This past weekend I was at the SD Festival of Books as I announced last week in the Tuesday post. One of the featured poets at the event was Quincy Troupe. He has quite a resume (another topic). I spent some time with him at the event, attended his workshop, and found him to be an engaging fellow who is intouch with contemporary poetic expression.

He read at a local night spot with a jazz band backup. Both the band and Troupe are Miles Davis devotees. Troupe helped him write his life story and has published the book , Miles and Me about their relationship. Both are from St. Louis/East St. Louis where Quincy was a high school basketball star. I was surprised how much my personal St. Louis experience contributed to my understanding of his art and personal world view.

The Spoken Word was an exciting experience that drew a good bit of interest. There was a family from Sisseton whose star son, Zion, won the slam. These Native Americans had so much good energy to contribute to the scene. My spouse, Quincy Troupe and his spouse Margaret were the slam judges (that girl do get around).

I tried out some of the poems for a chap book I am working on called, Looking for the Good Life in Minnesota. It was well received.

Question. Should test message speak for savvy be 2vS or Sv2 ???

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We’re Not in Lake Wobegon Anymore -- In These Times

All who consider themselves civic minded will give careful thought to this article. Much as we would like to remain complacent in Lake Wobegon, this is not the time. "O Mark Twain, where art thou at this hour? "

What I did last week. Ride: and all the wonderful things that go with it. Read the first installment about the Ride Across Eastern South Dakota (RAESD) .

It is the first milti-day ride I have been on for some time. It went well considering that a one-day 40 at a leisurely pace was the best I could claim for the year until last Wednesday. There will be a followup story(s) written by Brooke Anderson who rode on the the tour with us.

The weekend. See you at the Spoken Word tent at the 2004 SD Festival of Books. I will join other poets as we share our inspiration with the public throughout the day on Saturday (August 27-29, 2004).

A glimpse of the tour in the CinquainT style, a little 3X3X3 packet.

High On A Bike Tour

Two wheel
turn on— heart, legs,
muscle burning steep climb,
lactic acid tingle—mind over
mountain

In the meantime here is a site that boasts the efforts of Olympic Last Places .

Visit the site.

It is not a joke, but a genuine tribute to the commitment-to-excellence that is usually missed because most everyone believes winners have to finish in first place.


bonjour

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Kooser said he has always been dedicated to writing poetry that people can understand. "What I think poetry can do is give people fresh ways to look at the world," Kooser said. "I attempt in my poems to take ordinary things and look at them in a new light."

"Great Plains poet Ted Kooser of Nebraska will be the next poet laureate of the United States," as reported by the AP on 8-11-2004 succeeding Louise Gluck.

Readers can see for themselves but in essence, here is the kernal of what he had to say

Kooser said he has always been dedicated to writing poetry that people can understand.

"What I think poetry can do is give people fresh ways to look at the world," Kooser said. "I attempt in my poems to take ordinary things and look at them in a new light."