We’ll be dodging raindrops between one shower and another tonight, but we’re on for the Last Red Dock Poetry Reading. Come and wish Tony and Dona well. Bring a jacket or a sweater with your folding chair. Beer and Wine and snacks for sale from Isabel’s Market & Eatery, who are kindly hosting this event with Tony. All the details here.
The Last Red Dock Poetry Reading
Here’s the scoop on this wonderful reading series as it comes to an ignoble close… Hope to see you there!
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The Last Red Dock Poetry Reading — Isabel’s Market & Eatery, September 22, 6pm
There have been a lot of “lasts” in this last season for the much-celebrated “last hippie bar,” the Red Dock in Douglas Michigan.
The last of the Red Dock’s events wrap up with The Last Red Dock Poetry Reading, sponsored by Tony and Dona Amato and Isabel’s Market and Eatery, where the reading will be held, at 310 Blue Star Highway, in Douglas, on September 22, at 6pm.
The featured poets will be Jack Ridl, Douglas’ Poet Laureate, the instigator — along with the Amatos, of the Red Dock Poetry Series. Jack and Tony welcome Kathleen McGookey to the stage this year.
Kathleen McGookey is author of four books of poetry, including Instructions for My Imposter and Stay. She also has three chapbooks, a book of translations of French poet Georges Godeau’s prose poems called We’ll See. McGoogkey’s poems and translations have appeared in many journals and anthologies, including Best Microfiction 2019, Best Small Fictions 2019, Copper Nickel, Crazyhorse, Denver Quarterly, Epoch, Field, New Micro: Exceptionally Short Fiction, Ploughshares, Prairie Schooner, Quarterly West, Quiddity, and The Southern Review. She has received grants from the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, the Arts Fund of Kalamazoo County, the Sustainable Arts Foundation, and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. McGookey has taught creative writing at Hope College, Interlochen Arts Academy, and Western Michigan University.
Jack Ridl is the author of several national award-winning collections, as well as poetry textbooks and anthologies. His most recent collection, St. Peter and the Goldfinch, Wayne State University Press, was released in 2019. His poems have appeared in more than 300 journals, and his work has been featured in numerous literary anthologies. He has given readings of his work and led workshops at colleges, universities, art colonies, elementary and high schools, and other venues around the country. More than 90 of his students’ work has been published.
The reading will be held outdoors, and the organizers recommend bringing a lawn chair to ensure enough seating. An outdoor bar will offer beer and wine for purchase, and food may be purchased from the market.
This program is free and open to the public.
CropWalking on my new knee!
Friends,
I know some of you have seen this already. Sorry for hitting your in-box twice!
Firstof all–no pressure.
I know all of us are asked to contribute to way more valuable causes than we possibly can.
Last year, I “Crop Hobbled” with a knee in need of surgery. This year, thanks to former student surgeon Dr. Jon Hop, I have a brand new knee and am ready to roll. Well, walk slowly and for only so far.
I won’t get down on my new knee and beg, but if you have a Five that you were gonna spend on Triple Peanut Butter ice cream, it’d be a joy to see it land in my beggar’s bowl.
I hope you are staying healthy, avoiding the plague and having days at least dappled with delight.
On we go, and thanks no matter what.
Here’s the link for donating online:https://events.crophungerwalk.org/2021/jack-ridl
Jack
Live and In Person! Reading and Workshop with Alison Swan May 23…
On Sunday, May 23, in person, outside, and distanced, Saugatuck Center for the Arts is hosting Alison Swan and me for a poetry reading and conversation about poetry, life, and work at 1pm that is open to the public. Alison and I love working together, and I know the conversation will be great for us, and we hope for you too!
Then at 2:30pm, Alison will conduct a creative writing workshop for the lucky folks who register for it.
This is all in celebration of Alison’s wonderful new book, A Fine Canopy, from Wayne State University Press! You’ll want this one, I promise, and can pick up a copy at the event, or click that link and order it now!
The center is asking people to RSVP for the reading, where seats are limited, and there is a registration fee for the workshop. Here is the link to sign up for both!
Recommended: The Greatest Indoor Reading Series
Looking for something that is warm, inspiring, fun, and intelligent to do on a Pandemic imprisoned Friday night?
The wife/husband duo of Treena and Ridge from Queens wanted to do something to help the pandemic disappear a bit before the weekend. So each Friday at 8:30 they present four writers and/or artists who present their artworks, be it visual or nonfiction, poetry or fiction, memoir or essay.
Each reads or presents for fifteen minutes followed by an insightful response by Ridge. It’s never stuffy, more like hanging out with warm-hearted friends. After an hour, everyone’s mic is unmuted, and off we go on a conversation that leads from here to there and somewhere. No critique. All observation and response. Never pretentious, yet always smart and often funny.
