At Breath and Matter-- A Day Ending with the Boston Sculptor's Gallery

  Left---Doug Holder   Right-- Dewitt Henry ( A founding editor of Ploughshares Magazine)

I am a man of simple pleasures. One of those pleasures is to walk. And Boston is still a walking city--although the landscape is greatly altered. So I left my comfortable abode in Somerville--and headed  across the Charles.  I always like to walk down Charles Street at the foot of Beacon Hill. I was almost swept away by the rush of tourists. There were a lot of new shops--but I was pleased to see Gary Drug was still standing--an old school drugstore--crammed with things to relieve what ails ya'--and all those little knickknacks. It brings me back to the stores of my childhood--the ones my dad took me to in the Bronx. As I traversed the Commons  I saw that Shakespeare's Richard lll was in rehearsal--my favorite by the Bard. I heard screams of horror waft across the Commons--as Richard put in full bloom his nefarious plans. I am going to grab lawn chair and see it one of these humid evenings-- I hope. Next a walk to my old haunt Jacob Wirth's--it was closed! I so wanted the classic house dark on this warm day. The sign said it is closed because a fire--but they will return-- I hope so--this place has marked so many phases of my life.  So I walked down to the Copley Plaza--and had a beer at the grand Oak Bar. The waitress saw I was hot--and said in heavily accented English, " Have a glass of water--it's good for you my dear." That and the amber ale left me restored. Next I walked down Dartmouth Street--past Villa Victoria--a famed housing project amidst the very gentrified South End. Then I wound up on Harrison Ave--part of the SOWA section of Boston-- a very artsy area with galleries, studios--oddly puncutated by the Pine Street Inn--a shelter for the homeless on the end of the block. I remember teaching Nick Flynn's memoir at Endicott College ("Another Bullshit Night in Suck City')  in my creative writing seminar. Much of the memoir takes place in the Inn.

I arrived at at my destination -- at the Breath and Matter exhibit--at the Boston Sculptor's Gallery. It was jammed packed--with folks viewing sculptures paired with poetry. Many of the poets and artists were present like, Wendy Drexler, Julia Shepley, Mary Bonina, Tomas O' Leary, Chris Smart, David Daniels, and many others were present. There was a reading after the reception. I had written an article in The Somerville Times about a number of the artist and poets at the event--and it seemed it was very well-received. It was great to hook up with DeWitt Henry--founder of Ploughares magazine. I have had the pleasure to interview him, and he has a new memoir out-- and he tells me he will have a launch at the Plough &Stars pub in Cambridge--where the magazine was founded.


Before I left Andy Morelin a sculptor and an organizer of the event told me that I was an " iconic character in the Boston poetry scene."  That was very nice to hear--indeed!

 http://www.bostonsculptors.com/breath-matter-home

Doug Holder Interviews Alan Bingham author of " Dying Well Prepared"

Do you have to be 'crazy' to write poetry?

 

Robert Lowell with his family

For as long as I can remember there has always been the romantic notion of the "mad," poet or "divinely inspired" poet floating around in the ether.   While working at  a noted psychiatric facility,  outside of Boston for 36 years, I heave heard and read about the legendary poets who paced the  wards. Poets like Robert Lowell, Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton suffered from severe mental illness, and were hospitalized at different points in their mercurial careers. Plath and Sexton met their end through suicide, and Lowell died in the back seat of a cab he was taking to visit his ex-wife in New York City. Since I have often worked with manic and clinically depressed patients over the years, and therefore have an intimate knowledge of the affliction; I can only write that the toll and the turmoil of depression is not worth the creative insight you might mine. In a review of "The Letters of Robert Lowell', edited by Saskia Hamilton, in "The Boston Globe," I came across  part of a letter Lowell wrote to the poet Robert Fitzgerald about his experience with mental illness: " ...terrific lifts, insights, pourings in of new energy, but no work on my part, only more and more self-indulgence, lack of objectivity; and so, into literal madness i.e. I had to be locked up." As with any experience in our lives, we can bring it   back into our own writing. But my question is, is it worth it? In the midst of mental illness, or a severe depression; the ability to concentrate, to think straight, not to mention to take care of one's most basic needs is severely impaired. Peter D. Kramer, the author of "Against Depression," and a clinical professor of psychiatry at Brown University-- writes that depression takes an actual, tangible toll on the brain. Indeed, MRI studies at McLean Hospital have shown that the actual structure of the brain can be altered due to past abuse and mental illness. It has been speculated that depression can cause the hippocampus to shrink, and may have a big role in the course of heart, and other related diseases; as well as cancer.



