Photo by Jane Blue, Sacramento
WITCHERS
—Taylor Graham, Placerville
A neighbor’s come witching
up the hill. His two bent wands
point nothing underground.
An itch in dead grass—
the very color of rip-gut brome burned
ember-gray as dry creekbed
in drought—Fox pauses
to watch us. Twitch of ears
and nose. Fox will find water.
__________________
—Taylor Graham, Placerville
A neighbor’s come witching
up the hill. His two bent wands
point nothing underground.
An itch in dead grass—
the very color of rip-gut brome burned
ember-gray as dry creekbed
in drought—Fox pauses
to watch us. Twitch of ears
and nose. Fox will find water.
__________________
This bio doesn't nearly begin to cover all of Judy Taylor Graham's work, though. She has been published in hundreds of poetry publications, small press and large; she has numerous chapbooks, including some with the infamous Ben Hiatt, and a wonderful book of poems about the ups and downs of search and rescue; she was co-editor of Acorn; she and her husband, Hatch, occasionally publish other poets; and I'm sure there are many other credits in her illustrious career that she keeps to herself. (For an interview of her, by the way, see Conversations, Vol. 4 of the Rattlesnake Interview Series by B.L. Kennedy.)
JTG's work is woven throughout Medusa's Kitchen, as you'll see if you type in her name on the "search" bar. But for features about her, go to the archives column at the right of this and click on either April 2007 or November 2007, then scroll down to the posts about her. (In April '07 it was April 25, and in Nov. of that year it was Nov. 13.) We are SO grateful for her steady stream of wonderful poetry, her intriguing "Tuesday at Two" columns in each issue of Rattlesnake Review, her hard work as our Proofer-in-Residence, and her unflagging support of poets and poetry in our area. She really has the Snake's "back", so to speak. Thanks, TG!
Join TG and the rest of the Snake posse for our FIFTH ANNUAL BIRTHDAY BASH/BUFFET this coming Wednesday, April 8 at 7:30 PM at The Book Collector, where TG will be releasing a free, new littlesnake broadside, Edge of Wildwood, along with fine poetic and photographic treats from Laverne Frith and Katy Brown—not to mention food, food, food! Be there and help us celebrate five years of publishing the poetry of hundreds of poets. Hundreds!
Here are some poems from the brand-new Edge of Wildwood, a small collection about the Grahams' recent move from the edge of the very rural community of Somerset to the outskirts of Placerville:
DAWN PATROL
—Taylor Graham
We step outside, my dog and I
to check a change
of weather. Do I know
by smell or taste or feel,
or just the skiff of white cloud
backlit, sun behind horizon,
the sense of something coming?
Bite of brown-fall on the tongue.
My dog lifts her nose,
downdraft off Stone Mountain
that brings a whiff of neighbor
or intruder, fox or deer.
Look, overnight my eggplant’s
nibbled to the stalk. I
hunt more by sight
than scenting. But my dog’s
on course now, sniffing: who
passed in the dark? A tip
of twig can tell her
everything.
_________________
SANCTUARY
—Taylor Graham
This morning the sky stays too low
for color. Through binoculars
I watch a moving blur, the hawk
breakfasting her brood.
High in the blue-oak’s crotch
she hunches, offering bits of gopher,
sparrow, who knows what,
to her hungry young.
A swallow sweeps the field.
In plain sight, two Brown Towhees
go about their business.
A titmouse flits from here
to anywhere.
Time-out, reprieve, Kings-X,
it’s safe to be alive
while hawk’s at breakfast.
__________________
FREE
—Taylor Graham
He walks out under the Dipper, Polaris pointing
his north corner, Jupiter holding down the south.
The Harvest Moon won’t come up, waning,
for an hour. It’s dark but for neighbors’ windows,
small squares of light climbing the ridge beyond.
Intermittent stream of headlights on the main road
underneath this hill. His hill, a step up from city
with its thousand lights to dim the Milky Way.
Five fenced acres. He whistles for his dogs.
They’re out there somewhere marking territory;
lifting legs, bitch-squatting, leaving their scent
on the scat of wild creatures. It’s black enough
under oaks. He finds a spot overlooking the road,
its spurts of headlights gauging the next curve.
In his natural shadow, owner of this ground,
he undoes himself and marks it. A pouring out,
a greeting. No one to see but stars.