Here’s the link. You, of course, can stay as long as you want. Julie and I sit back with our sips and snacks, dive in when it feels right, and have come to know folks we never would have gotten to meet. Everyone feels welcomed and liked and appreciated.
The works presented express inclusiveness, include new and well-seasoned writers, Usually something for everyone. After about an hour of conversation, Treena confesses her exhaustion. She teaches 7th and 8th grade Chinese students and after a full Friday of inspiration admits her exhaustion, Ridge is a burnt-out social worker so he knows the feeling.
Give it two viewings before you decide this is or isn’t for you. We’re really glad that it’s for us.
Here’s how to join the performance: https://www.tgicast.com/events
You stay safe, ya hear!!!!
Jack
PS. One evening I even brought out one of our puppets.
PPS. Soon to appear are a couple poets many of you know: Laura Donnelly and Katie Bode-Lang!
Poetry Month Readings!
Hi there.I sure hope you are safe, and either have your vaccine or are soon to have it.
And now I try to type, sheepishly, some information about me, which I do, I hope, in order to best serve the sponsors.
1. On April 2, I will be reading for 10-15 minutes for The Greatest Indoor Reading Series out of Queens, New York. There are four of us reading: Catherine Doty, Jack Ridl, Dinty W. Moore and Elizabeth A.I. Powell. Each reads and then the writer responds to a question from the host. The reading begins at 8:30 with ‘virtual doors’ opening at 8. Follow this link to learn how to join in.
2. On April 8 I will join Terry Blackhawk as we celebrate the launch of the new collection by Dennis Hinrichsen, This is Where I Live, I Have Nowhere Else to Go, from Off the Grid Press. The evening is sponsored by the Oakland Library. Follow this link to register and for more information.
3. Throughout April seven poets will have their work on display throughout the city of South Lyons, Michigan. Each poem has been enlarged and framed. The poem they chose of mine is titled “After Spending the Morning Baking Bread” from Practicing to Walk Like a Heron, and you will find it right outside the bakery! Be sure to pick up some baked goods while you are there.
4. Alison Swan has invited me to join her for a conversation and reading for the launch of her wonderful new collection, A Fine Canopy, from Wayne State University Press. Order the book in advance of the reading, or pick up your copy there! The evening is sponsored by the Saugatuck Center for the Arts. Just go to their website to sign up. Alison will also be giving a workshop that will focus on ways to write about the natural world. Look for details here.
Whew. I do hope you receive this as an invitation and NOT at all as an obligation.
Thanks for caring.
Be well.
Jack
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Where are the Thursday videos?
You can find them here, Thursdays at 9am live, or any time after that!
Where are the books?
Visit Reader’s World or Hope-Geneva Bookstore in Holland, The Bookman in Grand Haven, the Michigan News Agency in Kalamazoo, and The Book Nook & Java Shop in Montague to find Jack’s books in West Michigan.
Click here to subscribe to receive Jack’s poems and news in your inbox.
Click here for Jack’s entire collection, In Time — poems for the current administration.
Jack on And Then Suddenly podcast by Angela Santillo.
Click here to watch Jack’s TedX talk.
Jack at Fetzer Institute on Kindness.
Jack at Fetzer Institute on Everyday Forgiveness.
Jack at Fetzer Institute on Empathy.
Jack Ridl at Fetzer Institute on Suffering and Love.
Beyond Meaning with Jack Ridl, C3: West Michigan’s Spiritual Connection
Don’t miss the Power of Poetry Reading 2021
This will be such fun. Alan Cohen’s amazing program, the Power of Poetry, is going to be held on Zoom this year! A festival of poets, storytellers, writers, and musicians in a two-night-long happening.
I’ll be taking part this year along with Naomi Shihab Nye, Billy Collins, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, David James Duncan, Ellen Bass, Valencia Robin, and many more.
March 19 * Educating the Heart
7 PM Eastern Time
March 20 * Pathways to the Heart
7 PM Eastern Time
For more information, visit Ravenspun here and to find out how to watch to the performances… CONNECT
Where’s Jack?
Hey folks. The blog was a great form of protest, but now that we have some sanity heading for Washington, you’ll find Jack giving out a poem and a nice Pandemic “Good Morning Out There” each Thursday, live on his Facebook page. If you don’t do Facebook, the good news is, you don’t need to! You can still watch Jack live on Thursdays at 9am ET by heading to his public Facebook Page here, or catch up with his Livestream videos here. Thanks for subscribing. We will let you know where and when you can catch Jack on Zoom readings or maybe some day in person, through posts here every now and then. We love you guys! — Julie
The Materialism of Angels
Jack will livestream today’s poem at 9am, ET, on his Facebook Page here, and the video will be saved with all of his past Livestream videos here.
