Brooklyn's Poet Laurete Dies

Ken Siegelman, Brooklyn’s poet laureate, died in his Gravesend home on June 20th after a decade long struggle with kidney disease. He was 63 years old. ~more

Politics and Poetry Discussion at Writer's Institute

Katha Pollitt enjoys reading the Bible. It’s God she has some trouble with, particularly in the Book of Job.

“I’m a non-believer, but the stories are great ones and they do ask some deep questions that are interesting to think about,” said Pollitt, a columnist~more

Poetry Sales Increase Because of BBC Poetry Series

I love it when poetry sales increase!

How about this for good news:

A recent spate of poetry-related material has driven poetry sales in the U.K., selling copies of books that had languished on national shelves. According to Bookseller, the BBC's Poetry Season Project actually motivated people to go to the bookstore. ~more

Poetry at Wildling Art Museum

The Wildling Art Museum is inviting the public to its sixth annual Poetry Reading from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, when the event will feature poems about nature by four well-known poets from Santa Barbara County.

The poets participating in the free event are ~more

Ekphrastic Poetry

Ekphrastic poetry is poetry that refers to another form of art such as a painting, photograph or film. There are many examples of ekphrastic poetry past and present including Keat's "Ode on a Grecian Urn" which refers to a piece of ancient pottery. ~more

Student Present Poetry from Nuture the Creative Minds Program

With eyes cast downward on a crumpled piece of paper, sixth-grader Kelton Gardner stepped up to the microphone and quickly read his poem, "Pause," to the crowded room.

"It came without warning. Life struck me hard. I wish I could pause it and turn it around. This is your warning. Don't let your guard down."

A small smile replaced the nervousness on his face as he walked away to the crowd's applause. ~more

Interview: Paul Kiritsis

Just had the pleasure of interviewing Paul Kiritsis, author of the poetry book, Fifty Confessions. I think you'll enjoy the interview with this fascinating poet.


AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Conducted May 16, 2009


How did you first discover that you loved poetry?

My first ‘footsteps,’ if you like, in the realm of poetry occurred in early primary school as a second-grader. I remember reading a junior-level second-grade text taken from Homer’s Iliad (written in ancient Greek I might add!) and being completely enthralled by the material. That initial contact with epic and dramatic poetry grew into something a lot more profound as the years unraveled and was to become a full-fledged passion for me.



Which poets were you first drawn to?

Because of my Hellenic heritage, I was initially drawn to poets like the classical Homer and contemporary Greek greats like Odysseas Elytis and Konstantinos Kavafis (some of whose material I studied at university level). During my latter years my tastes shifted and I became interested in the work of William Wordsworth, William Carlos Williams, Emily Dickinson, and of course, the formidable Lord Byron.



Do you remember writing your first poem? How old were you? What was it about?

Yes, I do! I was about thirteen and I had just had an argument with my dad. My way of venting was to sit in front of my wooden desk and spew out rhyming verses (some of which appear so frivolous now) about how misunderstood I was.



How often do you find yourself writing poetry? Are there moments or moods that draw you to poetry more than others?

I only write when the inspiration comes. During some periods of my life, I’ve written almost every night. There have also been times where I haven’t written for months. This long drawn silence in my writing pen can more or less be attributed to monotonous routine and the prolonged dormancy of hullabaloo. I find that being mellow, pensive and melancholy will suck me into the writing vortex very quickly.



Are there poets or writers who have influenced you?

Certainly. Of note would be Dean Koontz, Margaret Atwood, Richard Laymon, David Malouf and Colin Wilson. I try to read as widely and across as many genres as possible.



What is your process for writing poetry? (Laptop, notebook, morning hours, last thing at night...) Is this process different than for other types of writing you may do?

I usually write late at night. First, I unwind with some herbal tea or coffee. I may or may not choose to burn some incense to cleanse the room of any bad vibes. Then I light my two candles, pull out my pen and notebook from under the drawer and away I go. The poems sometimes write themselves and guess what…sometimes they don’t. I always write at night, irrespective of whether its poetry or not.



Tell us about your latest book, Fifty Confessions. What was the inspiration for it and what do you hope people come away with upon reading the work?

The book Fifty Confessions is my most personal work to date. I was really troubled and unwell when I wrote it. I was unwell both physically and mentally. I wasn’t sure if going ahead and publishing for the entire world to see would be beneficial and therapeutic or if the compendium of Pandora’s secrets would backfire and come back to haunt me a few years from now. I suppose only Father Time can and will answer that. The book is about my fight with a mystery illness that is still ailing me and with specific related events which evolved around that. The poetry is very raw, visceral and at times, very graphic. There are religious overtones moving through the work with the whole ‘confession’ motif and the confessions are grouped chronologically in accordance with the psychosocial model of stress response. Through this work, I want the reading audience to identify with ill people who go on suffering undiagnosed ailments for years whilst pharmaceutical companies make millions off antidepressants and other medications used to ‘fix’ them up temporarily without getting to the root of the problem.



How would you respond to people who claim they don’t like poetry?

In my experience, most people who claim they don’t like poetry have never given it a shot and have preconceived notions of it as both boring and un-engaging. Try sampling it before you dismiss it. (And I don’t mean just one poet) You might not like the poetry of writer X but you might like the style of writer Y.



