Bread Daily

It's day 4 here at Bread Loaf & I am having a marvelous time! I just got back from a visit to nearby Middlebury. It's been cold here -- as in 40s and 50s cold. As in Houston winter cold.

I love being in Brigit Pegeen Kelly's workshop (w/Matt Hart & Sherwin Bitsui, who are her workshop fellows). Brigit gave an amazing reading last night. Her first poem, "The Scorpion," was so devastatingly beautiful. She is also quite fun to chat with.

The scholar readings were great! I read 3 poems on Friday and really have enjoyed hearing my fellow scholars' work. The food here is great, the routine hectic, and I'm having a great time. I saw a fox last night on my way to the library -- perhaps the biggest fox I've ever seen. Wolf big. It was so beautiful, about 50 feet away, walking around in the late-night mist.

Eavan Boland is here, as is Natasha Trethewey, Ilya Kaminsky, James Logenbach, Sebastian Matthews, Stacey D'Erasmo, GC Waldrep, Major Jackson, Lan Samantha Chang, Percivral Everett, and many more poets & writers drop in and out everyday. C. Dale will be here this coming week to talk about NER. I also met the incredibly talented Merrill Feitell, author of the one of my favorite short-story collections, in the dinner line last night. This place is swarming.

Tonight: Steve Orlen & Danzy Senna reading followed by a dance. Tomorrow: picnic @ the Frost Farm. I also will be meeting w/ Michael Wiegers from Copper Canyon Press for a one-on-one manuscript/publishing/etc. discussion.

*

Geewizwowthanks, Poetry Daily.

Sorrow: Liam Rector (1949-2007)

I received news today that poet, and Bennington founder and director Liam Rector has died. Liam, who committed suicide yesterday, was loved by myself and all the students, faculty, staff, and visitors of Bennington. We will miss him dearly.

The following poem was sent to a fellow classmate by her poetry instructor at Bennington. Please keep Liam, his wife, Tree Swenson, and their daughter in your thoughts and prayers.

The Remarkable Objectivity of Your Old Friends
by Liam Rector

We did right by your death and went out,
Right away, to a public place to drink,
To be with each other, to face it.

We called other friends - the ones
Your mother hadn't called - and told them
What you had decided, and some said

What you did was right; it was the thing
You wanted and we'd just have to live
With that, that your life had been one

Long misery and they could see why you
Had chosen that, no matter what any of us
Thought about it, and anyway, one said,

Most of us abandoned each other a long
Time ago and we'd have to face that
If we had any hope of getting it right.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made to the Liam Rector Scholarship Fund at The Writing Seminars of Bennington College, to organizations in support of Free Speech, or to The Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP).

AWP/Hilton

If you haven't reserved your room @ the Hilton for AWP New York, do it now! I made my reservation today for Jan. 30-Feb. 1 & even though the conference runs through Feb. 2, the Hilton is all booked up on the 2nd! So, we have to check out @ 11AM on Feb. 2 from the Hilton, haul our stuff down to the bookfair for 3-4 hours, then schlep it over across the street to the Sheraton at 4PM just to stay the last night for AWP. Ugh. Can you say pain in the ass?

*

I'll be leaving for New York this weekend and will be there until Wed. AM. On Wed., I'm headed up to Bread Loaf, where I'll be working w/ Brigit Pegeen Kelly in my workshop! I'm so excited!

*

Jeff & I celebrate our 5-year wedding anniversary today!