__________________
CLEARING
—Taylor Graham
At dawn I lead the ewes to pasture
where drenched February grass has been
growing out of bounds while I wasn’t looking
and a seasonal creek carries its water-
language from rain to river
and a new breeze rearranges forecasts
and a flock of sheep-clouds browses the swale
and by the time I get back to the house
everything has disarranged itself
orderly-disorderly as
sheep in muddy weather
waiting for sun with a sky’s patience.
_________________
Calendar addition for tonight in Davis:
Help celebrate local artists and writers from 7-9 PM at the John Natsoulas Art Gallery, where the latest issue of the Blue Moon Literary & Art Review will be released. This issue includes the winners of the Jack Kerouac Poetry Contest. The event will be hosted by Scott Evans, author of the literary murder mystery, Tragic Flaws (which is set partially in Davis), and one of the featured writers will be Karen Levy, reading from her memoir, My Father's Gardens. Open to the public, this event will feature local authors, artists, poets and photographers. Appetizers, wine and soft drinks will be served, and copies of the latest issue of the Blue Moon Literary & Art Review will be available for purchase and autographs. Info: (530) 902-0026.
Also this weekend in NorCal poetry:
•••Friday (4/3) and Sat. (4/4): Sacramento Poetry Center Writers Conference at HQ for the Arts, 1719 25th St. (at R), Sacramento. FREE FREE FREE! Friday night (7:30-9 PM) features William O’Daly, Libby Kovacs and Susan Kelly-DeWitt. Saturday features coffee and muffins at 9 AM, followed by workshops from 10-12 and 1-3; panel discussion til 4, and then a reading by Camille Dungy, Matthew Zapruder, Camille Norton. For more details, including presenter bios, or to pre-register for specific workshops, go to www.sacramentopoetrycenter.org [click on the new link at the right of this column and check out the spiffy new site!] and click on the blue box.
•••Sat. (4/4), 8 AM-5 PM: Every writer, high school age and older, is welcome to the first San Joaquin Writers' Workshop at Delta College in Danner Hall (and adjacent rooms), 5151 Pacific Av., Stockton. This inaugural year, the focus is poetry. The cost for the day, including lunch, is $15. REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS APRIL 1. More info or register at www.sanjoaquinwritersworkshop.org or send a check to Writers’ Guild, San Joaquin Delta College, 5151 Pacific Av., Stoctkon, CA 95207. (Please put "San Joaquin Writers’ Workshop" in the memo line.)
•••Sat. (4/4): Poetry Workshop (1-3 PM) and reading (3:30 PM) by Ellen Bass at the Milpitas Public Library, 160 N. Main St., Milpitas. Info: 408-262-1171 ext. 3621 or lteixeir@library.sccgov.org/.
•••Sat. & Sun. (4/4 & 4/5): Pleasanton Poetry, Prose and Arts Festival. Keynote Speaker: Dana Gioia. Workshop Presenters: Ellen Bass, Toby Bielawski, Susan Browne, Sandra Kay, Alison Luterman, Elizabeth Rosner, Floyd Salas, Penny Warner, Al Young. For more info call 925-417-0262, email Poetgal2@aol.com or visit www.pleasantonarts.org/.
•••Mon. (4/6), 7:30 PM: Sacramento Poetry Center presents poets laureate from Sacramento (and elsewhere in California) reading from Sometimes in the Open, SPC Press's first release. Featured readers are: Dennis Schmitz, Julia Connor, Terry Ehret, Sam Pierstorff, Kevin Patrick Sullivan, Carolyn Wing Greenlee. Sometimes in the Open is an anthology of 65 poets laureate from around California. The reading will take place at California Stage, 2509 R St., Sacramento. Info: 916-979-9706.
__________________
Three cinquains from Linda Tiefenthaler of Davis:
VENTING
Jake Fronds
evil landlord
man of no soul or heart
He is famous in the Delta
The rat.
*****
Look out
I have to pee
I am out of here now
I know......too much information
Sorry.
