I was the solitary plover...
Friends of
Lorine Niedecker
Issue #32
Summer 2020
I was the solitary plover
Lorine in her newly built cottage, March 1966
a pencil
for a wing-bone Two summer-flavored poems from Lorine:
From the secret notes
The eye Smile
I must tilt
of the leaf to see the lake
into leaf lay
upon the pressure
and all parts the still sky
execute and adjust spine And
into spine out for an easy
In us sea-air rhythm neverending make
head the dragonfly
“We live by the urgent to see
wave of the verse”
Page 1
a pencil
POETRY
Unbecoming Fourth of July
snow Do not this
down-gone
becomes day despair
now
besotted with
becomes and sodden
by rain
no
steel-headed
becomes leaded gray
o Soon it will
becomes dazzle-bloom
with deep
. hydration’s
silent gift
Michael Dylan Welch
bursting forth
in flower-
works
Georgia Ressmeyer
Summer
warbler
wings
orange trees
soapy pools of water Cardinal
laundry laid Are you great grandpa
across
John, cardinal by the bay
the rocks
the Or some other me?
salt of our humanness
Brad Vogel
Trish Stachelski
Page 2
for a wing-bone
Peeping Through COVID-19 Postcard from Lorine
Home alone, watching It
TV, looking through reads,
virtual windows – face,
bookcase, piano, the Rock River
fireplace, walk-in closet, swallowed again
doorframe, wall art Blackhawks’
belonging to a fair-minded banks.
journalist, politics:
McCarthy: Peace. Mud Lake
A couch wide enough ice now
for large dogs, lint invisible. mud, soon
River or ocean backdrop, ice again.
sounds of train, traffic,
a baby crying, growing, Winter
who later will read flood is
about this time in books. rare.
Ronnie Hess The season
is turning the
corner.
Prying open
the door to
bless the
floorboard
Last Visit cast iron
legs,
On his last visit he brought books cedar
And rested them on a shelf planks,
To be read after he’d gone fir
By strangers he hoped would feel joists.
As he did when he met his lovers
Soft in old paper Red-winged
And unchanged blackbirds
flap through
Paul Hayes to dry the
air.
Vanessa Herald
Page 3
From the secret notes
Haiku Midsummer Marsh
rumors A spring flood had clawed the riverbank upstream. Clods
room for the wind choked off the marsh from its source.
on the playground swings
Downstream, we stare from a footbridge into the dried-out
gulch that remains of what had been a verdurous, light and dark
after midnight asylum for singing frogs in water below, and dragonflies above.
the rain keeps
busy It is all the change I can fathom and wish to know. Possibly, a
slow current will burble, and with it purple loosestrife, sable-
furred cattails, half-submerged shadows of snake and snapping
no future turtle gliding by, mallards adrift.
to hold on to
autumn’s Maple leaves
traprock ridge trail . . .
Gary Hotham someone’s lost compass
scent of pine
Donna Fleischer
Adoration of the Ear
– ekphrasis on an African linguist’s staff
Night Creature
crooked staff
like a great tree I lie here, breath and heartbeat.
ground-sprung Maybe it jumped
or fell from the branches.
swept air clear for
feeling’s drum And there it goes again—the scuttering.
I try to picture it,
burnished gold leaf, but it’s like trying to imagine what’s beyond the skin of the universe.
with thumb roll of
an elephant’s dung The scratching
into ear shape softly defines the roof.
Whatever I was dreaming, I can’t remember now.
with a trunk trumpets
vowels of savannah Petra Whitaker
Donna Fleischer
Page 4
I must tilt
Hawthorns Mark the Entrance to the Other World
Like trumpeters on parade
piling into one another
bloomers march through spring
– forsythia, crab, magnolia
and hawthorn - quickthorn, thornapple, May-tree, haw berry.
Blossoming white flowers
followed by haws - red berries -
hawthorn berries on eve of the summer solstice
a visible sign of the autumn to come.
Lucky tree, it’s just a turn on the cycle for you.
