Todd and Susanna Reading May 10

Todd Davis and Susanna Childress will be reading together May 10 in Grand Haven, at the Grand Haven Area Arts Council at 7pm. Read all about it at Greg Rappeleye’s blog.

What a thrill

Julie here again, posting for Ridl….

What a thrill:

http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/programs/2007/04/30/index.html

Thanks, all you almanac folks.

And then, today Jack received notice that Broken Symmetry is a co-winner of the Society of Midland Authors Award for poetry for 2007. Jack’s blinking. This award covers work published in 12 states, and the past winners include Ted Kooser, Jim Harrison, Carl Phillips, Alice Fulton, and Richard Jones.

The Writer’s Almanac

Julie here, happily reporting:

Monday, April 30, on Blue Lake Public Radio 9:55 a.m. here, but airing different times on
different public radio stations, Garrison Keillor will be reading one
of Jack’s poems on The Writer’s Almanac:

The Writer’s Almanac with Garrison Keillor
http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/

If it doesn’t air in your area, you can find it at the site above
starting Tuesday, or download the episode from iTunes.

And that’s just a very cool thing for the old bear, don’t you think?

Recent Readings

The reading at Alpena was a gem. Meridith went along. We’d not had a Daddy/Daughter trek in some time.

We got there just fine, Meridith navigating. We missed a turn coming back. Everyone at Alpena was so good to us. They welcomed us in our room with flowers and Dove chocolates, took us out to a great dinner, and the company was so stimulating to talk with, the fellow diners being from NYC, California, Texas and now loving living in Alpena and trying to talk us all into moving there. And the audience had the best questions following the reading. And the library! Talk about a library that cares about people. Great place. Go.

Then this past week I got to read with former student Chris Dombrowski at Michigan State. That makes two readings this year with former students. What a joy! Chris’s mother is our agent. She was instrumental in setting this up. And the people at MSU were incredibly welcoming. Chris and I recorded an interview prior to the reading. The old guy and the new kid on the block blew the roof off the joint. Chris is writing remarkable poems and essays. He read both at the reading and I kept having to push my jaw up. Sue Poppink who was a student of mine in the 70’s was there and brought me water! I’d not seen her since ‘79. She has her doctorate and teaches education. And Chris’s wife, Mary, also a former student was there rooting us on. And another former student, Sara Lamers was there, too. Sara has a new collection out from March Street Press. Its title is A City without Trees.You can access the interview and the reading by going to

http://www.lib.msu.edu/vincent/writers/index.htm

Nice Review by Sarah Jensen

Sarah Jensen, a fine writer and columnist I met at the Ludington Poetry Series, wrote this lovely review of Broken Symmetry on her company’s book blog. I think I’ll go back and read it 20 more times…

I’m Hoping You Will Be Interested!

Here are some upcoming stops on the Broken Symmetry Tour!~!!!! : )

—–READINGS—–

1. February 20: The New School at Kalamazoo Community College Contact Rob Haight for information.

2. February TBA: Kalamazoo College. Contact Dianne Seuss for information.

3. March 21: With the wonderful Mary Jo Firth Gillett in Ann Arbor at the Work in Progress Reading Series.

Contact Deanne Lundin for information.

4. April 13: With former student, the amazing Christopher Dombrowski, at the Michigan State University Library

5. April 18: With several poets at The Grand Rapids Public Library

—–Conferences/Workshops/Retreats—–

>>>>>I will be leading conference-long workshops at all of these below. How I would love to get to be with you at any of these week long retreats<<<<<

!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sign up and have a great good time at any or all of them. !!!!!!!!!!!

1. May 17-20: The Far Field Retreat for Writers at Oakland, MI.

2. June 12-16: Interlochen Center for the Arts Writers Institute

3. June 24-30: Oxbow School of Art

>>>>> Go to “links” on my website to get connections to each of these. <<<<<

I’d sure love to see those of you I know and also meet new folks at any/all of these!!!!!!!!

