I'm delighted to tell you that my poem "Linguini" is featured today at Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac. If you click on the link, you'll be taken to the poem. There you will also be able to listen to Keillor's 5-minute radio podcast and hear him read the poem. The poem appears in my book, What Feeds Us, but was first published in Poet Lore.The idea for "Linguini" came when I read a poem called "The Blended Family," by Carol Potter. I found Potter's poem in Prairie Schooner. What I noticed about that poem was that each line ended with the word "spaghetti." I started thinking that I'd like to write a poem about linguini. Initially, I tried ending each line with that word. But soon I abandoned that effort as the poem took on its own life. It, too, wanted repetition, but the repetitions are scattered throughout the poem and in the different forms of pasta that appear. I seriously doubt that anyone would draw a connection between the two poems, but I remain grateful to Potter for her poem which served as my muse.
And now I'm thinking I might like to try a poem about ravioli.
woot! go, you!
ReplyDeleteFabulous poem--I teach an English 101 course at a community college, and use food as a theme. I've directed my students to your wonderful poem. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteDiane - I have been a fan of Writer's Almanac for years, but I only seem to hear it on occasion. Last night I stumbled across your poem while popping into the car after drinks with a friend. I was shocked at how appropriate it seemed. It was as if your words were a faithful treatment of the conversation we had just shared. I made a note to look it up and think about it a little more and was delighted to learn that the poet is a neighbor! (I live in Madison, NJ)
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your work! I look forward to reading and hearing more.
Peace,
Jon
Thanks, Nic and Mike. Keep those students coming!
ReplyDeleteJon--You can always hear the reading of any featured poem at the website. Eg, if you click on the Linguini link above, you'll be taken to
The Writer's Almanac page. There you'll find the poem and above that a link that will open up the podcast. I'm doing some school visits this week in Chatham. Taught for quite a few years at Millburn High School. Check out my reading for next Saturday.
Diane,
ReplyDeleteAs an architect, I am always curious about the people that experience my "art" and how they experience it.
I'm an American living in Monte di Procida, Italy. Each morning I have a morning run that takes me down the sloping streets to Miseno. The last mile (uphill) I reward myself with the podcast of Garrison Keillor's Writer's Almanac. When he read your poem, I beamed like an idiot the rest of the way home.
I know I must have seemed like the Mona Lisa with a mysterious smile.
Brava!
Grazie e salute - Leslie Xavier