Mary Rowin
Niedecker’s Library Christmas – in this case, the Collected Poems of
by David Pavelich Robert Creeley. Later in my life, I’d briefly meet
Creeley in Buffalo, NY, and he would sign this
Editor’s Note: this is the text of a presentation that book for me, which of course I still have. Like
was given at the 2017 Lorine Niedecker WI Poetry Niedecker, and like many of you, I acquire books
Festival because I love them. I love poetry, and therefore I
must have it.
Introduction I remember exactly where I bought my first
Thanks so much for inviting me here today. book by Niedecker. It was at a Borders bookstore in
Thanks in particular to Ann Engelman, President of Madison on University Avenue, a store that no
the Friends of Lorine Niedecker. Also to Amy longer exists. I’m pretty certain it was the year
Lutzke at the Dwight Foster Public Library and 2000, and the book was the little selected poems
Merrilee Lee at the Hoard Historical Museum. And called The Granite Pail, which was published by
lastly, a tip of the hat to Chuck Stebelton, poet and Gnomon in 1996 and edited by Cid Corman.
friend, who kindly made the connection between me
and these other folks. I’m here to talk about Niedecker’s personal
library. Recently, over 100 books, magazines, and
It’s a special honor for me to be here, talking other items from Niedecker’s personal library were
about Lorine Niedecker, with an audience of people returned to Fort Atkinson, so this is an excellent
who love her work. I’m a Wisconsin native; I was moment for us to celebrate the return of these
born and raised in Beloit, so I shared a water system precious books and take a look at Niedecker’s
with Niedecker growing up, because the Rock River library with fresh eyes. Many of you know this
was the river of my youth. And what a treat to talk story, but I want to run through a quick version of it
about her library! Of course I’m a librarian, but I’ve for those who don’t. In December, the Hoard
been a voracious reader and therefore an owner of Historical Museum was contacted by someone in
books for years, since I was a kid. Here’s a photo of California who announced that he had a number of
me as a senior in high school getting a book for books from Lorine Niedecker’s personal collection,
Page 5
upon the pressure
and he wanted to know if the museum wanted them. ing of books from the library. His message isn’t
Of course, the museum certainly did! The staff soon about readership, but ownership.
discovered that these books were really part of the Here in a list are the primary ways that Niedeck-
museum collection already, having been donated by er acquired her books. Today, I’m going to focus on
Niedecker’s husband shortly after her death. A cura- three of them: receiving them as gifts, purchasing
tor at the museum had allowed a graduate student to them, and writing them herself. Let’s start with
borrow these books from the museum, but this stu- gifts.
dent never returned them. Well, he did return them,
eventually, after 44 years! Better late than never. 2. Gifts
And you can see and read these books, now available In March, 1970, the poet Carl Rakosi visited
here in the museum. Niedecker at her home, the first and only time he
With our time together today, what I want to do is would see her in person. (Rakosi, by the way, grew
demonstrate how Niedecker’s personal library came up in Kenosha, attended UW-Madison, and can be
to be, at the same time asking broader questions about considered another Wisconsin Objectivist poet.)
personal libraries and what we can (and possibly Making his trip just nine months before her death,
can’t) learn from them. I hope you’ll forgive this He was apprehensive. He later recalled, “I had
approach, which jumps around a little, but I think it heard that she was a recluse and that there might be
comes together in the end. something strange about her because she had been
working as an ordinary cleaning woman in a mental
1. Benjamin hospital.” This comment reflects the myth that had
In 1931, Walter Benjamin, the German Jewish developed – through gossip in literary networks -
philosopher, wrote a famous talk entitled, about Niedecker’s lifestyle. But Rakosi found him-
“Unpacking my Library: A Talk about Book Collect- self pleasantly surprised by reality. “My fears were
ing.” At least, it’s famous among librarians. Through- groundless, however. The moment I met her at the
out his talk, Benjamin articulates some of the primary door, she was outgoing to me, cheerful, and very
ways a bibliophile or book lover acquires the books in lively….”