Well, we thought last Thursday would be our final post. But on and on went the counting. My hope is that this ends the ordeal. I do worry that 45 will pull some scheme. In which case, we’ll be here until I see him walk or be walked out the door of our house. I’m using the plural here, because all along this has been the two of us, Julie and me. I write, she edits and posts and reminds me every week how to respond to your comments. And then pandemic-streaming on Facebook. Julie is behind the camera. I may be unlucky in my country’s leadership, but we are very lucky to have each other.
Several years ago I received a beautiful message from Germany from one Norbert Kraas. Since then, without yet meeting in person, we have become friends as deep as can be. Corinna is his most unassuming, multi-talented French wife. They have two children, Emily and Henry. And they live in a town you are sure exists only on a postcard from the 1800s. Oh how Julie and I want so to visit them in Tubingen.
Norbert has done so much to make these posts known in Europe. One of the multitude of things he has done was to introduce me to Christian Zaschke, the renowned writer of important bestsellers on the Irish troubles, and on Brexit. Each week he multiplies the editions of SZ, the German equivalent of the New York Times, The Guardian, Le Monde. He writes what he wants to write. He’s that well trusted by his editors, and his audience is enormous.
Four years ago Christian came to Saugatuck/Douglas for four days to do a story on this little known poet guy who was writing a protest column along with a poem and sending it out every Thursday. He was interested because I was not so much arguing with 45, as trying to support those whose character and values were being threatened by his malicious words and actions and calling attention to other writers whose work reminds us that we exist.
The other day, I received a message from Christian. I thought it a fitting shalom, namaste to all of you who have been so kind in receiving the posts as well as writing to tell me what they meant to you. YOU kept me going. Especially since I never believed that we would have to endure such wreckage for a full four years. And 45’s likely not done. In or out of office, on the first or fifteenth tee, he will be scheming ways to cause us harm.
So now, From Christian:
Dear Jack, my friend.
It’s looking good, isnt it?
What I like about the process is that it is so slow.
So 45 was sitting in the White House, glued to the TV, and he could see the defeat on the horizon but it was crawling towards him ever so slowly (like, if you will, a snail on a straight razor).
It must have been extremely painful for this particular man to see it coming closer and closer and closer and closer and closer …
And I like the little stories hidden in this election. You know why he lost Arizona? Because 97 percent of the Navajo Nation voted for Biden, and their vote is pretty much the difference between the two men in the state. So it were Native Americans who kicked him out there, after all. For some reason this sounds right to me.
Last but not least: I have smuggled you and your beautiful work into one of our big election features. It is just a tiny paragraph and it is supposed to work like a coda in music. At least that was my idea.
It goes like this:
——————-
Since the day Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, the aged and wise poet Jack Ridl from Saugatuck, Michigan, has been fighting the man in the White House with poetry. I have the best words, Trump had said, and Ridl thought to himself: “Well. We’ll see about that.” Week after week, always on Thursdays, he posted a poem on his blog and wrote a short introduction. It was the quietest possible form of protest, and yet it was an intense one. As he wrote, he wanted to do something against this president (whom he never called by name but always referred to as “45”) by giving the only thing he had to give: his art. “Well, my friends,” he wrote this week, “I made it for the whole four years. Please, no more.” Jack Ridl hopes his work is complete.
————————-
All the very best from Hell’s Kitchen, where even the sun seems to be in a pretty good mood today. Please, give Julie a big hug from me and feel hugged yourself.
Christian
The Materialism of Angels
“Who would say that pleasure is not useful?”—Charles Eames
Of course the angels dance. If not
on the head of a pin, then maybe
on the boardwalk along the ocean of stars.
And they eat hot and spicy: salsa,
tabasco, red peppers. They love
mangoes. They can munch
for hours on cashews. Olives
sit in bronze bowls on the cherry
tables next to their canopy beds
where the solace of pillows swallows
their sweet heads and the quiet
of silk lies across their happy backs.
They know the altruism of material things.
They want to say to us, “We’ll sleep
next to you. Feel our soft and unimposing
flutter across your shoulders, on your
heartbroken feet.” They want us
to take, eat, to smell the wood,
run our tired fingers over the rim of
every glass, give our eyes the chance
to see the way the metal bends and
curves its way into the black oval
of the chair. They want us to feel
the holiness of scratching where it
itches, rubbing where it hurts. They
want us to take long, steamy showers
and a nap. They know how easily
we follow directions: hook the red wire
to the front of the furnace, fill in only
the top half of the life insurance form.
They have no manuals for joy.
They can’t fix anything we break.
