I first met William Dawson in Mountainaire, New Mexico on August 2007 at the 10th annual Sunflower Festival. I performed my story “Big Butts Are Beautiful” complete with backup girl singers and drum. William has previously appeared on Riehlife several times. His most recent contribution is “River of Sadness.” Here are his thoughts on the…
Eden Maxwell joined us earlier this month by sharing his mother Adele Richter’s poem “A Child’s Regret.” Here Eden introduces his poem “Miles | Stones | Epiphany,” another Dharma autobiography. –JGR After reading Susan Ollar’s poem “Autobiography in Fourteen Lines,” I recalled a poem I wrote over a decade ago–a snapshot of a life in…
I became an immediate fan of Wood Powell’s poetry after hearing him read at a St. Louis Writers Guild reading. He calls himself “another veteran waging peace.” Woody’s new blog, WALKING WITH OTHERS: Exploring Peace explores how we can nurture community in our efforts to make a better world for ourselves and our children. You…
I met Colleen McKee through a St. Louis poetry workshop “Loosely Identified.” Colleen, a St. Louisan, is the author of a collection of poetry, My Hot Little Tomato (Cherry Pie, 2007). She also co-edited Are We Feeling Better Yet? Women Speak About Health Care in America (PenUltimate, 2008). Her Riehlife Poem-of-the-Day “Natural Causes” originally appeared…
I met Colleen McKee through a St. Louis poetry workshop “Loosely Identified.” Colleen, a St. Louisan, is the author of a collection of poetry, My Hot Little Tomato (Cherry Pie, 2007). She also co-edited Are We Feeling Better Yet? Women Speak About Health Care in America (PenUltimate, 2008). “Natural Causes” originally appeared in Criminal Class…
Poem in Your Pocket Day. Carry a poem to share with co-workers, family, and friends on April 29, 2010. Here’s Ernie Wormwood’s choice.–JGR ____________ If You Could Write One Great Poem What Would You Want It To Be About by Robert Pinsky (Asked of four student poets at the Illinois Schools for the Deaf and…
Last night I was among the appreciative audience for a grand poetry reading by Charles Sweetman and Walter Bargen. Funny and soulful they alternated in 15 minute sets keeping me by turns howling and riveted with the play of their minds. I confess this is not always so. Often, I’m just waiting for the brownies…
I met artist-writer Gaye Gambell-Peterson through a St. Louis poetry workshop “Loosely Identified.” Gaye is indeed gay…in the old sense of the word…carefree, happy, and bubbly. She’s the kind of gal that matches the spirit of her red shoes. In Gary’s newest book MYnd mAp Gaye’s collages and poems speak to each other across the…
I met Susan Ollar eons ago it seems, at a Rigpa Tibetan Buddhist retreat. We spent the summer together at Lerab Ling in France. Since then we have become Sangha Sisters. Susan marked her 60th birthday this April. Pondering what to do about it, she decided to celebrate. Susan recalled a conversation of ours. I’d…
What is poetry? How do we read poetry? What distinguishes poetry from other forms of literature or art? Perhaps “more intense use of language– “higher voltage” per word (Perrine)? Here are two glimpses of Mary Oliver’s view of what poetry is: “The thoughtful machinery of the poem…” Mary Oliver’s introduction to Poetry, 1994 “If poetry…