Poets’ voices are ringing out around the globe calling for people to see the truth of the genocide of Palestinians and the barbarism of the assault. Asking for reason and humaneness to be put in front. The esteemed poet laureate of Berkely, California, Rafael Jesús Gonzalez, whose work I love, […]
america, australia, palestine land, settlers, and genocide: america, australia and palestine 1. and the land was covered with trees pine to oak, maple to beech to redwoods stretching upwards for thousands of years and the first peoples were the only ones there to harvest the land’s bounty they nursed reeds […]
child hands and legs and memory do you remember holding your small child hand up to your father’s large comforting hand amazed at its size compared to your vine thin fingers? do you remember making fingers and palms Into church and steeple and then opening to see all the people? […]
Mahnaz Badihian is an Iranian poet and painter whose work reflects ideas of immigrants and exiles, women’s issues, poverty, struggles for justice and, of course, love. An award-winning poet and author of two poetry collections, and a recording of Rumi poems with her own translations with the poems read by […]
“Employing Empathy, Shooting for Artistry, Talking Truth” Mass media creates music stars whose talent and vision varies and is at times altogether absent. But alongside these commercialized voices are original talents who shine brightly spreading their gifts throughout the world. I would like to take the opportunity to highlight one […]
While in Italy I started a number of poems. The following three poems were begun in Sardinia and were observations of or responses to festival offerings. around the grove the trees speak discreet words from a sonorous voice disembodied poems overlapping images knotted phrases insistent love forgotten promises remembered betrayal […]
In my last days in Italy, I was amidst an interesting crossroads of history and art. The last city I performed in was Desenzano, a city that edges Garda, Italy’s largest lake in the region of Lombardi. It is written that in the first century this was a favorite vacation […]
On Saturday September 3 Rafaella Marzano and Sergio Iagulli of Casa della Poesie and I flew to Sardinia for their Fall Literary Festival. The banner roughly translates to “New Year of the Poets” because in Sardinia the beginning of Fall after the summer harvest is considered the beginning of a […]
Every time I am given the honor of coming to the Casa della Poesia in Baronisi, Italy it is a pleasure and an adventure. Baronisi is a small city near the port city of Salerno that, among other offerings has a university, convent and a park across the street from […]
On June 4th I made a speech for the Ina Coolbrith Poetry Circle’s 95th Poets Dinner and Award Ceremony that was held in Benicia City Park. Several people asked if they could read the speech so I offer it below. When given the theme of discovery I used my typical […]