 Part of my job over the years at the hospital was to run poetry groups on some of the locked wards. For the most part the poetry that was shared was from psychotic and clinically depressed patients (in the midst of their illness) was impoverished. Often when they were on the mend  they were writing much better and even inspired poetry. They wrote equally well about their experience with their illness, as well as nature, and other less oppressive aspects of their lives. The experience of mental illness can be very good fodder for poetry, but I think if you asked these patient/writers if they would like to go the the depths of depression to mine material for their creative work, the answer would be a resounding "no.'



 Thomas J. Cottle, a Boston-area psychologist, writes " first, there is no evidence to suggest that depression is the cause of the enriched imagination, the basis, in other words, of the creative fount. People paint and write poetry in spite of their illness."

  For me, that is the most inspiring aspect of mental illness and writing. I have seen folks savaged by the disease, barely able to put a spoon or folk to their mouth--pick up a pen, and write.

of juliet/ winter 2018/spring/summer2018

of juliet/ winter 2018/spring/summer2018

By Doug Holder

Decades ago—I remember working on my master's thesis at Harvard. The thesis was titled “Food in the Fiction of Henry Roth.” My adviser was a prominent Yiddish literature scholar. At the end of the project she told me, “ I thought food as your focus would be trivial, but you proved me wrong.” Food of course is now a national obsession, a hotbed for media attention, a subject for scholarship, etc...

This brings me to Juliet, a restaurant, bistro, cafe, etc... that now resides in Union Square, Somerville—the very place the Sherman Cafe, an old haunt of mine, once lived and breathed.

A few years back I had the pleasure to interview the young and ambitious owners of the said establishment, Katrina Juliet Jazayeri and Joshua Lewin. They are an admirable duo who firmly believe in giving their employees a “ livable wage.” This venue provides a unique dining experience—with well-honed dollops of French cuisine, among its many offerings.

But Juliet has literary aspirations. Josh Lewin is a published poet and just finished a stint at the William Joiner's Writing Workshop at U/Mass Boston. He and Jazayeri founded a literary/food magazine, “ of juliet.” On these pages you will not only find well-written articles on food and other subjects, but you will find poetry. Have if you will this haiku from Megan Guidarelli--”Pouilly--Fuisse, Clos Varambon,”

a creamy lemon

with a stone in the middle

waving a silky scarf.

Obviously Juliet shares my sentiment of food and drink—that it is fine fodder for verse.

There is also a “ I Was Listening” column by Lewin, who writes: “ It turns snippets of conversation from our dining room into stories everyone can hear.” Pedestrian asides about a resplendent smile on a dog, or the intricacies of eating a grapefruit, are turned into funky dialogue.

Included in these issues are—recipes, interviews, a fascinating piece about the Juliet staff cooking at the James Beard House in NYC, evocative photographs of Juliet by Grace Wexler, and much more.

This publication is surely part of the recipe for success at Juliet.

*** of juliet is available at Juliet
 http://www.JulietSomerville.com

The Grolier Poetry Festival: The Certain Magic that Happens When

The Grolier Poetry Festival: The Certain Magic that Happens When

Collective Poetry and Arts Performances Gather Together in a Public Space

by Francine C. LaChance

francinelachance@comcast.net

The Grolier Poetry Festival went on, as scheduled, on Saturday June 2, 2018, from 12noon–8pm. Poets, musicians, dancers, and actors performed for a rapt audience, under the sun and an occasional light rain. During the light rain, Stage Manager James Fraser was found onstage, holding an umbrella or two over the performers, and in one case, a harp. Some remarked that the light rain only added to the magic of the day–the magic that occurs when so much talent and creativity comes together in one glorious space, with an open and receptive audience.

