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Not Waving But Drowning
When I saw these breathtaking photos, I couldn’t help but think of Stevie Smith’s wonderful poem: Not Waving but Drowning Nobody heard him, the dead man, But still he lay moaning:I was much further out than you thought And not waving but drowning. Poor chap, he always loved larkingAnd now he’s deadIt must have been too cold for him his heart gave way, They said.Read More
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A Tardy Adios to Adrian Mitchell
I somehow failed to note the passing of British poet Adrian Mitchell, maybe because I never read a poem of his I really liked. From my limited perspective, it seems he had all the plusses of a good performance poet, but none of enduring qualities that made for powerful poems on the page. He reminds me of a socially and politically engaged Stevie Smith.Read More
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Notice: Kay Ryan is POTUS
I have to admit I don’t know enough about Kay Ryan’s work to celebrate or complain about her elevation to Poet Laureate of the United States (a.k.a, POTUS). Ron Silliman chooses to complain, seeing Ryan as “the 47th consecutive School of Quietude poet to hold the position in its 71 year history”; that is, he spins her like a grindstone to sharpen his favorite axe.Read More
Joseph Hutchison, Colorado Poet Laureate 2014-2019, has published 20 collections of poems and edited or co-edited three poetry anthologies. He currently directs two master’s-level programs for University College at the University of Denver: Professional Creative Writing and Arts & Culture Management. Joe lives with his wife, Melody Madonna, in the mountains southwest of Denver, Colorado, the city where he was born. 
