Susan Rich's Blog, page 78

Poem For Monday: This is what was bequeathed us

This is what was bequeathed us
     
This is what was bequeathed us:
This earth the beloved left
And, leaving,
Left to us.
No other world
But this one:
Willows and the river
And the factory
With its black smokestacks.
No other shore, only this bank
On which the living gather.
No meaning but what we find here.
No purpose but what we make.
That, and the beloved's clear instructions:
Turn me into song; sing me awake.


Thank you Verse Daily for reminding me of this poem by Gregory Orr, from his collection, How Beautiful the Beloved. 

Last Giveaway of the Year: The Alchemist's Kitchen

I seem to be in the holiday spirit lately. Click here for a chance to win a copy of The Alchemist's Kitchen. I'm hosting a giveaway of one copy of my recent book over at Goodreads. The closing date is happening soon as I wanted to give the winner her copy (or his) before Christmas. Signing up for Goodreads is a good idea. There are dozens of free books given away all the time -- the major poetry publishers will often given 12 or even 24 copies of a new book as a way to try and create some buzz.

Houston, We Have a Winner

Congratulations, Mari is the winner of Rosanne Olson's beautiful book, This Is Who I Am.

Until midnight tonight -- Pacific time

It's not too late to enter. Simply leave a comment right here and you may win a copy of Rosanne Olson's book This Is Who I Am: ourselves in all shapes and sizes. A perfect gift for any woman in your life who has ever thought about her shape. Take a look at an interview with Rosanne and photographs from the book and see what you think by clicking here.

Happy Human Rights Day and Happy Birthday Emily D.

[image error]
Poet and dear friend, Kelli Agodon, has a lovely tribute to Emily today at Book of Kells.  Happy B-Day, Emily, you are 180 years relevant today.

Today is also International Human Rights Day. This year's theme is human rights activism. Why not take action? PEN is an organization on the behalf of poets, playwrights, essayists, and novelists who are at risk of censure or violence due to their writings. Here is a way to take action on behalf of specific individuals by clicking here.

Happy Holidays!

Human Rights Day 2010

The theme for Human Rights Day 10 December 2010 is  human rights defenders who act to end discrimination.
Human rights defenders acting against discrimination, often at great personal risk to both themselves and their families, are being recognized and acclaimed on this day.
Human rights defenders speak out against abuse and violations including discrimination, exclusion, oppression and violence.  They advocate justice and seek to protect the victims of human rights violations.  They demand accountability for perpetrators and transparency in government action.  In so doing, they are often putting at risk their own safety, and that of their families.
Some human rights defenders are famous, but most are not. They are active in every part of the world, working alone and in groups, in local communities, in national politics and internationally.

Thankful Thursday: Split This Rock Holiday Book List

Split This Rock Poetry Festival is a poetry celebration I hope to be at in 2012. For right now, I am happy to be included in the Split This Rock HolidayGift List: Books, 2010. The list includes single author collections as well as anthologies. Here are a few of my favorite ones. It feels good to be included on this list. A list I will be using to do some gift giving of my own. Thank you!



Terrance Hayes | Lighthead
| Penguin, 112 pp. $18.00 |The 2010 National Book Award winner for poetry takes a fearless look at our urgings, hopes and fears. Hayes' language always surprises the reader with its layers and beauty. Like the blues, this collection names pain and moves through it. Any reader who loves language will delight in this award-winning collection of poems.




Melissa Kwasny & M.L Smoker, Editors| I Go to the Ruined Place: Contemporary Poems in Defense of Global Human Rights || Lost Horse Press, 168 pp. $18.00 |Poems of witness against crimes of genocide, torture, war, rape, hate crimes, and more. These poems bring dignity and humanity to the wounded, language to our deepest silences, voice to unspeakable crimes, with poems by such poets as Marvin Bell, Tamiko Beyer, Martha Collins, Lois Red Elk, Christopher Howell, Scott Hightower, Christi Kramer, Phillip Metres, Farnoosh Moshiri, Susan Rich, and others. A poignant and necessary book. For a full review, please click here.


