Another Publication with Excellent Taste in Poets

This literary magazine right here:

(link ^)

has had the good sense to publish two of our fellow poets--and Cameron graduates--Tracy Haught and Jason Poudrier, in a special Oklahoma Writer's Issue.

Congratulations to them!

Jason Poudrier regularly attends the monthly poetry readings, so if you do too, it is likely you have heard him read some of the poems that will appear in Sugar Mule. We may have even heard several revisions of the poems. Jason is a veteran of the most recent war in Iraq. His poems, which often transpose images of the Iraq war over images of the Oklahoma landscape, present a vision that is probably familiar to a lot of Lawtonians.

Here is a bit from his poem "Red Fields," which is one that will be appearing in Sugar Mule:

our holes would be shallow,
and we'd push the sand up around
the perimeter, making
a false reservoir of safety,
knowing bullets would penetrate
the powdered walls if we were ambushed,
and our bodies would lie
half-exposed in shallow graves,
in pools coloring the sand
Oklahoma clay.


You can read some of Tracy Haught's poetry in the latest issue of Polyphony , where her poem, "Oklahoma," also presents a brave and authentic vision of our state.


Where sunset flames
On the western horizon
Like the sparks of past pain.
Like those who were forced
To walk until they could no longer be
What God intended them to be.
The only abundance was in tears--
Plenty enough for future irrigation--
but mostly they've been forgotten,
Overlooked in the stomping and clapping,
the humdrum of the average life


Sugar Mule is a really cool looking magazine, and I'm pretty excited about an issue featuring a lot of Oklahoma voices, like Tracy's and Jason's. The issue will be available on line in July, and eventually Sugar Mule will partner with Mongrel Empire Press to create a print anthology of Oklahoma Writers.

Here's a link to the current issue.

Fishouse.org: good resource to find emerging contemporary American poets

I know that my posts have been poetry heavy; I am sorry for the bias. I do love prose as well, and would love to discuss some non-fiction, especially. But for now, here's a great poetry site you may not have encountered.

The Academy of American Poets (poets.org) is a great site for classical poems and established contemporary poets. But what about the emerging voices: those 30-somethings and 40-somethings who need a wider audience? Fishouse (www.fishouse.org, 1 h) is the site for such poets. Fishouse features mostly American writers. And along with text, they have audio files. The poets read their work, both live and recorded in a studio, and they also answer interview questions. This site is a tremendous resource for anyone looking for contemporary work.

Yes, the work will mostly come from poets working in the academy, but there are still a wide and diverse range of voices. Poets who I go back to: Aimee Nez, John Poch, Patrick Rosal, Gerald Stern, Henrietta Goodman, and Curtis Bauer. I will admit to knowing a couple of these writers personally, so adding them on a list seems self-serving. Still, I believe that each poet here has good work. In fact, Curtis Bauer is talking about visiting Lawton soon. He is open to a spring reading. Hopefully, we can make that happen. If so, we'll all know what he sounds like before he shows up, thanks to this site.

LOCAL MONTHLY OPEN-MIC READINGS IN LAWTON

Every second Saturday of the month, writers from Lawton and surrounding towns come together at the Universalist Unitarian church. This ragtag bunch reads new work, old work, tells stories, and shares the poems and stories of writers they admire.

For the most part, the readers become familiar, as may people read regularly. A new face or two, though, arrives each time to share a new perspective, a new voice. At the last reading, Amit Bashyal, a first-year student at Cameron walked in with his laptop, ready to read. Amit is from Kathmandu, Nepal. He is studying the sciences at CU, but he is most certainly a writer.

I first met Amit in my Comp class; he was my student, adjusting to college life a long, long distance from home. Amit and I are now friends and several times he has shared his new work with me. On his facebook page, he's listed quite a few titles under his "favorite books." But the list is not a wish list. It's the list of book he's read in the last two years and includes many of the most celebrated English-language books. Recently, he was turned on to the Beat writers. How he likes these writers, I hope to find out soon.

Anyway, here's a poem by Amit. Also, I wrote about Amit for the January issue of Okie Magazine--"From Nepal to Oklahoma, Amit Bashyal Discovers His Other Life."

