Joanna Biggar Shares Two Poems that Speak to Now
These poems by Bertalicia Peralta and A.E. Stallings "both shine light on troubling places in this aching world."
Joanna Biggar shares two poems she came upon recently that speak to the times. The first, by Panamanian poet Bertalicia Peralta "illuminates the power of love in a powerful woman." The second, by A. E. Stallings, "After a Greek Proverb," "reminds us of the harrowing plight of millions of refugees and their forced marches from home."
This is the Biggar's first blog post following the death of the beloved women's liberation leader Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Read both poems here via Joanna Biggar's Blog
Featured Audio: Rose Solari reads “The Beginning, 1939”
In “The Beginning, 1939” Rose Solari’s mastery of recitation is put to the music of her capricious mother and the frantic hopes of her father who wishes to leave “no long, tight pauses for her to fill.” I’ve written before about Rose’s use of swing and rhythmic motifs in her work, elements which are alive in this poem, but what is really mesmerizing to me about “1939” is the musical image toward the end which harbors no pretense of cramming lieder into language, but instead focuses on the very physical act of her mother playing the piano:
Mikaela Lefrak Examines the Life of Maryland Poet Laureate, Grace Cavalieri
The beloved Grace Cavalieri “contains multitudes” according to Mikaela Lefrak in her newest article from WAMU taking a look at the life and career of the 10th Poet Laureate. And Ms. Lefrak treats her subject with the due respect of a life which cannot be covered succinctly in 500 words. She delivers a reverent tourists’ view of Grace Cavalieri’s life, hitting the big things: her poetry and work ethic, the passing of her husband, Kenneth Flynn, her conversion to Buddhism, and finally her new tenure as Poet Laureate.
Listen to Grace Cavalieri on the Kojo Nnamdi Show
Grace Cavalieri’s recent stop at NPR’s The Kojo Nnamdi show is now streamable. Over a substantive 22 minutes, listen to Grace talk about poetry, inspiration, and her plans as the 10th Maryland Poet Laureate.