The Poetry Festival opened with the dynamic scene selections from "Romeo and Juliet," performed by the The Young Company at Greater Boston Stage Company, followed by a poetry reading for children, by poet X.J. Kennedy, reflecting the Grolier’s commitment to providing engaging  programming for children. David Ferry was the first in an impressive lineup of poets, followed by Lloyd Schwartz, Gail Mazur, Kathleen Spivack and many other notable poets. Dramatic performances were presented by Jim Vrabel and Michael Mack. Sounds in Bloom performed, with Dennis Shafer playing the saxophone while Diana Norma Szokolyai read her poetry. Audrey Harrer, a harpist, also performed. Readings from poets published by the Grolier Poetry Press were held, including excerpts from Tino Villanueva’s book “So Spoke Penelope,” followed by Grolier Poetry Press poets X.J.Kennedy and Partridge Boswell. Joe Burgio presented Ensemble Inedit: Poetry, Song and Dance. Dancers Katerine Gagnon and Ofri Rieger, and musicians John Voigt and Walter Wright performed to poems by Hector de Saint-Denys Garneau and Todros Abulafia.

The Grolier also paid homage to their dear long-time friend, Donald Hall, who just weeks later passed away. Lloyd Schwartz and Joyce Peseroff read excerpts from Donald Hall's essays and poems, and poems by Donald Hall’s late wife Jane Kenyon. The conclusion was magnificent: A video presentation of George Emlen's musical composition of Ifeanyi Menkiti's poem "Before a Common Soil," performed by the Revels chorus and musicians. The dramatic music filled the streets, while the sun was beginning to set.

While the Grolier Poetry Festival was a special celebration for their 90th year, with so much positive feedback and hope expressed that the Grolier would plan another poetry festival, both Ifeanyi Menkiti, Director and Proprietor, and Francine LaChance, Festival Producer and Director  will be exploring the possibility of other poetry festivals in the coming years.

On the importance of sharing poetry and performances at the Poetry Festival, outside of the Grolier, on Plympton Street, in Harvard Square, Ifeanyi Menkiti remarked:

“When a brilliant moon is shining, and kinsmen gather together in the public square, to watch the moon under an Iroko tree, a tree with very hard wood that is tall and strong, and tell stories to one another and recount history there is a certain power to it. Everybody can see that moon from his or her own private back yard, but when kinsmen and women, in this case, the poetry and arts communities, gather together in a public space, celebrating, watching the moon together, there is a certain power to this collective experience, another dimension is introduced, that is magical.”

Along with celebrating our 90th year, the Grolier has recommitted to our mission of keeping poetry alive, expanding programming, and providing many more opportunities for poets and performers to gather together. The Festival is one such example, and more collaborations with other art forms and cultural organizations will follow. We are developing an educational book discussion on “Richard III,” the play the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company will perform on the Boston Common, from July 17–August 5. We are planning an event with Robert Perkins, who creates art work in response to poetry by many of our poet friends. We are in discussion with Ivy Moylan, Executive Director of the Brattle Theatre, who is interested in creating a Friday Night Stroll with us, which would include several additional arts and cultural organizations in Harvard Square to participate. The following events are being planned with poets:  2018 Poetry Pulitzer Prize winner Frank Bidart, Robert Pinsky, David Ferry, Peter Balakian, Robert Perkins, Lloyd Schwartz, and many more. We will also premiere Olivia (Weiying) Huang’s documentary of the Grolier.

We will be releasing a comprehensive list of additional future events shortly, in addition to the ongoing readings in the Book Shop.

