[stylist] Black History Month - a Poem

Fri Feb 1 16:33:25 UTC 2013

Yes, Robert, I chose this poem because of the yearning here, to be somewhere 
else or be someone else rather than who we are. Don't we all experience this 
throughout our lives? We all experience those "what if" moments.

I will try to select poems/poets that we can listen to on a web link, as 
well as read the poem in text form. I want to leave the lesson  open ended, 
not force any kind of meaning into them, but let the readers find meaning as 
they read and contemplate the poem, as I did with this one.

If there is interest, I would certainly be open to doing the phone call 
around the end of the month.  This would be good for me, too, push me out of 
my own comfort zone.

Lynda

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Leslie Newman" <newmanrl at cox.net>
To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, February 01, 2013 10:27 AM
Subject: Re: [stylist] Black History Month - a Poem

> Lynda
>
> I enjoyed listening to the recorded reading of the poem. Boy, I too have
> hungered to learn and experience more in life, too. Even wanted or want to
> hop off the rails that my restrictive up-bringing had set me on. MMM, 
> maybe
> being blinded in a car accident at age 15 was a partial answer to that 
> song
> of yearning.
> (The lady had a wonderful story telling voice!)
>
> How do you wish to proceed with this exercise? Yes, you will present us 
> with
> more poems ---  Do we want to all talk by phone --- as in you could be our
> special monthly telephone gathering guest for February? The call could be
> the final "lesson."
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Lynda 
> Lambert
> Sent: Friday, February 01, 2013 8:22 AM
> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [stylist] Black History Month - a Poem
>
> February is Black History Month. . .
>
> I was initially scheduled to do a lesson on the poetry of African 
> Americans
> in December. I have been struggling with health issues, and been 
> recovering
> from surgery since the beginning of January. Therefore, I thought I would
> bring you some poems of African American poets during February. I will 
> post
> some poems by different black poets from time to time during this month. I
> think you will really enjoy meeting some poets you may not be familiar 
> with,
> and maybe revisit some you already know.
>
>
>
> This morning I would like to introduce you to Gwendolyn Brooks. She was 
> born
> in Topeka, Kansas  (1917) but grew up in Chicago, Illinois. She is 
> generally
> considered an Illinois poet. In her earlier years, prior to 1967,  she
> focused on depicting the characters of her race, to bring them to life on
> the page.  The local people of her neighborhood were the subject of her
> poems. She passed away on December 3, 2000.
>
>
>
> I had the privilege of attending a writing workshop for poetry one 
> afternoon
> at Slippery Rock University of PA. Gwendolyn was the poet in residence 
> that
> day and budding poets could read a poem for her and she would respond to 
> it.
> She was so gentle and kind, and encouraging to the young students who read
> for her.  When one of them said, with hesitation, that she had self
> published a chap book of her work.  Brooks looked at her and said, "You do
> not need to feel apologetic about publishing your own book. It is a book
> after all. You wrote a book. You have a published book. That is something 
> to
> be proud of."
>
>
>
> In 1967 Gwendolyn Brooks'  work changed after she took a workshop at Fisk
> University and met other black poets, such as Amiri Baraka. She had a "New
> Awakening" through this experience. I have always been aware that an
> encounter with one person can change your life forever, and this was
> certainly true for Brooks.
>
>
>
> Brooks' first book was published in 1945. She won a Pulitzer Prize; and 
> was
> Poet Laureate of Illinois. She succeeded Carl Sandburg in that position.
>
>
>
> I am posting a link so you can hear her read her poem, "A Song in the 
> Front
> Yard."  It is from 1963, one of the earlier poems where she describes what
> she sees and thinks about the people in her neighborhood.
>
>
>
> As you listen or read this poem you can think about the carefully chosen
> words. This poem is full of symbols - you might try to identify some of 
> them
> and then think about what she is conveying to the reader through the
> symbolism. Her symbols begin before you even start reading the poem..look 
> at
> the title of it. Begin there.
>
>
>
> Listen  to Brooks read her poem "A Song in the Front Yard" here:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWA6V3OaoR8
>
>
>
> You can read the text copy of this poem by opening up the attachment. 
> Enjoy!
>
>
>
>
>
> Lynda Lambert, BFA, MA, MFA
> 104 River Road
> Ellwood City, PA 16117
>
> 724 758 4979
>
> My Blog:  http://www.walkingbyinnervision.blogspot.com
> My Website:  http://lyndalambert.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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