Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Fall Reading Series

I'm really excited about the reading series that I'm co-directing with poet Christopher Bursk at Bucks County Community College. If you're local, I hope to see you there!

Bucks County Community College is pleased to announce its Wordsmiths Reading Series schedule for Fall 2016:

Friday, September 30, 7:30 p.m., Zlock Performing Arts Center
Li-Young Lee with Vida Chu


Friday, November 13, 2 p.m., Orangery
40th Annual Bucks County Poet Laureate Reading


Friday, December 2, 7:30 p.m., Gallagher Room
Richard Blanco with Winners of the LGBT Youth Poetry Prize

Saturday, December 3 – Writers' Conference, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Gallagher Room
Featuring Richard Blanco, President Obama's 2013 Inaugural Poet and benefiting The Rainbow Room, Attic Center, and Galaei

The Wordsmiths Reading Series is sponsored by the College’s Cultural Programming Committee. Events are free and open to the community, and held at the College's Newtown Campus. For more information contact Chris Bursk: 215.968.8156 or burskc@bucks.edu. 

Bucks County Community College
275 Swamp Road
Newtown PA, 18940

Bucks County Launches Search for the Next Poet Laureate

Friday, May 20, 2016

Thomas Merton Prize in Poetry of the Sacred

I'm so pleased and honored that “Soledad,” a lyric sequence that I co-authored with Elizabeth Savage, was selected by Elizabeth Robinson as the winning poem for the Thomas Merton Prize in Poetry of the Sacred.

Here's the link to the 21st annual Festival of Faiths taking place now in Louisville, KY. Our poem will be performed later today (time tba): Festival of Faiths

Our sequence will be published in the winter issue of Parabola. Here's a sneak peek:


Soledad

In which the sun
as bright as an orb
(which it was)

as sparks flew
or spurs
from disappointment’s—

that was all
as she drove listening
lone survivor

not a song
but a lyric
ran through it

*

When the dead are lost
in the sun—who are you

praying for? once
they blazed a path

once they burned
and the sparks blink

behind in effort
what survives the lyric

some small night
holds wilder nouns

in alien calm
one winter psalm

*

an alien calmness
engulfs an edge
wraps round

the wilder brush

beyond effort’s saving
sparks blind
crush

while stones
like thieves
find the rush

insatiable
and tell lies as lyric’s lost
accomplices

*

accomplices blind
by alien calm

a rap unrushed
a guest that lies
a thief in trust

in hindsight
crushed

if all we strike
breaks to light

*

if all we bend’s
already bent
invisibly

as a node’s nudge
dives down
only to be

caught
in dust
gust

*

bent to tend
low of dusk
sun belies
lyrics rushed

*                                     

this winter song
her lone accomplice
as stars once wished upon

now stare down
on woodland thrush

*

once along sabbath
sun
            startling orb
thrust upon
woodland wished
accomplishment



Friday, April 15, 2016

Fall Readings