Celebrating the Spoken Word: Conscientious Objector

Celebrating the Spoken Word

In 2016, it was my privilege to participate in the My Favorite Poem event. I read "Conscientious Objector," by Edna St. Vincent Millay. 

In the the video below, you can hear my presentation introduced by Jim Reed, editor of the Birmingham Arts Journal.   

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A Gathering of Artists, Authors, and Poets

The Public Is Invited - Tonight Is the Night

For anyone interested in an enjoyable evening of authors, poets, and artists, it will be my pleasure to once again read from my own works at the upcoming Birmingham Arts Journal event. See details below:

Produced without profit by dedicated volunteers who believe that 
exceptional works by the famous, not-yet-famous, and never-to-be famous
 deserve to be published side by side in a beautiful and creative setting.

You Are Invited!

Birmingham Arts Journal Quarterly Meeting

TUESDAY, JULY 23, 6:30PM

Free reception and reading
featuring artists, photographers, poets and authors
who appear in the latest editions
of the BIRMINGHAM ARTS JOURNAL.

Emmet O'Neal Public Library
50 Oak Street, Crestline/Mt. Brook, AL 35213
205-879-0459
(Parking on the street and in the parking lot)
See you there!

www.birminghamartsjournal.com

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Come to the Birmingham Arts Journal Quarterly Meeting!

The Public Is Invited

For anyone interested in an enjoyable evening of authors, poets, and artists, it will be my pleasure to once again read from my own works at the upcoming Birmingham Arts Journal event. See details below:

Produced without profit by dedicated volunteers who believe that 
exceptional works by the famous, not-yet-famous, and never-to-be famous
 deserve to be published side by side in a beautiful and creative setting.

You Are Invited!

Birmingham Arts Journal Quarterly Meeting

TUESDAY, JULY 23, 6:30PM

Free reception and reading
featuring artists, photographers, poets and authors
who appear in the latest editions
of the BIRMINGHAM ARTS JOURNAL.

Emmet O'Neal Public Library
50 Oak Street, Crestline/Mt. Brook, AL 35213
205-879-0459
(Parking on the street and in the parking lot)
See you there!

www.birminghamartsjournal.com

And here is a further announcement from the desk of Jim Reed:

What do these artists & authors have in common? Glenn Wills Pamela Manasco Charles Kinnaird Richard Luftig Tim Suermondt Bonnie Roberts Tina Braziel Ryder Jack Evers Allen Johnson Jr. Jennifer Horne Emma Bolden Jim Reed Rae Meadows Margaret Buckhanon Elise Alisande Terry Barr Brenda Michael Ann Hite Max Johansson Mike McKensie Marcia Mouron Glenn Wells Andrew Tyson Amber Orr Fabrice B. Poussin THEY ALL APPEAR IN THE NEWEST ISSUE OF BIRMINGHAM ARTS JOURNAL! Come appreciate them in person. FREE! A beautiful evening brought to you by beautiful poets, authors, artists, photographers...and their beautiful muses. Refreshments served.  FREE AND OPEN TO EVERY LOVER OF ART & POETRY & PROSE & FINE MUSIC TUESDAY, JULY 23, 6:30PM Free reading and reception featuring artists, photographers, poets and authors who appear in the latest editions of BIRMINGHAM ARTS JOURNAL. Unite for a Lively Evening Get ready for three FREE events. If you love art, photography, prose and poetry, these are for you! Y'ALL COME! ArtLovers Unite for a Lively Evening Emmet O'Neal Library  in historic Crestline, Mountain Brook (Birmingham), Alabama See you there! BIRMINGHAM ARTS JOURNAL new copies will be available beginning July 23 at the reception and at Reed Books and the Birmingham Museum of Art gift shop editor@birminghamartsjournal.com SEE YOU THERE THEN!    BIRMINGHAM ARTS JOURNAL

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Art Lovers Unite for a Lively Evening

For those in the Birmingham area, I’ll be reading one of my poems at the Birmingham Arts Journal event tomorrow night.

BIRMINGHAM ARTS JOURNAL

NEXT Y'ALL-COME-TO-SEE-US EVENT:

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 6:30PM

Free reading and reception
featuring artists, photographers, poets and authors who appear in the latest editions 
of BIRMINGHAM ARTS JOURNAL.
And FREE music by the Birmingham Cello Project

Art Lovers Unite for a Lively Evening
14th Floor of the Wells Fargo Tower
in wonderful historic Downtown
Birmingham, Alabama

See you there!