his or her library, and he does this a little tongue in He was struck by the modesty of her circum-
cheek. It’s easy to anticipate that Benjamin will stances. “Her house was … so small that if three of
mention the purchasing of books, what he calls “the us had called on her instead of two, it would have
wide highway of book acquisition” (62). He also been impossible to stand up and turn around. And
suggests that, “Of the customary modes of acquisi- that’s no exaggeration.” Still, Niedecker’s small
tion, the one most appropriate to a collector would be house had room for books, even if Rakosi doesn’t
the borrowing of a book with its attendant non- mention them in his own remembrance. In fact,
returning” (62). Being a writer himself, Benjamin Rakosi brought Niedecker a gift, his own book
can’t help but argue that, “Of all the ways of acquir- Amulet, which was published by New Directions in
ing books, writing them oneself is regarded as the 1967. He inscribed the book, “To Lorine & Al,
most praiseworthy” (61). Niedecker, of course, Affectionately, Carl Rakosi.” The very same copy
purchased books and wrote them herself (and created of Rakosi’s book, the one he delivered to her in
small, amazing, book-like objects for her research). person that spring day in 1970, is one of the books
But, as far as I know, she never borrowed a book that was finally returned to Wisconsin this past
without returning it. winter.
Benjamin does not mention several other obvious A warm letter from Niedecker to Rakosi (which
ways to acquire books. For instance, receiving books is in the Rakosi papers at UW-Madison) thanks
as gifts (remember the picture of young Pavelich at Rakosi for this gift of poetry. “AMULET – o yes,
the beginning of my talk). Niedecker received review the Americana, and whenever you talk about ships
copies, like Ed Dorn’s second book of poetry, Hands and sea – and what a glorious poem “Flute-players
Up! Benjamin doesn’t mention stealing, or dumpster from Finmarken” is – I’ve copied that poem for Cid
diving. Of course, we don’t believe Neidecker was a Corman along with “A cutter risen from the mol-
dumpster-diver. And he does not mention the borrow- lusks”. / Thank you so much for that book and I’ll
Page 6
execute and adjust
send you T & G when it arrives….” (May 11, 1970) ing England, Scotland, and Japan. She received
A gift for a gift. many gifts from the prolific poet Cid Corman, who
Several poets visited Niedecker’s home, and also published the magazine Origin and books
these were often occasions for gifts. On February 5, through his Origin press. An American poet,
1962, for instance, Niedecker wrote to Cid Corman: Corman was then living in Kyoto, Japan. Niedecker
“I was so happy to talk an hour or so this past fall received this book, In No Time, and responded on
with Jonathan Williams who stopped at my place on June 5, 1964, “This book goes into my special
his trip thru the mid-west. He gave me Amen/ cupboard being built for the new house.” Corman
Huzzah/Selah which seems to me an important book sent all of his books and wrote some of the more
of poetry.” Williams was up from North Carolina, touching inscriptions. In his 1965 book Nonce, he
but visitors came from further afield, including wrote “For Lorine, one of the few who hears the
Basil Bunting and Tom Pickard, two poets who light of silence sing.”
visited from the United Kingdom. This is a good moment to pause and describe
But the vast majority of gifts weren’t handed to this “special cupboard” Niedecker refers to in this
Niedecker, in person, by her friends; they were sent letter. She described this particular bookshelf more
in the mail. And I can’t stress enough the centrality than once, but she described it this way to Corman
and importance of the US Postal Service in the on February 18, 1962: “That lovely little book.
