More Poetry Month and a Sad Passing

I was very sad to read this morning on C. Dale Young’s blog about the passing of Jeanne Leiby, who had recently taken over editor-ship of The Southern Review. I thought she had a great vision for the magazine and she wrote me a very kind note while she was editor there. It’s a strange thing; in the age of Facebook, I said to my husband: “But she just posted to Facebook yesterday!” She was about the same age as my older brothers, in her mid-forties, and that just seems tragic and unfair.

I am reminded that we should tell all the people we admire and care for just how much we admire and care for them. I was so happy to see some of my old friends at poetry readings in the last week. Rebecca Loudon read her poem “Love Letter to the Whores on Aurora Avenue” which always makes me cry, and I saw Colleen McElroy, who spent time and energy mentoring me when I was just starting out as a writer/lit mag volunteer in Seattle – in fact, before I met her, she accepted one of my poems for my first “real” poetry acceptance (you know, outside of teen-y contests and high school mags and such.) She got up, rocking her skinny jeans and high-heeled boots, and was such a fierce poetry presence…it was really inspiring. If I could be half as fierce a poet as Rebecca and Colleen, well, I’d still be a pretty darn fierce poet.

Collin Kelley has started blogging for Poets & Writers. Check out his first post here!

During Poetry Month, I wanted to take a moment to encourage everyone to go buy poetry books from independent bookstores. Specifically, you should all buy books from Open Books, the poetry-only bookstore in Seattle. I recommend calling in and placing phone orders if you don’t live in Seattle. When I lived in California, I found myself constantly wishing I could just pop in and see John and Christine, the owners, who are always full of good advice and news, and check out the new poetry books propped up on the front shelf. For a poet, it is a magical place. Did I mention they also host some rollicking poetry readings? Lately I really enjoyed Martha Silano’s book debut readings, where she passed out little toy aliens and did physics experiments along with her poetry. I’m looking forward to a visit on May 12 when C. Dale Young will be making a stop in on his poetry book tour!