I’m reading, along with Kevin Barents and Chloe Garcia-Roberts, at the Blacksmith House in Cambridge tonight as part of their New Voices: Emerging Writers evening. I admit that I’m feeling intimidated by the prospect of reading in this series, at this historical house that has heard the voices of so many major & minor poets. From their website:
Founded in 1973, The Blacksmith House Poetry Series features both established and emerging writers of poetry and fiction. The series is sponsored by the Cambridge Center for Adult Education and holds readings at the Blacksmith House, site of the village smithy and spreading chestnut tree of Longfellow’s 1839 poem “The Village Blacksmith.”
This will the first time I’m reading with poets I don’t know, whose work I’m unfamiliar with, though I of course Googled them to get a taste — because I’m a do-my-homework kind of girl — but it sure adds an extra element of excitement to choosing my set list. Which I still have to do.
In addition to the poems and Words in Air, I’ve finished the Ian Hamilton biography of Lowell and Brett C. Millier’s biography of Bishop, and I’m about to start on Paul Mariani’s biography of Lowell — because yes, as it turns out, one is not enough — I’m also looking for what else I can read on Bishop. Both lives strike different chords in me, make me sad in different ways, and I want to talk about that, but I have too much to do today before we leave — it’s a bit of a drive for us to get to Cambridge — so it will have to wait. And I’m far too nervous to be able to contruct an articulate thought anyway! With any luck, I’ll be able to post a favorable report of my evening tomorrow.
Marie Gauthier 