establishment and growth of Niedecker’s personal [Corman’s for instance] I’ve had nothing affect me
library and indeed her development as a poet. I quite so much since I discovered haiku. But then
could take that a step further and say that 20th cen- you come from Japan! You now inhabit a corner of
tury American poetry would be unthinkable without my immortal cupboard with LZ (especially the short
the US Postal Service. We think primarily (as we poems), Emily Dickinson, Thoreau, Lucretius,
should) of the mail as enabling Niedecker’s rich Marcus Aurelius, John Muir, bits from Santayana,
correspondence, but it also crucially allowed D.H. Lawrence, Dahlberg, William Carlos
Niedecker to acquire the works of an international Williams, and haiku.” So this “immortal cupboard”
avant garde– as well as specialized books that was Niedecker’s way to physically bring together
couldn’t be purchased locally - without leaving her the works that were most meaningful to her, and by
home. Now, not all books that arrived as gifts were describing them in letters to her correspondents,
necessarily welcome. Gifts may come unsolicited, she’s also mapping a lineage of poets and intellectu-
from unknown senders, and gifts may go unread, or als that she identifies as central to her thinking
read and disliked. So we can’t assume that every about poetry. Aside from the gifts kept there, sever-
book in Niedecker’s possession was actually a book al of the books found in this cupboard were
that she liked. purchased by Niedecker throughout her lifetime.
Some of the early gift books came from her long 3. Purchase
-time correspondent Louis Zukofsky, who sent his Niedecker didn’t have a lot of expendable
first gifts in the 1940s. In May, 1957, for example, income, but she did purchase books, and (out of
Zukofsky sent Niedecker his book Some Time, necessity) she made careful, considered decisions
which was published by Jargon Society (Jargon when spending money on them. It’s a little bit like
would later publish Niedecker as well). Like most that quote attributed to Erasmus that you see printed
books sent to her, this one was inscribed to on tote bags or T shirts that reads, “When I have a
Niedecker, and the majority of the books that were little money I buy books; and if I have any left, I
returned to the Hoard Museum this winter are buy food and clothes.” Sometimes she was satisfied
inscribed to Niedecker by their authors. Niedecker with her purchases and sometimes not. Niedecker
wrote enthusiastically to Zukofsky in early June, occasionally purchased books in actual brick-and-
1957 to thank him for the gift: “Beautiful book, mortar bookstores, sometimes on visits to Madison.
isn’t it? Celia’s music on the cover! – just the sight “I stepped into a bookshop in Madison and bought
of that is lovely. Not a single error in the printing it Modern Library Giant edition of Henry James’ short
seems.” stories,” Niedecker wrote to Zukofsky in June 1952,
Books arrived in the mail from abroad, includ- “I realize now that after spending $2.45 I have only
Page 7
In us sea-air rhythm
17 stories and he wrote 80” (Niedecker to Zukofsky, fiction, for the most part, including books of and
June 11, 1952). That doesn’t sound like much about Western philosophy (Marcus Aurelius,
money to us, but with inflation that’s about $24.00 Voltaire, Emerson, Kierkegaard), natural history
today, so her irritation (with herself and the book) is and the sciences (insects, birds, naturalists, Thoreau,
understandable. She could get annoyed with John Muir, Loren Eiseley). Other imaginative litera-
booksellers. In 1967, she wrote to Corman, “Asked ture is there in the form of Western European
at bookstores for Cider for Rosie and they haven’t classics (Dante, Goethe, Rilke), and Greek and
heard of it (they wouldn’t) so will try library.” (She Roman classics (Virgil, Homer, Ovid, Catullus).
later got this book through Corman and it is in the Though weighted toward European thought, it’s an
library.) exceptionally comprehensive intellectual’s library.
