In the spring of 2008 Nigerian poet Obi Nwakanma filled my Gathering Room with talk that made the world right for the hours he shared himself and conversation. In the days that followed our encounter, I stayed in my cave and read “The Horseman and Other Poems,” often calling friends to read sections of the book to them in an effort to contain the fullness they evoked in me.
Read “Credo,” by Nigerian poet Obi Nwakanma –JGR
I’ll be going to San Marcos, Texas next week to participate in the LAND FULL OF STORIES conference presented by the STORY CIRCLES network. The theme for the conference is PLACE and that’s what pulled me to respond to a call of papers. I’m honored to be chosen to present a break-out session there. My…
Susan Tweit’s currently working on two book proposals. One is on the theme of using-nature-to-fire-your-creativity. She’s using her haiku practice as an exercise. The post below tells us more about why she writes haiku on Twitter. Read more of Susan’s haiku on Riehlife-Poem-of-the-day. Read more about Susan’s work below. Janet _________________ WHY POST HAIKU ON…
Ernest Dempsey and I met in 2007 when he reviewed my book “Sightlines: A Poet’s Diary” on TCM Reviews–Tami Brady’s review site. Since then we’ve become writing friends across the waves. On Riehlife I’ve often referred to him as “Our Man in Pakistan.” Have some fun reviewing the Riehlife archives that feature Ernest Dempsey’s wit…
by Billy Collins from The Apple that Astonished Paris During my Poem-of-the-Day series on Riehlife we’ll have a mixture of named poets & others just like the rest of us. My friend Stephanie Farrow in Albuquerque, New Mexico chooses the Big Name Poets. She sends her picks out via email every day. I’ll be scooping…
The Hidden Singer by Wendell Berry from The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry (Copyright © 1998) The gods are less for their love of praise. Above and below them all is a spirit that needs nothing but its own wholeness, its health and ours. It has made all things by dividing itself. It will be…
The Kindness of the Blind by Wislawa Szymborska (Nobel Prize in Literature 1996) Translated from the Polish by J. Kostkowska A poet is reading to the blind. He did not suspect it was so hard. His voice is breaking. His hands are shaking. He feels that here each sentence is put to the test of…