Myra Sklarew | Harmless
|Mayapple Press, 92 pp., $15.95|Harmless will capture you from the first poem. Its delicate poems, often using Jewish Biblical characters and themes, explore memory, family, parenting, and conflict. The poems build an architecture of tenderness we could all live in.





Susan Rich | The Alchemist's Kitchen
|White Pine Press, 105 pp., $16.00|The poems here weave the personal and the political; they tell stories and lament. A strong middle section resurrects the early female photographer and painter of the American Northwest, Myra Albert Wiggins, with scenes from her life and work. Rich is in love with the music of poetry and many of the poems are in form, lilting through even the most difficult of subjects.

Where I Am: Home in the Pacific Northwest, San Juan Island

The view from Charlie's Cottage -early morning

P.S. Drawing for Rosanne Olson's Book - There Is Still Time

[image error] Photograph by Rosanne Olson
Since I am easy in the islands this week (pacific northwest islands, that is) I am extending the date for the drawing of This Is Who I Am:  our beauty in all shapes and sizes until Friday, December 10th. You can sign-up right here by leaving a comment. I promise your name will not be sold, bartered, or borrowed.

Rosanne Olson has been a professional photographer for 30 years, but her focus on deep portraiture is newer. Lately, Rosanne has been devoting her talents to photographing poets and writers. If you need a photo for your next book --- I can't recommend Rosanne's  work highly enough. Believe me, this photograph is one of the best I've ever taken --- and that's her magic.

To be ordered in the drawing for This Is Who I Am you can post a comment right here.

[image error] Photograph by Rosanne Olson

Portraiture: An Interview with Rosanne Olson and a Free Book!

Rosanne Olson - Self-portrait


Some people are just multi-talented. And Rosanne Olson is one of them. I first met Rosanne Olson seven years ago when she joined a writing group I was in. Since that time I have come to know her not only as a poet, but also as a musician and superb professional photographer. Rosanne's approach to taking portraits involves a holistic view of her client. I have recently had the honor of working with Rosanne on her newest project. Rosanne's picture of me is now my "professional portrait" and you can see it here.


Rosanne's working on an exhibition of Northwest poets that you can read about in this interview. However, her most recent book This Is Who I Am: our beauty in all shapes and sizes is a collection of photographs and essays by women ages 19 to 95. If you are interested in receiving a free copy of this book, please leave your name and a comment in the comment box below. Next week I will write about my experience being photographed by Rosanne. This was my first time being professionally photographed with all the trimmings -- and I loved it.


Since I have been writing about the photography of Myra Albert Wiggins recently, it seems only natural to be interviewing a photographer of our time: Rosanne Olson.

1.You've worked in many areas of photography, what draws you to portraiture in particular?
I love working one-on-one with people, especially people who have not had the experience of being photographed. I like to create a very positive experience for my clients—one that will leave them feeling as if they have been listened to and really seen, thus giving them a portrait that will convey their true self to the public.

2. Who are the photographers that you draw the most inspiration from?
I am most inspired by Irving Penn. He recently died at the age of 90+, still working for magazines. His work encompassed portraiture, still life and fashion. He used simple lighting and simple sets to convey great depth of personality. I never tire of looking at his work. And I hope to be working at 90.

3. How is working with you on a portrait different than having a friend or a family member take the picture?
Nothing against having a photograph taken by a friend or family member, but, how do I say this? I feel that the way one portrays oneself in a professional portrait is a reflection of how seriously one takes one's work. I have spent 30 years working with lighting and photographing people. It is a subtle art. I make it my work to bring out the best in people. I usually spend at least two hours in a session, not to mention the prep time (reading the author's work, etc.). One can certainly use a photo taken by a friend just as one can lay one's own tile or work on one's own car. It might be a job well done. However, if you find that your existing photo doesn't quite convey the true you, you might try a professional. The photograph is part of one's "brand."

4. Can you tell us about your project with Northwest authors?
I have been photographing Northwest poets for the past year and hope to bring this project to Seattle schools to help engage students in poetry. My project arose from a poetry book I had in a college poetry class called Modern Poets. It consisted of portraits, bios and a few representative poems from each poet. Sylvia Plath, W.H. Auden, John Berryman, William Carlos Williams are among some of the poets in the book. It is long out of print so I decided to create my own project along the lines of my tattered old book.

