Comments on: Crazy Ali of Turkey: “The Village Poet,” by Marcelline Burns

By: Janet Riehl

Janet Riehl — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:03:03 +0000

Dear Rick,

Thanks for your delightful and poetic remembrances of Crazy Ali. I'll forward you comment to Marcy Burns who wrote this post. She'll be happy to hear your story.

Janet

By: Rick

Rick — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:49:21 +0000

Yes, I know Crazy Ali well. Having lived in Ankara for nearly three years, I made 28 visits to Kapadokya. I made a few midnight walks with Ali, and to his "white church" cave on family property near Urgup. I will not forget his poetry readings in the church while I sat with fresh oranges and grapefruit, and wine we had brought for our trek. 40 candles placed throughout the church which made it quite light inside. Then, finally extinguishing the candles and packing them away, we made our climb up to the valley view point where his taksi driver friend picked us up for the ride back to his shop.

Many of my friends and colleagues still talk of Crazy Ali, his kind, sincere heart and gentle ways! I look forward to the opportunity to go visit him again!

By: Maribu

Maribu — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 18:15:23 +0000

Hello,

Ali knows that his poem is on internet. About one month ago I have talk to him in his small vilage. It's an amazing man.

By: Sonia

Sonia — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 06:39:15 +0000

I met him tooo!

He took us on a "walk" at midnight! It was amaaaazing! I'm gonna blog about it in a bit.

By: Nitin Bala

Nitin Bala — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 06:37:09 +0000

Hi There !

I just returned from this place just a week back... and memories of this person and the unique experience he gave us still afresh in my mind. The best was we had a 4 hr trek with this guy at NIGHT ! through the valleys of Urgup...where he took us to a church inside one of those caves.......... marvelous...the best part of the trip it was.....

By: Gust Van der Meiren

Gust Van der Meiren — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:52:14 +0000

Crazy Ali's address:
50650 Ortahisar - Ürgüp - Turkey.
He was born in 1947 en has written about 400 poems (all in English).
Impressive is his hand wave before he starts reciting his poem.
He has no computer and even doesn't want one.
The villagers consider him being a (harmless) lunatic.

By: Lora Lowe

Lora Lowe — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:36:25 +0000

You've shown why travel is so important: We can find ourselves as we'd appear if we lived in other cultures.

Thank you for this example of our oneness, and another take on "wherever we go, there we are."

By: Marcy Burns

Marcy Burns — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:08:59 +0000

Thank you for making it possible for others to read Ali's poem. I wish that he could know that it has been published. I believe he would be greatly pleased to know his poem has been shared more widely than with just the three of us who met him in his village.. Unfortunately, I know of no way to contact him. Mail sent to him months ago has been neither returned nor acknowledged, and I now doubt that he ever received it.