Again, Niedecker did an awful lot of purchasing 4. Handmade Books
through the mail, sometimes directly from the men Lastly, today, I want to talk about Niedecker’s
who were publishing the books, both in the United handmade books. Remember, as Benjamin suggest-
States and abroad. This is especially true when it ed, many people who collect books also write them,
came to buying literary magazines, the innovative, or make them, or make book-like things. Many of
small circulation magazines with names like Poor you know that Niedecker had the habit of making
Old Tired Horse, Caterpillar, and Tuatara. She booklets and book objects herself. Most often, these
supported Cid Corman’s magazine, Origin, in creations were intended to be gifts for others. For
particular, with small amounts of money – a dollar example, more than one version of her famous
here, five dollars there – for example in July 1963 poem “Paean to Place” was created to present to
when she wrote, “I promised Ian [Hamilton] Finlay friends. This example is the best known (it’s digit-
the July issue of Origin so I’m enclosing a dollar – ized and fully available online through the UW-
and yes, another dollar for my copy.” Madison Libraries digital collections). Here,
What do we know in general about the books Niedecker has made use of a mass-produced,
that Niedecker purchased and kept in her home? commonly available autograph album. After the
Well, there was obviously a good amount of modern dedication page, each differently colored page
and contemporary poetry. But we also know that features a different stanza of the poem; this page-by
she owned far fewer books written by women than
by men, and this is especially true of the poetry
books in her collection. In fact, there are only four
women poets in Niedecker’s library as it survives,
and those poets are Sappho (the ancient Greek
poet), Emily Dickinson, Marianne Moore, and H.D.
The books in her library were overwhelmingly
written by white writers, too, with only a few Asian
(that is, Japanese haiku) poets in the collection.
While this may not be surprising, given the sheer
dominance of white men in the publishing industry,
it’s notable that Niedecker did not apparently own
works by prominent poets from that time like
Gwendolyn Brooks and LeRoi Jones. There is a
strong emphasis on contemporary white male poets,
but there is also a solid reference library of the -page pacing and the handwritten nature of the text
canonical English poets, such as Shakespeare, Mil- give the reader a strikingly different experience of
ton, Keats, and Browning. reading this poem.
Niedecker didn’t own or read much fiction, and But my favorite examples of Niedecker’s hand-
the fiction that she did read was written by authors made books are a series of slender dossiers that she
no longer living, particular Henry James, some created in drawing together material for her serial
occasional Melville and Faulkner. The books in her poem “Lake Superior.” In the summer of 1966,
collection that were not poetry were instead non-
Page 8
“We live by the urgent wave
Niedecker and her husband Al took a road trip around the little books are masking tape with simple brass
the Lake Superior region. The prospect of the trip was pushpins, which hold together half-sheets of typing
exciting for her, and she undertook research in advance paper. I think the format is ingenious, and I admit that
of their departure. And this research went in several when I first encountered them here in the museum, I
directions, including history and geology. Here, for became emotional. There’s such an incredible intima-
instance, is a page from her research booklet entitled cy when you encounter an object like this. Here is
“Schoolcraft,” related to Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, the one of the interior pages of “Remember Rocks,”
19th century geographer and ethnologist who undertook which as you can see are initially typed text with
studies of Native American tribes, especially of the Niedecker’s handwritten additions, so Niedecker can
northern Midwest. And here is an interior page from return to these pages and add to them – unlike a print-
her research booklet called “Minnesota Alphabetized,” ed book, they aren’t static.
in which she bound notes on the region in alphabetical “Agate mentioned in Bible Exodus 28:19 as one
order. of the stones on the high priest's breastplate. Accord-
ing to Theophrastus and Pliny agate found on Achates
R[iver] in Sicily. Found in both igneous + sedimen-
tary rocks but if igneous usually in those of basaltic
character. They are sometimes commercially dyed.”
5. Conclusion
It’s time for me to wrap up, so that we can have a
conversation. You all know so much more about
Niedecker than I do! And I want to hear your thoughts
or your own discoveries in her collection..
While working on this talk, I came across
Niedecker’s own copies of Robert Creeley’s poetry,
his earliest books: one is at the public library, and one
is here in the museum. Holding these volumes, I was
touched by the fact that Niedecker read and knew
some of the same works that I read and know. What I
mean is that I had the experience of seeing myself in
her library – I see myself in her. Ultimately, perhaps,
we go to the library to find ourselves. That connection
Looking at another example, we can see how these can’t be faked or changed or compromised.