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My Favorite Poem

Two weeks ago the eleventh annual My Favorite Poem event was held in Birmingham at the Alabama School of fine arts. We had people from many walks of life reading (see program notes below). It was my privilege to read "Conscientious Objector," by Edna St. Vincent Millay. The video of the readings has been posted on the Birmingham Arts Journal website at http://birminghamartsjournal.com/favorite.html. You may also see the entire event on the video below.

My Favorite Poem 2016 from AWC on Vimeo.




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To Hear a Poem

Today we often think of poetry as words on a page: a book of poems, or a poem in a literary journal. Poetry is often tied up in the reading of the text. It may be a quiet reading at home, or it could be a reading for class discussion. Before poetry was written, however, it was an oral art form. Epic poems were spoken in public gatherings and in circles gathered around a fire at night.

I believe that poetry is still primarily meant to be heard. If it can be heard in a public setting, so much the better. There is something about hearing a poem that that engages both the speaker and the hearer in ways that the printed page cannot do.

Finding a Moment to Listen

A few years ago, I was in the public library and I found an audio book of poetry. It was titled, The Poets' Corner: The One-and-Only Poetry Book for the Whole Family, compiled by actor John Lithgow.  It is available in print as well, and provides a wide range of poetry. Lithgow gives an introduction to each poet as well as commentary, which is helpful, but the most important thing to me was the hearing of the poetry, read by Lithgow himself. John Lithgow apparently has a preference for the spoken word, himself. In the cover notes we read:

From listening to his grandmother recite epic poems from memory to curling up in bed while his father read funny verses, award-winning actor John Lithgow grew up with poetry. Ever since, John has been an enthusiastic seeker of poetic experience, whether reading, reciting, or listening to great poems.

The wide variety of carefully selected poems in this book provides the perfect introduction to appeal to readers new to poetry, and for poetry lovers to experience beloved verses in a fresh, vivid way. William Blake, Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allan Poe, and Dylan Thomas are just a few names among Lithgow's comprehensive list of poetry masters. His essential criterion is that "each poem's light shines more brightly when read aloud."

I checked out the audio book and thoroughly enjoyed the listening. It stayed in my car so that in driving to and from work, instead of listening to music hits or daily news I listened to poetry from some of the best poets in the English language. I highly recommend this exercise for any poetry lover or for anyone wanting to know more about poetry. Spend time listening, hearing the words and the rhythms of the poets.

“My Favorite Poem”

For those in the Birmingham area, this coming Friday night at 7:00 p.m. is a wonderful opportunity to hear poetry read in a public setting. The program is called “My Favorite Poem,” and will feature people from all walks of life getting up to read their favorite poem. I have been before, and it is a truly remarkable experience to hear a variety of poems. Like Lithgow’s book, it is a night for “the whole family,” so you will not hear objectionable language, but you will hear some fine poetry, and each poem will be someone’s favorite. This year I am pleased to be able to participate, so I will have a poem to share.

The event will be at the Alabama School of Fine Arts in downtown Birmingham (1800 Reverend Abraham Woods Blvd).  In partnership with the Birmingham Arts Journal, the ASFA Creative Writing Department will host the Birmingham area's My Favorite Poem event. In its eleventh year, the event is set for this Friday, Sept. 23 and will start at 7 p.m.

I hope to see you there!

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Flashback: Liminal Space and Sacred Time

While I'm involved in another project, I am re-posting some of my favorite essays. This essay was originally posted on September 24, 2011. Last week I read a meditation by Richard Rohr on Liminal Space which prompted me to go back to my own essay on the topic. The event that I wrote about was My Favorite Poem, sponsored by the Birmingham Arts Journal. This September, I will have the privilege of reading a poem at that annual event.

(Alabama School of Fine Arts logo)

Liminality (from the Latin word līmen,meaning "a threshold") is a psychological, neurological, or metaphysical subjective state, conscious or unconscious, of being on the "threshold" of or between two different existential planes.

Psychologists call "liminal space" a place where boundaries dissolve a little and we stand there, on the threshold, getting ourselves ready to move across the limits of what we were into what we are to be. 

