Thanks to Maudelle Driskell, who invited me up to read and briefly comment on a Robert Frost poem, I spent a wonderful chunk of afternoon at The Frost Place in Franconia, NH. I was the warm-up for Maudelle herself (as a last minute sub — she was so great! what a voice!) and Patrick Donnelly, whose work I wasn’t familiar with until this afternoon. I can’t wait for Maudelle to have a published book so I can buy it — I thought her poems were mighty fine. I was riveted by Patrick Donnelly’s work — bought myself a couple of copies of his current book, The Charge, and am already anticipating his next one, which should be out in Spring 2012 from Four Way Books. Its title is so magnificent, I believe it deserves some space here:
Nocturnes of the Brothel of Ruin.
Oh, yes. The last poem he read (curse the hole in the bucket of my brain! what was the title?) will be in that next book.
Enjoying these readings (and reciting “Acquainted With the Night” in the Frost Barn) on such a perfect north-of-the-notch July afternoon would have been plenty enough. But, because it is a freaky small poetry/writing world, it happened that Margo Stever, of the Hudson Valley Writing Center and Slapering Hol Press (they did my first chapbook, A Thirst That’s Partly Mine) was “in the neighborhood” and so stopped by. Also, it turns out that one of the student interns at the Frost Place this summer is a former UVA Young Writers Workshop songwriting counselor, Meredith Nnoka. I’m so glad she introduced herself to me! I love meeting folks from the YWW — even though we’d never met before, we were connected.
It really was a perfect weekend. Got a little exercise, spent time with Jeannette, did my first batch of veggie-freezing for the winter — broccoli and a little cauliflower, finally saw Super 8, posted the high score in Frogger at Funspot, read poetry, listened to poetry, drank coffee….so sweet.
Tomorrow, though. Into the office I go.
Liz Ahl 