booklets were put together (as well as the breadth of I want to briefly return to Benjamin, to tie a nice
Niedecker’s intellect and curiosity). The covers are bow on this talk. In his essay, Benjamin writes, “one
various colors of construction paper, pink, red, blue. thing should be noted: the phenomenon of collecting
loses its meaning as it loses its personal owner.” I
think I understand what he means. Niedecker’s per-
sonal library, though, presents us with a situation that
seems to me unique: her books have been adopted,
cared for, promoted and stewarded by her community,
by all of you, and I find that fact to be powerfully
meaningful. The books’ personal owner – Niedecker
– is gone, but she was replaced by a living community
of care. I’m filled with admiration for the love and
protection these items receive from all of you, and I
This is the cover of the booklet of geology notes (and many other Niedecker enthusiasts and scholars)
with the title “Remember Rocks” (the cover actually benefit from your good work, and we’re in your debt.
reads “Agate – history of”). The spines and bindings of Thank you.
Page 9
The Solitary Plover
CONTRIBUTORS
Donna Fleischer’s four th chapbook is < Periodic David Pavelich is Director of Special Collections
Earth> . Her poems are in literary journals and an- & Archives at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
thologies worldwide, including A) Glimpse) Of), A Libraries. Before arriving at the UW in late 2016,
Vast Sky, Dispatches from the Poetry David was Head of Research Services in Duke Uni-
Wars, Kō, Modern Haiku, otata, Otoliths, Poets for versity's David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manu-
Living Waters, Presence, Marsh Hawk Press Re- script Library (2010-2016) and Bibliographer for
view, and The End of the World Project. Donna is a Modern & Contemporary Poetry/Reference and
Tupelo Press – Mass MoCA Residency recipient Instruction Librarian at the University of Chicago's
that generated The Boiler House Poets, with poems Special Collections Research Center (2005-2010).
and translations published in Verse Osmosis (Mass David earned his MA in poetics at SUNY-Buffalo
MoCA, 2017). She lives with her spouse and dog (where he wrote his thesis on Lorine Niedecker) and
friend on a spiny trap rock mountain ridge in north- his MA-LIS at the University of Wisconsin-
ern Connecticut. Madison
Journalist and author Paul G. Hayes “discovered” Georgia Ressmeyer, twice nominated for a Push-
Lorine Niedecker’s poetry in writing a cover article cart Prize in poetry, has published three books, the
in W isconsin,The Milwaukee Journal’s Sunday most recent of which is Home/Body. Her poetry has
Magazine (December 30, 1990) about Niedecker’s received awards from the Council for Wisconsin
late-in-life marriage to Al Millen, an industrial Writers, Wisconsin People & Ideas, the Wisconsin
painter from Milwaukee. Hayes continues to write Fellowship of Poets, The Washington Island Liter-
in retirement after thirty-seven years in newspapers. ary Festival, Peninsula Pulse and others. Please see
He and his wife Philia live in Cedarburg. georgiaressmeyer.com for more information.
Vanessa Jean Herald is lead chicken wr angler at Mary C. Rowin’s poetry and r eviews have ap-
Make Time Farm in Beloit, Wisconsin, where she peared in publications such as Burningword, Red
hosts monthly Make Time creativity retreats, tends Coyote Literary Journal and Portage Magazine. A
the prairie, and attempts to stir as much trouble as poem in Blue Heron was nominated for the Push
possible. The small act of noticing drives her curios- Cart Anthology. A microchap, “What She Kept,”
ity and proves endless outdoor insight. In the was published by Origami Poems Project. Mary’s
nighttime hours you can find her handwriting letters poetry awards include prizes from The Nebraska
or crafting art with vintage typewriters. Writers Guild, and Journal from the Heart-
land. Mary lives with her husband in Middleton,
Ronnie Hess is an essayist and poet, author of
Wisconsin.