*****
Counting
the syllables
We are writing cinquains
It's hard but once you get the hang
it's fun
_________________
Today's LittleNip:
WAITING TO START CLOWN CLASS: A Cinquain
—Kevin Jones, Fair Oaks
Bad sign
When nothing in
The parking lot even
Vaguely resembles the little
Clown car
_________________
—Medusa
SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:
Rattlesnake Review: The latest Snake (RR21) is now available (free) at The Book Collector, or send me four bux and I'll mail you one. Next deadline is May 15 for RR22: send 3-5 poems, smallish art pieces and/or photos (no bio, no cover letter, no simultaneous submissions or previously-published poems) to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. E-mail attachments are preferred, but be sure to include all contact info, including snail address. Meanwhile, the snakes of Medusa are always hungry; let us know if your submission is for the Review or for Medusa, or for either one, and please—only one submission per issue.
Also available (free): littlesnake broadside #46: Snake Secrets: Getting Your Poetry Published in Rattlesnake Press (and lots of other places, besides!): A compendium of ideas for brushing up on your submissions process so as to make editors everywhere more happy, thereby increasing the likelihood of getting your poetry published. Pick up a copy at The Book Collector or write to me and I'll send you one. Free!
COMING IN APRIL: Wednesday, April 8 will be our FIFTH ANNUAL BIRTHDAY PARTY/BUFFET at The Book Collector, featuring a SpiralChap of poetry and photos from Laverne Frith (Celebrations: Images and Texts), a littlesnake broadside from Taylor Graham (Edge of Wildwood), and Musings3: An English Affair, a new blank journal of photos and writing prompts from Katy Brown. That’s at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM.
And April 15 is the deadline for the second issue of WTF, the free quarterly journal from Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe that is edited by frank andrick. Submission guidelines are the same as for the Snake, but send your poems, photos, smallish art or prose pieces (500 words or less) to fandrickfabpub@hotmail.com (attachments preferred) or, if you’re snailing, to P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. And be forewarned: this publication is for adults only, so you must be over 18 years of age to submit. Copies of the first issue are at The Book Collector, or send me two bux and I'll mail you one.
Medusa's Weekly Menu:
(Contributors are welcome to cook up something for any and all of these!)
Monday: Weekly NorCal poetry calendar
Tuesday: Seed of the Week: Tuesday is Medusa's day to post poetry triggers such as quotes, forms, photos, memories, jokes—whatever might tickle somebody's muse. Pick up the gauntlet and send in your poetic results; and don't be shy about sending in your own triggers, too! All poems will be posted and a few of them will go into Medusa's Corner of each Rattlesnake Review. Send your work to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. No deadline for SOWs; respond today, tomorrow, or whenever the muse arrives. (Print 'em out, maybe, save 'em for a dry spell?) When you send us work, though, just let us know which "seed" it was that inspired you.
Wednesday (sometimes, or any other day!): HandyStuff Quickies: Resources for the poet, including whatever helps ease the pain of writing and/or publishing: favorite journals to read and/or submit to; books, etc., about writing; organizational tools—you know—HandyStuff! Tell us about your favorite tools.
Thursday: B.L.'s Drive-Bys: Micro-reviews by our irreverent Reviewer-in-Residence, B.L. Kennedy. Send books, CDs, DVDs, etc. to him for possible review (either as a Drive-By or in future issues of Rattlesnake Review) at P.O. Box 160664, Sacramento, CA 95816.
Friday: NorCal weekend poetry calendar
Daily (except Sunday): LittleNips: SnakeFood for the Poetic Soul: Daily munchables for poetic thought, including short paragraphs, quotes, wonky words, silliness, little-known poetry/poet facts, and other inspiration—yet another way to feed our ravenous poetic souls.
And poetry! Every day, poetry from writers near and far and in-between! The Snakes of Medusa are always hungry.......!
_________________
Medusa encourages poets of all ilk and ages to send their POETRY, PHOTOS and ART, as well as announcements of Northern California poetry events, to kathykieth@hotmail.com (or snail ‘em to P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726) for posting on this daily Snake blog. Rights remain with the poets. Previously-published poems are okay for Medusa’s Kitchen, as long as you own the rights. (Please cite publication.) Medusa cannot vouch for the moral fiber of other publications, contests, etc. that she lists, however, so submit to them at your own risk. For more info about the Snake Empire, including guidelines for submitting to or obtaining our publications, click on the link to the right of this column: Rattlesnake Press (rattlesnakepress.com). And be sure to sign up for Snakebytes, our monthly e-newsletter that will keep you up-to-date on all our ophidian chicanery.