My wife and I had a wonderful evening last night as we listened to 16 people from various walks in life read at the annual "My Favorite Poem" poetry reading. The event was co-sponsored by the Birmingham Arts Journal and the Alabama School of Fine Arts. Local TV newsman Mike Royer was on hand as emcee, and did an outstanding job introducing each reader and helping the event to flow smoothly.

I have long considered poetry to be a sacred process and poems make available to us a body of sacred writing. It is a canon which has never been closed and which continuously arises to speak to the human condition. To sit and read a poem is to be open to a sacred time where life and mystery is celebrated. Even more important is the public nature of poetry.  Long before human communities were even literate, people gathered in public spaces and around fires to hear the sounds and the rhythms of that unique language of poetry.

Last night was such a time and I am grateful to Jim and Liz Reed of the Birmingham Arts Journal and to ASFA for creating that public arena for the reciting of poetry. I am also grateful to each of the readers who stood before us to read their favorite poem.

We heard stories of humanity that echoed the joys and sorrows, the struggles and triumphs of life.  There were light-hearted moments, there were occasions for laughter, and there were moments of somber reflection. We heard stories of war time, poverty, and family. We heard from poets who affirmed every aspect of life, each in his or her own unique style.

After the readings, there was a grand reception hosted by ASFA’s Creative Writing Department. Off to the side was the school’s art gallery which was open with installments from the Visual Arts students. My wife and I took the time to walk through the gallery to see the exhibits. Our daughter graduated from ASFA with a specialty in Visual Art, so we enjoyed seeing once again the creations of those high school students. As always, I was amazed at the creativity expressed in the sculptures and paintings within the gallery. It was yet another occasion to walk within that liminal space that gives us cause for wonder and hope.

All in all, the evening was a great celebration of creativity, life, love, longing, and community. It was a reminder of the importance of bringing people together to publicly set aside sacred time and liminal space to celebrate life together as we navigate this hopeful but unsure path.

*    *    *    *    *

You may be interested in reading:

On Poetry, Prayer, and Gratitude

On Transcendence (and Being Discrete)

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Liminal Space, Sacred Time, and the Public Reading of Poetry

Liminality (from the Latin word līmen,meaning "a threshold") is a psychological, neurological, or metaphysical subjective state, conscious or unconscious, of being on the "threshold" of or between two different existential planes.

Psychologists call "liminal space" a place where boundaries dissolve a little and we stand there, on the threshold, getting ourselves ready to move across the limits of what we were into what we are to be. 

My wife and I had a wonderful evening last night as we listened to 16 people from various walks in life read their favorite poem. The event was co-sponsored by the Birmingham Arts Journal and the Alabama School of Fine Arts. Local TV newsman Mike Royer was on hand as emcee, and did an outstanding job introducing each reader and helping the event to flow smoothly.

I have long considered poetry to be a sacred process and poems make available to us a body of sacred writing. It is a canon which has never been closed and which continuously arises to speak to the human condition. To sit and read a poem is to be open to a sacred time where life and mystery is celebrated. Even more important is the public nature of poetry.  Long before human communities were even literate, people gathered in public spaces and around fires to hear the sounds and the rhythms of that unique language of poetry.

Last night was such a time and I am grateful to Jim and Liz Reed of the Birmingham Arts Journal and to ASFA for creating that public arena for the reciting of poetry. I am also grateful to each of the readers who stood before us to read their favorite poem.

We heard stories of humanity that echoed the joys and sorrows, the struggles and triumphs of life.  There were light-hearted moments, there were occasions for laughter, and there were moments of somber reflection. We heard stories of war time, poverty, and family. We heard from poets who affirmed every aspect of life, each in his or her own unique style.

After the readings, there was a grand reception hosted by ASFA’s Creative Writing Department. Off to the side was the school’s art gallery which was open with installments from the Visual Arts students. My wife and I took the time to walk through the gallery to see the exhibits. Our daughter graduated from ASFA with a specialty in Visual Art, so we enjoyed seeing once again the creations of those high school students. As always, I was amazed at the creativity expressed in the sculptures and paintings within the gallery. It was yet another occasion to walk within that liminal space that gives us cause for wonder and hope.

All in all, the evening was a great celebration of creativity, life, love, longing, and community. It was a reminder of the importance of bringing people together to publicly set aside sacred time and liminal space to celebrate life together as we navigate this hopeful but unsure path.

*    *    *    *    *

You may be interested in reading:

On Poetry, Prayer, and Gratitude

On Transcendence (and Being Discrete)

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