Where can we find out more about you?

You’ll find out quite a bit on me if you visit my website! It’s www.paulkiritsis.com. There’s plenty on there to keep one occupied for a while: audio files of me reciting some of my material; interviews; press releases; biography; life influences and information on upcoming releases.



Anything else you’d like to add?

Epic and dramatic poetry were the first forms of written literature and evolved from ancient Greece. Let’s try to keep that royal tradition going…

Review: Fifty Confessions

Fifty Confessions is a series of free-verse poetry that wrestle with the "feeling of wrongness" inside the poet, Paul Kiritsis. As the poet mentions in the author note of the book, this feeling, a genuine health mystery, is still undiagnosed today. Based on his experience with the medical world and this malady, he offers these 50 confessions.

In the poem, "A Stroke of Wrongness" we see the heart of his medical dilemma:

"Something is very wrong.
I do not feel well
Sitting on the throne of my being.
It has begun feeding
From my spiritual arteries.
It has begun to set loose
This restlessness inside of me."

Readers will be touched by the desperate plea for someone (some force, some spirit), to pay attention to this pain inside of him. The poet often breaks down the illness so we can understand his struggles, not only in the present, but for the years that have passed, and those he dreads that are yet to come. This is the burden of an undiagnosed illness on the human psyche.

I particularly liked "Formulaic Medicine" which spoke of going to the doctor when you are feeling sick and in need of care, only to receive a clinical, non-emotional and often uncaring response in return. The poem urges the doctors:

"That your hard-earned knowledge
And experience
Might someday turn against you,
Unless you heed to the facts
And physics of one's heart."

In "Diagnosis X," the poet talks about an issue common to many of those who come to a medical professional with legitimate health concerns, only to be told that either it's "all in your head" or that, as the poet mentions, the patient should "see a psychiatrist." This is an all-too common occurrence when physicians cannot medically explain or understand the patient's malady.

In "Mercy," the poet sends up a short, sweet, sincere prayer that asks God why. What does he have to do to end this pain, and what did he do to deserve it in the first place?

So often poets speak of emotional pain only, and I enjoyed the perspective of physical pain as it relates to and brings about emotions, questions, and prayers. The section Actions and Reactions is perhaps the most personal of the confessions. The reader is immersed in diary-like observations too personal to be uttered aloud, yet fascinating when absorbed as the written word.

"The Beast Within" is a wonderfully poignant poem that reveals just how heavy the burden of carrying a mysterious illness within your being can be. It talks of embracing the darkness of pain as a matter of routine -- something other people would fear -- and yet the poet deals with this on a daily basis.

Mythology and history are combined throughout the personal themes of pain and spiritual questioning, which add up to be a thoroughly enjoyable selection of poems that readers, regardless of their background or experience, will be able to enjoy. I was touched by Fifty Confessions, with many of the poems remaining behind with me, a reminder of the brilliance of the poet Paul Kiritsis.

Review from Bonjour Poetry Reviews.

Poetry Featured at Salon in White House

For a president with more than his fair share of crises on his plate, Barack Obama's decision to devote an hour last week to promoting the arts should come as welcome assurance that culture has a good friend at the White House.~more

Laurel Lake Retirement Community Poetry Reading

Laurel Lake Retirement Community will host an intergenerational poetry reading event called "Creative Voice" May 21 at 3 p.m. in the Community Room.

The program is part of the Keys to A Sharp Mind lifelong learning program, funded by a grant from the Reinberger Foundation. ~more

Derek Walcott's Withdrawal From Competition in the Wake of Smear Campaign Will Not Delay 16 May Vote

The election of Oxford's poetry professor is set to go ahead this Saturday despite calls for it to be postponed following Derek Walcott's withdrawal from the running in the wake of anonymous attacks.

A smear campaign targeted academics across Oxford with anonymously sent letters containing photocopied pages from a book, The Lecherous Professor, which detailed a sexual harassment claim made by a Harvard student against Walcott in 1982. Walcott yesterday described the tactics as a "low and degrading attempt at character assassination", and withdrew from competition for the professorship. ~more

Escape Into Poetry

opular writer, Prof. Akachi Ezeigbo, speaks on her new found love for pidgin, as used in parts of her first collection of poems, Heart Song.

That her latest work is a collection of poems is surprising on its own. This is based on the fact that in the past two decades ago ~more

Poetry in the Park

Free with admission.Readings by a unique group of women writers who draw inspiration from their lives and each other. Gaining in popularity and notoriety for the last several years, the group has published several volumes of poetry collectively as well as individually. ~more

Another Side of Tolkien With Poetry

Before J. R. R. Tolkien was known as the master fantasy writer behind “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit,” he was fascinated with Norse mythology.

Lost for 70 years, buried among his papers, were two poems he wrote concerning “the Volsung and Niflung (or Nibelung) legend, using modern English fitted to the Old Norse metre.” They now appear for the first time as “The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun.” ~more

Poetry from Duluth's Holy Cow Press Provides Comfort for Grief

After Jim Perlman’s mother died in 2007, he went searching for writing that could provide comfort and insight. Though he found a lot of quality poems, they were scattered about in various publications.

“It occurred to me: Wouldn’t it be a good idea to bring together a lot of ideas of grief and gratitude?”~more