Monday Links to Launch the Week

53º ~ still no rain, a promise of rain is all, brush fires surround us, highs in the mid to upper 80's, the leaves fall brown and crisp, no color at all, summer when will you go?

I'm slowly getting back in sync after traveling last week.  I know, Dear Reader, it's not like I went to the moon and back; however, I'm a homebody at heart and love the rhythms of my days here at the desk of the Kangaroo.  It takes me days to re-adjust after even a short trip.  This is a minor inconvenience given all the joys I experienced last week.

A golden pheasant from our trip to the St. Louis Zoo

This morning, I offer you a bit of color in the photograph above and a set of links that moved me as I read my way through the poetry blogosphere.

First, Brian Campbell, who blogs at Out of the Woodwork, posted this simply breathtaking poem by Charles Harper Webb: "Prayer for the Man Who Mugged my Father, 72."  The poem begins with this:

May you meet him there, the same age as you.
May the meeting take place in a small, locked room.

A chilling beginning.  You must read this poem ASAP.

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Forming a natural connection to this is Robert Peake's post "Why They Are Called the Humanities," which offers a wonderful defense of this much attacked discipline in academia.  I love that Peake sees beyond the normal, surface-level arguments for the humanities and digs a bit deeper.  I agree and plan to spread the news more loudly when we come under the gun budget-wise at my school.

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And then, I read Nancy Devine's thoughts about Tim O'Brien's visit to her school and how he reminded her of why writing is important.  While you can't see me, Dear Reader, rest assured that I am a bit green-tinged with jealousy about this visit, O'Brien being one of my touchstone writers, one who has been with me during my entire journey.

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Finally, I offer a wonderful piece from Jake Adam York about the publication of his new book, Persons Unknown, with thanks to Ruth Ellen Kocher for posting it on her blog, About a Word.  Jake is one of my new touchstones, a poet I admire desperately (well, maybe 'desperately' is a bit strong, Dear Readers, but I do admire him as a poet and as a person...all depth and heart.)



So, it's Monday and we are off to the races with a new week of meetings, stacks of papers to grade, advising panels to organize and present on campus, and of course, class days with students, which always offer the possibility of success.