Reader, You Already Know

How to Read a Poem and Keep On

Hey Friends,

I’m thinking of you all. It’s so hard to focus these days, and find a rhythm of living that is not disrupted by fear. I mean we all should be feeling fear, but also hope and joy and solidarity. I hope you are all staying as safe as you can be.

One thing that helped me recently was to do an event at Clio’s with the DSA and the Oakland Education Association Rapid Response Team, a group of Oakland educators organizing to protect families from ICE. They organize community patrols and raise funds to provide legal aid, click here if you want to donate. Just being in the room with with people who are taking action and being in solidarity felt good. Zeina Hashem Beck, Jason Bayani, and Sara Borjas gave amazing readings. I read some poems too.

Another thing that helps is to read a poem closely, and just sit with it. I’m getting ready to teach an on-line class on Tuesday on how to read a contemporary poem, which in some ways is an absolutely absurdly vast subject to even begin to approach. But I have some thoughts of ways to do it. Reading closely for me is always the way I get back to writing. For me, reading poetry is really about accepting and embracing and getting excited about what is challenging, unexpected, new, different. Reading poems has changed me. I feel like if everyone read poems there would be less evil in the world. I realize that’s naive, but I can’t help thinking it.

The class is Tuesday night at 4pm PST on line, it’s called Reader, You Already Know.

What else. Victoria Chang and I are teaching a class in March, five sessions with discussions, etc. on probably my favorite poet, Lorca. I can’t wait to hear what she thinks about him, we try to avoid talking too much about it until the actual class. She’s brilliant and I always see things in new ways when I get to hear her talk about poetry. Reading Lorca has helped me push away the darkness a little, maybe just in favor of another form of darkness that is realistic yet also hopeful. The course is called Gift of Deep Song. If everyone read Lorca there would definitely be less evil in the world. Maybe none.

Lorca wrote, “Poetry is like faith – it isn't meant to be understood but to be received in a state of grace. No one should say "this is clear," because poetry is obscure. And no one should say "this is obscure," because poetry is clear.” Word.

This poem by Lorca has helped me. And this one by Tranströmer. “A helmet worn by no one has taken power.” Poets understand politics better than anyone except maybe crows.

Lately I’ve been playing more music than writing. We Are Leaves (my band here in the Bay Area) has a benefit show coming up for a program that supports neurodivergent kids, next Friday evening at the Community Hall in Piedmont. If you’re in the Bay Area and want to come by and hang out and hear some indie pop and just be in community, we’ll be here. You can give whatever you want or just show up at the door or whatever, all are welcome, including kids.

Here’s a Letter from Minnesota by my friend the poet Dobby Gibson about being in Minneapolis during the horrors.

And a new poem below that inexplicably appeared in a magazine about skiing called Hard Pack, which is actually very beautiful and full of amazing essays and photos. They asked if I had any poems about skiing and I said no, but I have some poems about snow and mountains, which I guess are some of the required elements.

Stay safe and hope to see you all soon for something good.

Sorry about my giant face, more info about the class here.