The Sunday Poet: Abigail Wotton

 Abigail Wotton teaches English at Red Cloud Indian School, Pine Ridge, SD. Her creative work has appeared or is forthcoming in 805 Lit+Art, Kaaterskill Basin Literary Journal and Free Inquiry.







When the Heart Forgets

On Delancey Street,

hands like knotted tree bark,

flip and slap hot roti.

Hold the grocery bags on the train.

Hold the door,

look for the keys,

pick up the phone.

Slip peppermint candy into a child’s coat pocket. 

At home, a mother’s hands

linger by the microwave.

Clean the bottles,

pick up the baby,

put her down.

Leave pizza on the counter.

Make sure the door is locked.

And then check it again.

At the bar, a girl’s hands hold up the hands

of the girl next to her.

Whose are smaller?

Hands look at lines,

check for veins,

feel callouses.                                                                

The hand waves over another drink

for both of them.

When I drive

I stretch my hands out the window.

Hands know resilience

when the heart forgets.                                     

They can point out Cassiopeia

in an October sky.

If you can find the Big Dipper,

they say, you can see her.

Among the Neighbors 4, The Poetry Collection of the University Libraries, University at Buffalo

Essay Author: Dale Smith

Publication: Among the Neighbors 4, The Poetry Collection of the University Libraries, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York Buffalo, New York 2018. 

 Review Author: Ari Appel

“Skanky Possum Press: A (Personal) Genealogy” is a short essay by Dale Smith recapitulating his personal history as a founder and editor of the now-defunct Skanky Possum Press (1998-2004). It is part of a pamphlet series called Among the Neighbors, a series for the study of Little Magazines run out of the University at Buffalo. Smith's essay offers a glimpse into the small press scene of the 1990s and early 2000s in San Francisco. His experience calls to attention the place of fertile writers' impulses among the hegemonic forces of neoliberal capitalism and its adjacent apparatus of mainstream publication. Smith turns to the word "ethos" to help describe his creative efforts from that place, stating, "It's a term I'm using to describe the complex interaction of individuals seeking ways to establish authority in an antithetical social, technological, and geographic reality. I am not talking about dogmatic authority, but the kind of authority developed by trust, enthusiasm, and commitment to an establishment of literary and social relationships." "Ethos" describes the "structures of feeling that converged in the years of the publication of Skanky Possum.” Perhaps, by following in the footsteps of Skanky Possum, young writers of the now might be able to forge a collective ethos comparable to the one Smith is describing. 

Smith was a student of the Poetics program of the now-defunct New College of California, where he met his co-editor of the Skanky Possum Press, Hoa Nguyen, following his tenure as a founder of Mike and Dale's Younger Poets with Michael Price. Smith's essay is encouraging for anyone looking to find his or her ground in the publishing scene by painting a portrait of artists struggling to make it at a certain place in time. It affords belief in a way of life and an artistic process that may not lead to blockbuster sales but nonetheless enriches the mind and the spirit.

Endicott College graduate Emily Pineau becomes a new managing editor of the noted literary magazine Ibbetson Street

Emily Pineau

I am pleased to announce that Emily Pineau--the director of the Endicott College/Ibbetson Street Press Young Poet Series has joined Lawrence Kessenich as a new managing editor of Ibbetson Street.  Ibbetson Street, founded by Doug Holder, Dianne Robitaille, and Richard Wilhelm in 1998, is a respected literary magazine-- based in Somerville, MA. since 1998. Ibbetson Street is affiliated with Endicott College.