This is Who I Am: Our Beauty in All Shapes and Sizes

5. Can you tell us how you mix portraiture and psychology?
What a great question! In my mind, a photograph is a weaving of technology, art and psychology. I sometimes affectionately call my work "photo-therapy" because much what I do is interpret the personality of my subject. In 2008 I authored a book called this is who I am—our beauty in all shapes and sizes. I photographed 54 women ages 19-95 and interviewed them about body image. Most of the women were nude. It took a lot of connection and trust to make the portraits. Aside from the book,  most of my clients are NOT nude, even though the connection and trust are equally important. Everyone is nervous when then come to a session. They wonder if they will be seen, understood, interpreted in a way that is true to them. This is exactly what I strive to do.

6. What do you hope a person gains working with you on a portrait?
In my thinking, portraiture is a collaborative undertaking. We need to trust each other. This is accomplished through talking, listening, observation. My hope is that after a session the client comes away feeling truly seen and heard. My goal is to transmit that to the photographs. When I work with people I am totally present. I am committed to working through the client's worries about being "seen," the dread about not being seen as "beautiful" enough. I hope that people leave my studio feeling better about themselves than when they came.

[image error] From This is Who I Am: Our Beauty in All Shapes and Sizes

7. How do you see portraiture as part of your overall work?
My work has encompassed everything from journalism to advertising and fine art. I love portraiture because I love people. I love portraiture because it is REAL. My fine art is my personal expression of my artistic nature. Portraiture is the expression of my talent for connecting to people. Both are important to me.

8. How much does one pay for a portrait?
One could pay between say $150 to $2,500 or more, depending on the photographer, the author's (or artist's) renown and the publisher's contribution (if any). I try to keep things affordable for artists and authors and work with my clients to get them what they need. My photo sessions are about two hours long in addition to time for preliminary discussion, wardrobe consultation, etc. To find out more about Rosanne's work you can go to her website at http://www.rosanneolson.com/

         Thank you, Rosanne, for your time and insights. It's been a pleasure. 


Dear Reader, if you would like to be entered in a drawing for Rosanne's book, This Is Who I Am: our beauty in all shapes and sizes - simply leave your name and a comment in the box below. 

Happy Holidays -- How About A Free Book of Poems?

I can feel myself taking a deep breath and heading out to shop -- something I am not at all fond of doing.  I love the idea of shopping on line as long as we aren't talking fabric or shoes. I like to touch things before I take them home. I like things to be free.

So here is what my good friend, poet Kelli Agodon set-up on Thanksgiving Day -- a book giveaway. At Book of Kells, on Thanksgiving Day, Kelli offered a copy of The Alchemist's Kitchen (the book, not the blog) to one lucky person who leaves a comment.  And it isn't too late for you to swing by her blog and leave a comment. Even if you have a copy, why not? At the Miami Book Festival I had someone (you know who you are!) buy a copy of The Alchemist's Kitchen and then return a few minutes later to buy a copy for her mom for Christmas. I felt very supported and she was happy to have checked a gift off her list. If you want me to sign a book for you or for a loved one and send it out in time for the holidays, you can purchase one right here.

Kelli and I have known each other about eight years and during this time we've written together on cloudy afternoons, travelled to workshops, taken road trips, shared many chocolate bars and supported each other in too many ways to count. Here is my poem, "4 0'Clock News @ House of Sky,"  dedicated to my dear friend, Kelli. I firmly believe that women's friendships should be celebrated in poems. One of my favorite is Elizabeth Bishop's, "Invitation to Miss Marianne Moore." Why not try writing about a dear friend? Love poems come in all shapes and sizes. Or so I believe.


The 4 '0' Clock News @ House of SkyIn the beginning we wanted
to cast ourselves
as opera stars, to break apartlike gorgeous women
palm reading at the piano bar ~music stinging like salt from the sea.We were spiraling ridges, dust-darlings
and dangerous.We were peonies ~ cut
and arranged like astronautsin flight. We soaked in syllablesnot water; rode the Southern
drawl of the windover cobalt glass ~
backlit by a disc of sun.