Reading Envy Readers discussion

Or we can call it April 1-10!

To kick off will be
Blessing, Intro, Northeast and Midwest
Pages 1-98

Feel free to discuss here. Did any poems really stand out to you? What about how they are organized?

One thing that I shouldn't be surprised by, but was surprised by, is that so many of the poems are translated or bilingual. I mean, I should have known. These days it wouldn't be unusual to encounter a poet with a native background who writes in English, but that is largely to do with negative influences. So I thought it was interesting how the anthology handles translation for some of the older poem/poets. I liked seeing the poet-provided translation, usually bit more in the style of that era (sometimes too rhymey or flowery for my tastes) alongside the literal word-for-word translations that I think are new to this collection - perhaps not the best poem but a better capture of the feel of anything in its original language.

I really too note of this technique in Margaret Noodin's translation of Jane Johnston Schoolcraft's poem, "To the Pinetree," that starts on page 21. If you are new to poetry I will say, read it out loud! So much more fun.

A few other random thoughts on this NE/MW section....

"Long have I dwelt within these walls
And pored o'er ancient pages long.
I hate these antiquated halls;
I hate the Grecian poet's song."
(This is from William Walker Jr., pg 25, but made me laugh because it made me think of
No more teachers
No more books... etc.)

"The Song My Paddle Sings" by Emily Pauline Johnson was one I really liked. The rhythm of it feels kind of like a lullaby. Definitely sing-songy but in a way I really liked. Obviously even the title has the word song so this can't be far from the poet's intent.

In Denise Sweet's poem, "Song for Discharming," pgs 60-62, I liked this little segment:
"I was, as you may expect, a human parenthesis.
There is no simple way to say this,
but drift closer, Invisible One, swim within this stream
of catastrophic history. Yours? Mine?
No, you decide....""

That phrase "human parenthesis" communicates so exactly what she means, that's one that will stick with me.

Last, but certainly not least, since the other half of this joint readalong will lead into read Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, I took note of the poem by Salli M. Kawennotakie Benedict called "Sweetgrass is Around Her" and it feels like that should be the theme of this entire venture.

Now you should not feel you are behind. Technically you don't even need to be trying out the book until today! I just wanted to get us started strong.

Question about Peter Blue Cloud's poem "Rattle." How do you read the side lines? Do you read the lines all the way across?

Elizabeth☮ wrote: "Question about Peter Blue Cloud's poem "Rattle." How do you read the side lines? Do you read the lines all the way across?"

I wasn’t sure! I think when they’re like that it goes across? I wish it had directions.

Sometimes the lines make sense if you read them all the way across, other times it doesn't make sense at all. I love poems that are so complicated on the page and challenge my reader brain. The unconventional lay out speaks to me. But, I also like poems that are straight forward in language. There are many poems that fit this format also.

Elizabeth☮ wrote: "Sometimes the lines make sense if you read them all the way across, other times it doesn't make sense at all. I love poems that are so complicated on the page and challenge my reader brain. The unc..."

And here is where I will display my own poetry bias - I find I prefer poems that work well in a read aloud scenario, so when they end up only working on the page (maybe your mind groups the lines differently and that in itself creates different meanings, maybe the meanings are multiple) either because the white space matters or the layout matters, I sometimes get frustrated. I'll need to revisit this one!

My reading time has taken a big hit in general the past two weeks, but I'm going to try and catch up.

I liked the Emily Pauline Johnson one you mentioned but I really connected with her other one 'Marshland', in part because I really love marshes and the poem vividly captures moments of marsh wildlife interacting with their surroundings.

I tried reading the poems out loud. Why did I never think to do this before? It is fun!

Vinny wrote: "I tried reading the poems out loud. Why did I never think to do this before? It is fun! "
I so agree!

In fact, I went to see if I could find readings of any of these and here is what I found.

"When I was in Las Vegas..." by B. William Bearhart (not read by the poet, but read in tribute to him after his death this past August)

Laura Da ' speaks on the Shawnee language and her themes but I couldn't find a reading of the two poems in the anthology

Eric Gansworth reads a few poems from his new collection (2020) - Apple: Skin to the Core

Chief Totopotamoi, 1654 by Karenne Wood, read by a guy who did a "poetry lockdown" project during covid

When Names Escaped Us by Gordon Henry Jr., read by the poet (comes from a longer video, I've tried to link to before it starts)

Kimberly M. Blaeser reading "Apprenticed to Justice." If the time stamp doesn't work, it starts at 47:32.

Great idea! I will check those out. I really liked both of the ones by Chrystos. I found a reading for one of them that was posted 4 months ago, so it was done at home, complete with cat photo bomb:

Ceremony for Completing a Poetry Reading

Oh great! I've found it not super straightforward to find readings because often poems aren't listed but are inside a longer presentation. There are a few specific to the anthology that I haven't watched yet!

I’m trying to stay on schedule, but I’m behind now. Still, my plan is to just continue reading on.

I started out ahead but then didn't read this text week ahead so we will all just keep going.

Way behind on this! In this section these poems touched me:

These Rivers Remember - "We still help earth walk her spiral way, feeling the flow of rivers and their memories of turning and change.

What's An Indian Woman To Do? - what's an indian woman to do when the white girls act more indian than the indian women do?

Sweetgrass Is Around Her

On to catch up!!

Deb wrote: "Way behind on this! In this section these poems touched me:

These Rivers Remember - "We still help earth walk her spiral way, feeling the flow of rivers and their memories of turning and change.
..."

I love that line from the rivers poem!

Jenny - Just starting to get caught up. Thanks, everyone, for all of these comments.

I loved Prodigal Daughter on page 90-91.

Among many others!

Does anyone know how to pronounce Teiohontasen?
Or in general, found a place to hear native pronunciations.

Emily wrote: "Does anyone know how to pronounce Teiohontasen?
Or in general, found a place to hear native pronunciations."

Hmm, this Mohawk language guide might help.

I love those lines Deb.