They wonder why we never laugh
enough, why we don’t know God
is crazy for deep massage, and loves
to wail on His alto sax whenever they dance.
–Jack Ridl
from Broken Symmetry (Wayne State University Press)
Where are the books? Visit Reader’s World or Hope-Geneva Bookstore in Holland, The Bookman in Grand Haven, the Michigan News Agency in Kalamazoo, and The Book Nook & Java Shop in Montague to find Jack’s books in West Michigan.
See all of Jack’s Facebook Livestream Videos Here.
Click here to subscribe to receive Jack’s poems and news in your inbox.
Click here for Jack’s entire collection, In Time — poems for the current administration.
Jack on And Then Suddenly podcast by Angela Santillo.
Click here to watch Jack’s TedX talk.
Jack at Fetzer Institute on Kindness.
Jack at Fetzer Institute on Everyday Forgiveness.
Jack at Fetzer Institute on Empathy.
Jack Ridl at Fetzer Institute on Suffering and Love.
Beyond Meaning with Jack Ridl, C3: West Michigan’s Spiritual Connection
Prayer for the Moral Heart
Jack will livestream today’s poem at 9am, ET, on his Facebook Page here, and the video will be saved with all of his past Livestream videos here.
I said to Julie, “I haven’t had my stomach in such a knot since my dad had to play North Carolina!”
Well, this is it, everyone. This is the first post for the beginning of the next four years. It’s also my last protest post. Four years ago I thought to counter this awful man and his minions by giving the only thing I have to give. I got so much in return from you.
So, starting next week, each Thursday at 9am instead Julie and I will do our Facebook video chat-and-a-poem only, the emphasis being empathy, as we work to survive the pandemic together. You’ll find me at that link above.
Of course I have wondered all four years whether doing this was worth it to anyone out there. I’m grateful for the responses that came in each week. They were sustaining.
This week, knowing we were nearing some kind of closure, revealing the ugly underbelly that has been there all along, waking us up to how fragile a moral nation is, I received two sustaining messages. One is from an American citizen; the other from a German citizen.
From our American friend Joe MacDoniels: “Here is hoping that you will be able to present a ‘last in the series’ poem on Thursday! That said, I hope you will also announce a new ‘Julie and Jack’ series that will shine a light on redemption, resolution and, dare I say ‘resurrection’ for America and a democratic vision of fairness, equality and hope. With appreciation for four years of starting my Thursdays with glimmers of light, memories and the joy of just falling into the wonderful implications of your words! –Joe”
And from German friend Josef Hien: “Dear Jack, I just read a book by Terry Pratchett, from the Discworld series, and I stumbled upon something that made me think of you and what you did the last four years. In it, a good witch has to fight a daemon called the Cunning Man. He is responsible for spreading fear and hate among people—and when she finally has to face him she says, ‘Your power is only rumor and lies. You bore your way into people when they are uncertain and weak and worried and frightened, and they think their enemy is other people when their enemy is, and always will be, you—the master of lies. Outside you are fearsome; inside, you are nothing but weakness. Inside, I am flint.’ A line a little earlier says, ‘Poison goes where poison’s welcome.’ I really hope that next week there will be not enough hearts and places to be found where poison is welcome. All my best wishes for you—and thank you for being flint!”
And thank YOU all for being flint! All this time, every Thursday and every day.
Prayer for the Moral Heart
There are those who know
the world without words,
not even a murmur or
a breath. Within the modesty
of presence, a prayer
could be green, tattered,
cold, alone as a possum
crossing a back road. It’s
the touch of the still. It’s
where we are Amen,
Shalom, Namaste—it’s our
there, here, our forgotten
habitat of yes. We become
sigh, our “I” the wet dog,
the sparrow nesting
in the anonymity of brown.
–Jack Ridl
First published in Southern Poetry Review
Subsequently published in Saint Peter and the Goldfinch (Wayne State University
Where are the books? Visit Reader’s World or Hope-Geneva Bookstore in Holland, The Bookman in Grand Haven, the Michigan News Agency in Kalamazoo, and The Book Nook & Java Shop in Montague to find Jack’s books in West Michigan.
See all of Jack’s Facebook Livestream Videos Here.
Click here to subscribe to receive Jack’s poems and news in your inbox.
Click here for Jack’s entire collection, In Time — poems for the current administration.
Jack on And Then Suddenly podcast by Angela Santillo.
Click here to watch Jack’s TedX talk.
Jack at Fetzer Institute on Kindness.
Jack at Fetzer Institute on Everyday Forgiveness.
Jack at Fetzer Institute on Empathy.
Jack Ridl at Fetzer Institute on Suffering and Love.
Beyond Meaning with Jack Ridl, C3: West Michigan’s Spiritual Connection
