As many of my dear readers know because they’re published in it too, the anthology Hidden in Childhood from Literary Revelations has been released. Compiled by the indefatigable Gabriela Marie Milton, this anthology has 280 poems from over 150 poets, including two of mine, Breaking News and Sixth Grade, a tribute to one of my elementary school teachers, Mr. Keltner.
It’s been #1 on the new poetry anthologies list for a couple of days now and at the time of this writing it’s both #1 and #2! (Paperback and Kindle versions, respectively.) At $19.99 for the paperback, that’s just seven cents per poem. You can’t afford not to buy!
For my dear readers who can’t visit the Eno Arts Mill Gallery in Hillsborough, North Carolina, this month but still want to check out the Coalesce exhibit of visuals paired with poetry, you can do it online and even buy the art at Coalesce Broadsides.
I must admit, I prefer the idea of one of my poems with Theresa Arico‘s mosaics framed on a wall to having any of my books sitting on a dusty shelf somewhere. I’m even more honored if one of my poems is stuck to a refrigerator door with a green banana shaped magnet but maybe that’s just me.
And, yes, if you buy one of the two broadsides featuring my poetry, I will get a substantial cut of the purchase price. So, thank you, in advance.
Last Friday, about the time my Fraiku posting, I was reading two of my poems to over a hundred art lovers at the opening night of an exhibit in my town of Hillsborough, North Carolina.
Coalesce, A Collaboration of Poetry and Art, is sponsored by the Orange County Arts Commission. They paired ten poets with ten visual artists. Each poet offered a poem as inspiration for a new piece of visual art and each visual artist offered a piece as inspiration for a new poem thus creating twenty new objets d’art.
I was fortunate enough to have been paired with Theresa Arico, a mosaicist based in Chapel Hill who has done everything from stunning public art to gorgeous handheld trinkets.
Theresa asked me to write a poem based on her mosaic above, entitled “I Wanna Ride My Bicycle”. Click the pic to get a full resolution image for a better look at her craftsmanship and to read my response, “Freedom”.
I asked her to do her magic on my poem “Self Portrait”. (Long time readers may remember that it was recently published in Panoply.) Definitely click the pic below to get a close up view on what she created. Wow!
The opening party was crowded and noisy so, feeling overwhelmed, I left once the show was over to enjoy the winter night sky under a full moon.
I went back Saturday afternoon when I assumed it’d be less busy to relax and absorb the poetry, paintings and sculptures. If any of my dear readers live nearby, I strongly encourage a visit. It is a wonderful, immersive art experience which I’m having trouble articulating. And that’s my job as poet!
The exhibit is open Tuesdays through Saturdays 12pm to 5pm until January 28th.
Bartholomew Barker, Poet 