Emily Pineau holds an M.F.A. from Pine Manor College, Chestnut Hill, MA, in Creative Writing, with a concentration in Writing for Young People. Pineau is an Editorial Assistant at a medical publisher, a Co-managing Editor of Ibbetson Street Press, and the Director of Ibbetson Street Press’s Young Poet Series at Endicott College. Pineau’s chapbook No Need to Speak (Ibbetson Street Press, 2013) was chosen for The Aurorean’s Chap Book Choice in 2013. She has been featured on New Mexico’s National Public Radio, and has won Salamander Magazine’s Poetry-On-the-Spot contest. Pineau’s poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Medical Literary Messenger, Freshwater, Muddy River Poetry Review (which nominated her poem “I Would For You” for a Pushcart Prize), and elsewhere. Pineau lives in the suburbs of Boston with her finacé, Tabby, and Pomerania

Jessica Eshleman: New Director of Union Square Main Streets

Jessica Eshleman

Jessica Eshleman: New Director of Union Square Main Streets

By Doug Holder

I saw Jessica Eshleman in the crowded Bloc11 Cafe. She gave me a sort of a half bow—got her coffee, and joined me in my inner sanctum at the back of the Bloc.

Eshleman seems to be a person of abundant energy, and is well-oiled in the mechanics of how to handle an interview.

She has been appointed director of Union Square Main Street here in Somerville, MA. It is an organization that (according to its website) oversees the, “...continued advocacy of the Union Square business district and neighborhood.”

Eshleman is from a small town outside of Boston. Now she conveniently lives in Union Square, and is in the midst of a love affair with the environs. She said, ' I love its variety, diversity, my neighbors, everything about it.”

She is certainly no neophyte to the Main Street concept. She was the past Executive Director of Main Street Concord Inc. In her role there-- one of the many things she did was to help make the Concord Business District more pedestrian friendly. She said, "I am all about being multi-mobile. I wanted to make sure that people could traverse the vibrant center easily by foot, bike and car.” She continued, “From what I heard after I left Concord –the district had significantly enhanced economic development.”

As far as Somerville goes—Eshleman is certainly enthusiastic. She will do her best to support the iconic Fluff Festival that celebrates the invention of marshmallow fluff in our city, as well as the Saturday farmer's market, continue to support the arts and provide brass tacks assistance to small businesses in the district.

Behind the many good things that gentrification and “revitalization” can bring, there is always the lingering specter of displacement. So I asked Eshleman about the less than sunnier side of the street. I inquired how would these funky stores, all the unique stuff the Square offers, be affected by the the rapid rise of rents. How will Union Square not end up like, say Newton—or worse-- the antiseptic desert of Kendall Square in Cambridge? Eshleman's tone changed a bit. She reflected, “ There are no easy answers to this. But I will promise to start conversations among landlords, tenants and businessman to see how we can mitigate the problem.”

But in spite of the treacherous shoals the new Executive Director faces—she has not lost any of her zeal and remains stolidly optimistic.

Eshleman told me that a while ago she completed the Appalachian Trail, a 2,189 mile trek through the wilderness. It took he 8 months. She suffered a broken wrist—but still persisted. This is evidently a woman who does not give up without a fight. Exactly what we need—here-- in the Paris of New England.

The Sunday Poet: Jessica Harman

 

Jessica Harman

 Jessica Harman earned her B.A. in Creative Writing from Concordia University in 1999. She earned her M.A. in Health Communication from Emerson College in 2003. Her collection of stories, "Wild Stabs at Love, or Something Like It," was published as a free ebook by Philistine Press. "Dream Catcher," a full-length poetry collection, was published by Aldrich Press in 2013. "The Landscape Revolving around Us," a full-length poetry collection, will be published by Aldrich Press in 2019. She has numerous chapbooks of poetry available from Alternating Current. Her poems and translations (from the Latin) have appeared in "Arion," "Bellevue Literary Review," "Orbis," "Tears in Fence," and "White Whale Review." Her first chapbook, "My Journey as an Unharmonious Being," was published by Flarestack Publishing, and is now a collector's item. She lives in Maryland.







A Cold Morning

I’ve faded, now. I’ve become round, heavy, sad, even.

Here I am, a photograph in your wallet,

Still looking like a cheerleader. Years ago,

I posed with a violin, letting silence fill the light,

And my expression for your camera

Gave the illusion of a sonata played wonderfully.

Now, I’m miles and stories away from then.

I’ve dreamed, and nearly died awakening.