my math-y son.
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Jude,
The poet’s name is Rita Dove, and her poem is simply called “Geometry.” It’s probably in several of her books, but for sure in the volume called Selected Poems.
The recording where she talks about loving math before reading “Geometry” is part of the series called “Poets in Person.” It was recorded it in 1991; I hope you can find it at your library, too.
I’ve seen Louise Gluck’s name around, but I haven’t read her work. You’ve inspired me to search her out.
Wow. A lineage? I’m totally on board.
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Jude, I just realized that Louise Gluck is on your list of reasons why you write:
15. I write because of people like Tennessee Williams, Annie Dillard, Russell Banks, Louise Gluck and Michael Ondaatje. To name but a few. (LINK)
I knew I’d seen her somewhere on these pages, a long, long time ago. She seems like a great candidate to start with. I had to look her up again. Here are a few links for those who may not know her as well as you:
Louise Glück: Online Resources – Library of Congress (LINK)
Louise Glück at Poets.org (LINK)
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Thanks QM! I will definitely check out these links!
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Teri – try “Wild Iris” – it’s Gluck’s collection that own a Pulitzer. Although any of her books would be fine to start with….
Here is one of my favorite Gluck poems:
SNOWDROPS
Louise Gluck
Do you know what I was, how I lived? You know
what despair is; then
winter should have meaning for you.
I did not expect to survive,
earth suppressing me. I didn’t expect
to waken again, to feel
in damp earth my body
able to respond again, remembering
after so long how to open again
in the cold light
of earliest spring-
afraid, yes, but among you again
crying yes risk joy
in the raw wind of the new world.
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Jude,
This poem is amazing; I think I’m already in love with her work. I plan to check out Wild Iris.
Our poetry group met tonight. We had a thunder and rainstorm accompanying the poems. After the first poem was read, a rumble of thunder began that seemed to last nearly five minutes. It was quite sensational.
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[…] 5th day of gray. Last night at the poetry group, thunder rumbled after one woman read the first Rita Dove poem. And i…. We remarked later how it sounded like an airplane, high above the horizon. Then the rain came, […]
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Since Teri mentions the value and usefulness of a library card in this post, I thought that it would be the perfect place share some good news about my library.
Yesterday it was announce that the Laramie County Library in Cheyenne, Wyoming, has been selected as the 2008 LIBRARY OF THE YEAR by Library Journal! This is like winning the Super Bowl, World Series and Stanley Cup in the library world. We are pretty darn proud, since our beautiful new facility has only been open since September. Come visit it soon!
Libraries have been called the “great equalizer” becuase they provide the same information and services to ALL citizens. Here is a where you can read the great news:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6568073
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That is awesome, breathepeace! Do you use it much?
I remember we had a conversation in QM’s post on The Company Of Strangers (On Louise Erdrich & Flying) about great airports (LINK), and your comment made me think about what makes a great community library. I will definitely read the article, but I’d also love to hear your thoughts on why it won.
Also, I don’t recall if I asked this of Teri and QM, but I would love to be able to see other postscards you receive from poets. I hope you will continue to post those. I think that’s one of the best aspects of your Poetry Group — that you thank the poets and that they respond with gratitude.
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breathepeace,
What great news for your city! When I read that 80% of your citizens have library cards, it made me wonder what the average is for a city. And for some reason, I’m now curious what your library card looks like. I’m hoping it has a cowboy on it, just like your license plates.
I saw “Sex and the City” last weekend when it opened. At one point Carrie is reading a library book with love sonnets, and Mr. Big says, “You’re probably the only person in New York City who still checks out library books!” I wonder if people in New York expelled a collective gasp when they heard that.
I’m so glad to know your library is prospering.
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ybonesy,
At our poetry reading on Friday, QM was busy clicking shots of the Gary Soto postcard. I hope she posts it, too.
We read his words to our group out loud twice; it is such a gift!
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[…] -related to post, Desire And A Library Card — The Only Tools Necessary To Start A Poetry Group […]
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Oh, you’ve made my night, I’m so into hosting a monthly
poetry group, thank you for the inspiration!
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Cynthia,
That’s so great! I hope you’ll check in once you get it going.
I’d love to hear who your first poet will be.
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I love how this post is inspiring more poetry groups out there! Teri, thanks so much for writing it. I still have to post the Gary Soto postcard. I’ll take a look at those photos this weekend and see if they’ll work!
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[…] like to start your own poetry group, the details are laid out in the Guest post by Teri Blair, Desire And A Library Card — The Only Tools Necessary To Start A Poetry Group. Or maybe you were inspired by her piece, and your poetry group has already begun to meet. […]
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I am a Twin Cities poet who has been searching for a poetry group. My current writing group is comprised of wonderful writers, but alas! no poets. Is your group open to new members?
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Jane, Teri spearheaded and now organizes our poetry group. I’ll alert her to your comment and I’m sure she will get back to you. So glad you found us on red Ravine!