Spaces Around Me

by Amit Bashyal

Vacant spaces around me
There I try to fit myself
Far left in the corner
I put my anger
In front of my eyes
Lies my world of ties
Above my head
Is the large round space
There is my world full of mess
My left hand points a place
Lies the challenges I have to face
My right hand facing the vacancy
Lies my dreams full of dreams and fancy
In my back lies an eternal room
All my memories are doomed
All around me are the spaces
Where I try to fit myself!

RE-VERSE. Poetry Recital @ Cameron, March 11, 6:30 p.m.

RE-VERSE

If you're in Lawton on Thursday, March 11, 6:30 p.m., and you're needing a poetry fix, we have the event for you. Just for you. We're thoughtful like that.

Sigma Tau Delta is hosting Re-verse. The event will be held at the Student Activities Center (across from the student union) at Cameron University. Sigma Tau Delta will provide some food and drink and the event will have an intermission.

Thirty poetry lovers, from the Cameron and Lawton communities, will recite one of their favorite poems. As long as the poem isn't your own, it will work for this event. So far we have between ten and fifteen people who have signed up. If you're interested you can let us know on here or contact Amber Harrington, Dr. William Carney, or me at Cameron.

Sigma Tau Delta is asking for donations of canned food. These will go to the Lawton Food Bank. Anyone who can contribute a can or five, whether they are a presenter or listener, is encouraged to donate.

We're hoping that we hear a variety of poems, from the classics to contemporary to silly poems. I'm planning to recite the poem of an up-and-coming teen-aged poet. At least one poet will recite in a language other than English. Poems in any language are welcome. Is there a sonnet in Klingon? If so, someone should definitely recite it.

After Anis Shivani's reading, Friday, perhaps you would like your face rocked off.

I'll tell you something else about Friday, February 12th.

The punk/metal band, Day of the Sick, featuring Rev. Jones (our fellow poet, Rob Duncan), will be performing at the Railhead. Beginning at 10pm.

This performance will not be an artsy performance.

It will be a wall of doomish noise.

March 2nd Show at Cameron Campus Ministry

Featuring Levi the Poet , a "Death Metal Poet." Here's a clip of him performing at Cameron in September '09:



The show will also feature Andrew the Poet, our new Facebook friend, who let us know about this event.



C-Note and the Ballerz, who were interviewed by Jeremy Bigelow for the March '09 issue of OKIE MAGAZINE, will perform.



And so will Paid in Blood

Show starts @ 8pm at Cameron Campus Ministry

500 SW 27th Street . Lawton, Oklahoma . 73505

Sounds like it could be pretty cool. Check it out. Tell us what you think.

February 12th Cameron Visiting Writer

Author, Anis Shivani, will be reading from his collection,

ANATOLIA AND OTHER STORIES

@ Cameron University

in CETES Conference Room B

Friday, February 12

@ 7 pm

Here's a picture of Shivani that you can click on to get to his website:



Here's a bit about ANATOLIA AND OTHER STORIES:

In these stories of novelistic breadth, Shivani takes the measure of the fallout from globalization as well as its advantages, exploring cultures old and new to gauge their ultimate resiliencies. An undocumented Indian worker in Dubai, an Issei man in a California internment camp, a persecuted minority novelist in contemporary Tehran, and a loyal-to-the-core Jewish trader in the Ottoman empire are the kinds of sympathetic characters who bridge place and individuality in this powerful collection. These stories make us confront the hardest intellectual challenges of the emerging world, without losing narrative urgency, concision, and lyrical power.

These readings are usually very intimate and enjoyable. Afterward, the authors often invite questions from the audience. It's a great way to spend a few hours on a Friday. See you there!

Read This!

Local poet, Tracy Haught, has some poems appearing in this publication:

You may have heard her reading some of these poems at the monthly reading.

Read them! Love them! Say so!

"Riding the Curl of Light: Poems to Love."

John Graves Morris will give his traditional Valentine's Day reading
in the beautiful Leslie Powell Gallery
@ 620 Southwest D Ave.
on Friday, February 13th, at 7pm.

There will be wine and other refreshments.

And there will be love.

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