Sappism

Sappism. In this literary world abundant with theories, I’ve decided to found a new one for the new year–Sappism. Those who subscribe to its tenets will be referred to as Sappists. Fear of the sappy, the cheesy is a plague upon us all, cutting the tender from its mooring in the authenticity of heart. What’s to fear–The accusation of sentimentality. And yet sentimentality itself has had such a bad rap for so long that most of us can’t remember when it fell into the grip of easy disdain. Actually the accusation of sentimentality is usually applied solely and soulessly to anything smacking of the gentle, the tender, the straightforwardly affirming. And yet the most often used definition of sentimentality is an emotional reaction inappropriate to its stimulus. If that’s the case then why not apply the definition to the full range of emotional reactions inappropriate to their stimuli. Seems to me that there is more sentimentality in the range of rages, cynicisms, hype, baroque use of artistic technique, rampant excitement over trends in entertainment and art, shock, imposed distress, and on and on than in the range of responses to kitties (kittens), loneliness, honest love in the midst of all that mitigates against it, flowers, rain, and the kindness of strangers. And so, Sappism. Sappists. Join this ism. Risk the ridicule. Make it a movement.

Sappily yours,
Jack

Detroit Historical Museum

Julie and I drove over to Ann Arbor on Saturday, December 2, hung out there and felt politically correct, wandered in real bookstores, and ate good. Then on Sunday we headed over to The Detroit Historical Museum for a book signing. After signing a book, we went out to eat with Sarah and Mollica from the Wayne Press, their friend Brooke and former student David Soubly. That was a great time as we celebrated Sarah’s birthday even though it wasn’t her birthday. It was a delight to see David and learn about his survival at Ford, his continuing to write–he’s working to finish his second novel–and his family.

Look for David’s first novel titled SANTA, CEO. You can check out the novel at www.santaceo.com or obtain copies at www.booklocker.com. And while mentioning former students, I recently learned that Jill Thiel who went to Hope College in the 70s was at the reading that Sally Smits and I got to give at IUSB.

What a joy to hear from good good her! Here’s wishing one and all the very best of these holiday times.

Reading with Sally

November 16 brought a wonderful gift. I got to read with my former student Sally Smits at Indiana University at South Bend. Sitting there listening to her, seeing her so luminous, brought back memories of this punk first year student who landed in the flatlands so homesick for her Rocky Mountains. And now here she was, a college professor and a poet you all should read, a poet whose poems are filled with glowing surprises and head/heart coherence. They dazzle but never show off. Amazing, I’d say. Julie was there, knitting away with a soft smile on her face the whole time. Following Sally felt like being the trained seal trying to follow the Queen of the Air. I balanced the bowling pin on my nose quite well, however. And there was a Q & A after, which was another delight as we responded to questions and bantered back and forth with lots of laughs.Everyone at IUSB was warm and welcoming. I loved being with the faculty after the reading and before it at dinner–one classy dinner it was. If you are ever in South Bend, go to the Main Street Cafe. I think that’s the name of it. The faculty at IUSB have such intelligent enthusiasm. They are building a writing program and it’s going to be terrific.

And former student Jill Thiel drove all the way from Chicago to be in the audience. That was so so kind of her. What a great good time this all was. To read with ones student–talk about a joy! In the spring, I get to read at Michigan State with former student Chris Dombrowski. I wanna have a tour with all my students!

Penn State, Altoona

The creative writing faculty at the Altoona campus of Penn State is magical, exceptional. What a gang of talents and intelligences–and they all woop for one another. I had such a great good time there. To be once again surrounded by my Pennsylvania mountains was rejuvenating. Todd Davis’s class was a joy to be with. Todd and Shelly and their boys, Noah and Nathan created a resort out of their home for me. Talk about good sleepin’ and good eatin and good talkin’! I repaid them by trouncing them at Rummy after the reading. Read in a chapel. I think I should set up the “Jack-in-the-Chapel Tour.” How many is that now?

So thanks to Todd and family, to Dinty Moore and Erin Murphy for being such great “instant friends.” Buy their books. They write the real stuff.