five poetry chapbooks and two culinary travel
guides. She lives in Madison. Find her at Trish Stachelski gr ew up in Milwaukee, Wiscon-
ronniehess.com sin and attended UW-Richland Center where she
met Phyllis Walsh, one of the earlier biographers of
Gary Hotham cur r ently lives in Mar yland. He
Lorine Niedecker. The influence of the short poem
has had a number of chapbooks published since his
and living in the coulee region of Wisconsin, helped
first: Without the Mountains in 1976 with his most
shape Trish’s creative process. She presently lives
recent, 23, in 2019. Also larger collections of his
in Minneapolis with her family and enjoys garden-
haiku: Breath Marks: Haiku to Read in the Dark
ing, walks near the Mississippi River and her job
(1999); Spilled Milk: Haiku Destinies (2010); Noth-
teaching English to adults from all over the world.
ing More Happens in the 20th Century (2011); and
Stone's Throw: Promises of Mere Words (2016). Brad Vogel is the author of the poetr y collection
Two of last year's chapbooks received awards: 23 Broad Meadow Bird. A finalist for the 2020 Er-
published by Longhouse received an honorable skine J. Poetry Prize, his poetry appears or is forth-
mention in the Haiku Canada Marianne Bluger coming in Smartish Pace, The Freshwater Review,
Book and Chapbook Awards for 2020 and Rightsiz- and Menagerie. A native of Kiel, Wisconsin, Vogel
ing the Universe: Haiku Theory published by Yiqra- lives in Gowanus, Brooklyn.
lo Press received an honorable mention in the The
Touchstone Distinguished Books Awards for 2019.
Page 10
of the verse”
Michael Dylan Welch has had his poetr y per -
formed for the Empress of Japan and at the Baseball
Hall of Fame, printed on balloons and chiseled into
stone. He is poet-in-residence for VALA Art Center
in Kirkland, WA, is president of the Redmond
Association of Spokenword, curates SoulFood
Poetry Night, and is founder of National Haiku
Writing Month (www.nahaiwrimo.com). You can
learn about his many books, and read his poems,
essays, and reviews (published in hundreds of jour-
nals and anthologies in at least twenty languages) at
his website, www.graceguts.com.
Petra Whitaker wr ites fr om sunny Redlands,
California. Her most recent work appears in Fault
Lines Poetry: A Journal of West Coast Poets,
Poydras Review, and Connotation Press among
other magazines and journals.
NOTES
Well it is 2020 and you all know what that means.
The poetry month reading that was to be held in
April moved to the Zoom platform. The Friends
hosted Wisconsin poet Kathryn Gahl, the winner of
the 2019 Lorine Niedecker Poetry Award from the
Council For Wisconsin Writers. It was a fabulous
program that incorporated art pieces with poetry in
a project Kathryn calls her "Pandemic Postcards."
The Lorine Niedecker birthday celebration that was
to be held at the Hoard Museum in May was can-
celled, as was the April exhibit of art panels embroi-
dered by Kathy Kuehn. We hope to host the Kuehn
exhibit in the future. There are no Poetry Festival
activities planned for this fall. We hope this news-
letter finds you healthy and safe. Enjoy these photo-
graphs of Lorine as a child in summer.
Page 11
The Solitary Plover
Winter 2020 Issue # 31 Permission to reprint the poems on the first page was
Published by the Friends of Lorine Niedecker provided by Lorine’s Literary Executor, Bob Arnold.
Editor: Amy Lutzke You can reach Bob here:
Poetry Editor: Tom Montag
Bob Arnold
The Friends of Lorine Niedecker is a non-profit corporation. Literary Executor for The Estate of Lorine Niedecker
There are no staff, just devoted volunteers. Our goals include PO Box 2454
preserving and expanding the legacy of Lorine Niedecker, as West Brattleboro, Vermont 05303
well as, offering educational materials, access to archives, a or email: poetry@sover.net
semiannual newsletter and events as time and resources are
available. We are supported through donations and grants.
Donations are always welcome and are fully tax-deductible.
The Solitary Plover is issued twice yearly, in winter and in
summer. Sign up for the email version on our website.
Friends of Lorine Niedecker
209 Merchants Avenue
Fort Atkinson, WI 53538
(920) 563-7790
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