Dead Poets Society of America

JAY MACPHERSON June 13, 1931 – March 21, 2012

JAY MACPHERSON
June 13, 1931 – March 21, 2012
Died very suddenly, after a long- undetected illness. Jay was a professor at Victoria College in the University of Toronto for 37 years. She brought a keen eye and true feeling for language to both academic and poetic endeavours, and joyfully composed songs of political protest right until the end. She was a much-beloved teacher and colleague. Most importantly, no one could have asked for a better friend or aunt.

Etheridge Knight's Birthday Poem for His Wife : Sonia Sanchez

That's Poesome Dude!

That's Poesome Dude is a new public photo album on Flickr. Feel free to post any photos you have that are related to Edgar Allan Poe.

 

Daniel Hoffman, Helen McKenna-Uff and Dedgar at the Poe House in Philadelphia. May 26, 2011. Bob Dylan has taken a friend to the Poe House; so should you!

5 Hebrew Stones on Jackson MacLow's Gravestone

5 Hebrew Stones on Jackson MacLow's Gravestone. The stones are rolled away on Palm Sunday in this short video.

 

Former Alaska Poet Laureate Remembered

John Haines, the former Poet Laureate of Alaska, has now joined the long-term Dead Poets Society.

From the article: By Suzanna Caldwell | FAIRBANKS DAILY NEWS-MINER

FAIRBANKS — Friends said former Alaska Poet Laureate John Haines was known for being cantankerous, gruff and curmudgeonly. But his lasting legacy will be a collection of poetry and prose that captured his unique view of life and inspired generations of Alaska writers.

Haines, 86, died March 2. He was the author of more than 10 collections of poetry and essays. He was named Alaska poet laureate in 1969 and received numerous accolades for his work.

Those who were close cared deeply for him. Former student and friend Ross Coen said he could be unpleasant, but his intellect and love of Alaska was one of a kind.

“He was a fascinating guy to talk to,” Coen said. “He challenged you to think in ways that only a special person like he could do.”

Author Dan O’Neill put it this way: “The man could be irritating, and exasperating, but when he put the pen on the paper, something else took over.”

Poe The Action Hero

Poe The Action Hero from ChiefFallingLeaf on Vimeo.

"In A Rose Garden"

In A Rose Garden from ChiefFallingLeaf on Vimeo.

Iconic Frost Farm Hosts Dead Poets Celebration

The beautiful and historic Robert Frost Farm has joined with the Dead Poets Society of America to host the first New Hampshire Dead Poets Remembrance Day. The grand celebration will take place in the famous Frost barn at 3 PM, on Sunday, October 10th.

Come hear a dozen of New Hampshire's best poets read the poetry of Jane Kenyon, Odgen Nash, Robert Lowell, Celia Thaxter, Robert Frost, Scott Mowrer, May Sarton, Richard Eberhart, Phillip Booth, and more, in this National Historic Landmark.

All are welcome to attend the reading. There is a fee of $4 (NH resident) or $5 (non NH resident) to enter to Farm, which is truly one of the best-kept literary sites in the country.

Many thanks to S. Stephanie, poet and wife of NH Poet Laureate, Walter Butts, and Bill Gleed, manager of the Frost Farm and co-founder of the Hyla Brook Poets, for putting this event together.

Welcome Kansas -- Long Live the Dead Poets

Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, the poet laureate of Kansas, is now the 15th current or former state poet laureate to hop on the Dead Poets train! Welcome Caryn, and through you, all of Kansas!

On her blog Caryn wrote:

How can we create this new tradition? Well, organize readings, or just stand on a chair in the middle of your living room and read some of the great works of Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, or your great aunt Leonora who wrote poetry in secret. As for me, I’ll be telling folks about this holiday from the readings and workshops I’ll be doing that day in Marshall County, Kansas.

Long live the dead poets! Long may we sing of those known and unknown to changed our lives with their words.

Thanks, Caryn. Your first contribution to the new holiday is another very cool slogan for the new holiday: Long Live Dead Poets!

Lorine Niedecker: A Reminiscence (video)

When the Dead Poets Grand Tour 2010 rolled through the hills of Wisconsin, we stopped in Ft. Atkinson at the grave of Lorine Niedecker. One of the young poets who read that day is Margaret, and she and her mother have put together a great, homesgrown, homespun video reminiscence of Niedecker. It is very well done.