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QuoinMonkey: My thanks for your reply and offer to let Terri
know about my post. red Ravine is a fantastic site!
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My pleasure, Jane. Thank you!
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Teri,
I can’t believe I’m just reading about your poetry group now! I love your suggestions and favorite poets are bobbing to the surface as I write this. Stanley Kunitz. Oh, his poem, The Layers, brings me back to center each time:
In my darkest night,
when the moon was covered
and I roamed through the wreckage,
a nimbus clouded voice directed me:
“Live in the layers, not on the litter.”
My writing group needs to listen to more poetry, too.
Thanks-
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Laura,
I’ve heard of Stanley Kunitz, but I’m not familiar with his work. I get the feeling you know this poem by heart. Do you have others you can recite? It inspires me to memorize a few myself.
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[…] I was thinking of what I wanted to post at week’s end, I returned to our Poetry & Meditation group of a few weeks ago. After Robert Frost, homemade rhubarb cookies, and chamomile tea, I asked Teri if […]
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[…] end the post with a Robert Bly poem from the American Life In Poetry series with Ted Kooser (another poet who was gracious enough to write back). May we all be blessed with such humility and […]
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[…] our last few Poetry & Meditation groups, we continued with the Dead Poets series. Since we can no longer send the poets postcards, Teri addressed cards to the directors of the […]
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Big News! Big Poetry News! Elizabeth Alexander has been chosen to read a poem at the January 20th Presidential Inauguration. Only two other presidents in the history of the United States have included poetry in their ceremonies:
Kennedy (Robert Frost) and Clinton( Maya Angelou in ’93 & Miller Williams in ’97). I’ve already got Elizabeth’s books on hold at the library, and our Poetry & Meditation Group will hear her work in January.
It’s things like this that hearten me…poems at inaugurations…poetry in the sidewalks…people keeping literature actively in our lives.
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It is heartening, Teri. Thanks for letting us know. I’ve been so out of the loop on what’s happening outside of my work world and doing a bit of online shopping.
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Teri, I’m VERY excited to learn more about Elizabeth Alexander and read her poetry. It was fun to talk about this great news from Obama on choosing Alexander to read at his Presidential Inauguration when we were at dinner the other night, too. I will be watching the televised event that day but I sure hope we hear from a few people that actually make it to the Inauguration in person. What an experience. Looking forward to learning more about Elizabeth Alexander in January’s Poetry Group, too.
Liz and I were sorry to miss Walt Whitman last night but poor Chaco was so sick and we didn’t get home from the vet’s office until way too late. Are there any tidbits you want to add here about Walt Whitman, some things we might have missed?
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Since Liz told me Inauguration tickets are available from Congress members, I’ve tried to scour around a bit. Amy Klobouchar’s website said there aren’t any left, and when I called Norm Coleman’s St. Paul number, I had to leave a message. Al Franken has taken the lead in the Senate race recount today, so maybe no one feels like answering the telephone. Though it honestly seems more relaxing to watch the Inauguration from the quilt/sofa position, it would be exciting to be in D.C., too.
When Walt Whitman published Leaves of Grass in 1855, he sold only about 12 copies, and the critics hated it. Walt took this as a good sign, and started immediately on a revised edition. During his lifetime, he added to, deleted from, and expanded upon his masterpiece, publishing Leaves of Grass seven times. Can you imagine the persistence?
We sent a thank-you to the director of the Walt Whitman Birthplace & Homestead in New York.
On to Elizabeth Alexander in January!
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[…] of the antique Christmas lights mentioned in The Poet’s Letter — Robert Bly. It was at Poetry Group that night that our friend Teri shared a story about how her family discovered the lights hidden on […]
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[…] few weeks ago, our monthly Poetry Group read the work of Elizabeth Alexander, the poet selected to read at the inauguration of Barack […]
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[…] Happy 200th Birthday, Abe. Your life and legacy is alive and well in the year 2009. And when we attend our Poetry Group tonight, we will all be celebrating the poets and poetry honoring the day you were […]
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[…] Desire And A Library Card — The Only Tools Necessary To Start A Poetry Group by Teri Blair […]
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[…] & Meditation Group will be reading the poems of Yusef Komunyakaa. Maybe you’ll want to start your own poetry group. Or purchase “Ballistics,” the latest from Billy Collins. Poem In Your Pocket Day is […]
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[…] -related to posts: Got Poetry? (National Poem In Your Pocket Day), Book Talk – Do You Let Yourself Read?, Desire And A Library Card — The Only Tools Necessary To Start A Poetry Group […]
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[…] Kicking Off National Poetry Month for the latest post on that group and Teri’s piece titled Desire And A Library Card — The Only Tools Necessary To Start A Poetry Group for a step-by-step on how to start your […]
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[…] talk about their work and have a chance to shake their hands when they sign my books. Or when our Poetry and Meditation Group receives a card from Billy Collins, Gary Soto, or Robert […]
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This morning I’ve driven by Ted’s home (deep, deep in the countryside), looked in the windows of his writing studio, and had morning tea at the cafe he frequents.
