Dead Poets Society of America

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

"Poet Laureati-ed" in Kansas

A report on the United Poets Laureate blog tells of the great gathering last weekend in Kansas, when a flock of 19 State Poets Laureate blackbirds sat on tree branches together and lived poetry.

I’m not exactly sure what happened during these days, but I do know I hugged many people, swam with others in tandem through conversations about vocation and passion, healing and imagery, the hunger to find the right words, the necessity of listening to other, and where to find Thai food on Mass. Street. I watched audiences leaning forward, intent and awake. I heard all weather variations of poetry: sonnets about liberal arts, free verse on the damage fathers can do, elaborations on the danger of the hot dog man, and wry deconstructions of our need to be adored.

I also found friends for life: poets and poets laureate I just met, and yet they were instantly big brothers or long-lost cousins sharing a bag of ginger snaps with me late at night in the kitchen or duck spring rolls at a candlelit dinner yesterday. There will be radio broadcasts of portions of the event on Kansas and Kansas City Public Radio stations, and a video or two soon, but for now, this is what I know.

Poets Laureate Fill Museum with Passion

An article in the University Daily Kansan reviewed the reading by Ted Kooser and other State Poets Laureate which took place at the Spencer Museum of Art this past Sunday.

"An Alaskan honored the late John Haines and illustrated blue ribbon eels with neon mouths that coughed near Fiji. A western aide revisited a parasite dipping tank in Zaire. A student begged a teacher to taste the syllables of her haiku.

These speakers were three of the ten poet laureates who read for the “Poet Laureati” Sunday at the Spencer Museum of Art. A collection of poet laureates’ works, “An Endless Skyway,” was released at the event."

At the Grave of Poe's "Helen"

At the Grave of Poe's "Helen" from ChiefFallingLeaf on Vimeo.

Welcome Utah

Katharine Coles is the Poet Laureate of Utah, and she is the 17th current or former state poet laureate to endorse Dead Poets Remembrance Day.

Yippee-Kai-Yea!

She'll be in New York State for readings around October 7th, but she'll be talking up two Utah-related poets on her travels: May Swenson and Agha Shahid Ali.

Here is news about a very clever poetry project she has initiated in Utah:

In 2009, Utah Poet Laureate Katharine Coles launched the Bite Size Poetry Project.  The goal of the project is to put a bite sized poem (one that can be read aloud in one minute or less) in front of every Utahn every month. Eighteen of Utah finest poet have contributed their bite size poems and have recorded them on video. Each month a different poem is featured and sent out as an email blast, streamed as a video file from web sites at NowPlayingUtah.com and KUER-FM.

Dedgar Meets Gioia

Dedgar had the distinct pleasure to meet and greet poet, scholar and teacher, Dana Gioia. Gioia is also the former Chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts. Pictures will be forthcoming of the artwork he left on Dedgar. It was only fitting, as Gioia did a dissertation on Poe at Stanford.

In 2007 Gioia gave the commencement speech at Stanford

Alfred Campbell's "Ode to Death"

Abolitionist and poet, Alfred Gibbs Campbell, wrote one of the most-unique and enjoyable poems on death I have read (and trust me, I have read a LOT)

Ode To Death

Blessed Death! thou op'st the door

To the Grand Forevermore!
Unto thee the task is given
To unbar the gates of Heaven!
Thou alone dost hold the keys
Of eternal harmonies!
Thou the secrets dost rehearse
Of the wondrous universe!
Thou art God's interpreter
Of the mysteries which stir
To its depths the human soul
Longing for its final goal!
Universal friend thou art,
Healing every broken heart!
Ultra Abolitionist,
Breaking chains as thou dost list!
Stern emancipator, thou
Layest petty despots low;
Breakest every captive's chain;

Soothest every sufferer's pain;

Driest every mourner's tears;
Quellest all our timorous fears;
Thou shalt fold the human race
In thy loving, dear embrace,
Opening to our failing eyes
Panoramas of the skies.
Fear shall not our bosoms stir,
Welcome! God's kind messenger!

Historic Grand Tour Report Now Online

The initial report of the historic Dead Poets Grand Tour 2010 is now online.

It chronicles all the places visited and the names of the poets read. From the Report: 

"We started on Shakespeare’s birthday, in Portland, Maine, the 23^rd of April, and we ended with a bang 6,500 miles later at the first Boston Poetry Marathon, May 25th. During those 34 days, and with the cooperation of 13 current and former State Poets Laureate, we held a Dead Poets Bash in 19 different States and visited 43 cemeteries!

The Grand Tour map can be accessed at the top left corner of the Dead Poets Society of America blog:  http://deadpoets.typepad.com/dpsablog/  

The other readings and interviews we held at poets’ graves and houses were really great as well, including the Lorine Niedecker home, the Carl Sandburg home, the E.L. Masters home, the Sidney Lanier house, The Virginia Military Institute, The Poe Museum, the Longfellow House and the Woodberry Poetry Room, at Harvard.

All totaled we visited the graves of 75 American poets, and heard the amazing poetry of over 100 American poets read. Dedgar and the crew kept up a pace of just over 191.18 miles per day and 2 poets’ graves per day!

Dead Poets Bashes Bursting Out All Over

As the countdown to the Grand Tour begins, new locations are being announced for our public events, called a Dead Poets Bash. On the Dead Poets' Facebook page are the links to Bashes (ie. parties) in New Hampshire, Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, New York, and Rhode Island, (with more locations to be announced here soon).

Reluctance : Robert Frost

Reluctance by: Robert Frost
Originally uploaded by bdbflute