I’ve driven miles and miles on the rolling, wooded countryside where he lives. After seeing all this, there is no doubt where the depth and beauty of his work comes from.
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Teri, I love that you drove into Ted Kooser’s hometown and saw where he has created his writing life. It sounds slow moving and beautiful there. A lot to ponder as you continue your journey across Nebraska. Can’t wait to hear what’s next! I’m still thinking about the Ruth Stone poetry we read last Thursday at Poetry Group. I loved her poetry. And imagine she has a similar slow living style in the hills of Vermont.
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Teri, I wanted to say one other thing about Nebraska. It’s one of my favorite states to drive through and I drove across it many times on my way to and from writing workshops at Taos. As soon as I hit the Great Plains there, I felt like I could breathe again. Good thinking territory. Good for getting my head straight.
In 2007, I wrote an essay about one of those trips across Nebraska called Valentine (LINK). It’s about the small town of Valentine, Nebraska, the sandhill cranes, and a woman I met at a rest stop on one of my trips. We ended up talking about Nebraska writers, particularly Red Cloud where Willa Cather grew up. I’ve always wanted to visit there but never have. When I drive across that state, I usually stay in Kearney, Nebraska. It marks the exact central point between Boston and San Francisco. Dead Center of our country. The true Heartland.
Your trip takes me back to those long silent drives. I mostly drove them in silence, thinking about life, goals, writing, art, whatever I wanted to think about. I imagine you on a nurturing pilgrimage. And can’t wait to hear more.
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Quoin,
Have you seen the famous bridge in Kearney? Bob C. told me about it; it goes over the Platte River. I remember (before I knew you very well) that you were always driving down to New Mexico. At the time, I didn’t really get it. 🙂
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[…] Poetry & Meditation Group began meeting again in January. We celebrated new beginnings with the poetry of Ruth Stone (the […]
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[…] Letter From Poet Elizabeth Alexander for the latest post on that group and Teri’s piece titled Desire And A Library Card — The Only Tools Necessary To Start A Poetry Group for a step-by-step on how to start your […]
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[…] Letter From Poet Elizabeth Alexander for the latest post on that group and Teri’s piece titled Desire And A Library Card — The Only Tools Necessary To Start A Poetry Group for a step-by-step on how to start your […]
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[…] best left to the poets. When Liz read Charles Simic’s poem Little Unwritten Book at our Poetry & Meditation Group last week, I cried number […]
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[…] my birthday this year, our Poetry & Meditation Group walked the 13 stops of a self-guided Fitzgerald tour, from 481 Laurel, where Scott was born, to […]
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And now, nearly three years later, I’ve decided to end the poetry group. It’s not an easy decision, as this group has been life-changing for all of us. We grew close in the company of Gary Soto and Naomi Shihab Nye. We thrilled to the voice of Ruth Stone and the postcard from Billy Collins.
Everything in life has a beginning and an end. There’s something deeply satisfying about seeing the conclusion has come and responding to it.
But poetry belongs to all of us now. No longer a stranger.
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Gosh, Teri, three years!? How time has flown.
Thanks for closing the loop on this post and on what grew out of the group. Poetry belongs to all of you. What more could you ask for? (And yet, you got much more than that, even.)
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Our youngest poetry group member got married yesterday. She read an e.e cummings poem to her groom at the end of her vows. Beautiful.
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Teri, it’s very satisfying to know the poetry lives on in wedding vows! I’m so happy for them. Which e.e. cummings did she read? Just curious. Liz just bought a John O’Donohue book as a gift for someone — To Bless This Space Between Us — and it’s full of beautiful poetry. It’s been calming for me to read over a few of the passages. Poetry is tailor-made to express all the hard emotions we have a hard time saying to each other in day-to-day language. Especially when it comes to love, compassion, forgiveness.
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Quoin,
I don’t know the title, but will get it as soon as the bride comes down from all the excitement. I’m grateful for poetry, and interested in the John O’Donohue book, too.
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The poem by e.e. cummings read at the wedding: “I Carry Your Heart With Me.”
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/i-carry-your-heart-with-me-2/
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[…] (See Letter From Poet Elizabeth Alexander for the last post on the group and Teri’s piece titled Desire And A Library Card — The Only Tools Necessary To Start A Poetry Group for a step-by-step on how to start your […]
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[…] (See Letter From Poet Elizabeth Alexander for the last post on the group and Teri’s piece titled Desire And A Library Card — The Only Tools Necessary To Start A Poetry Group for a step-by-step on how to start your […]
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[…] Holcomb in 2010 and published a sequel, Back To Holcomb, One Last Time. Since then, she has written Desire And A Library Card — The Only Tools Necessary To Start A Poetry Group, Discovering The Big Read, a piece about the largest reading program in American history, and Does […]
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