“They’ve made me a Queen”: Revisiting “Our Lord Jesus in Drag”

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Dayna Patterson’s cross-dressing Jesus has been on my mind lately. (Take that as you will.) One reason for this is because, since I wrote about Dayna’s “Our Lord Jesus in Drag” in July 2012, I’ve wanted to give it voice. And I’ve wanted to give it voice because the first time I read the poem it’s rhythms struck me as… Read more »

Clinton F. Larson on Poetic Craft: The Value of Making Excursions into Experience

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Karl Keller, poet, professor, and critic, once called Clinton F. Larson “the first Mormon poet” (ref). Rather, that’s what the editor of Dialogue says Keller argues in his review of Larson’s The Lord of Experience (see the reference link at the end of my first sentence). To be exact, though: Keller opens his review with this claim: “I think that… Read more »

Zion’s Poetess and the Mormon Poetry Slam

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Poet Highlight: Eliza R. Snow, “Song for the Camp of Israel— Let Us Go” Eliza R. Snow (1804-1887) was the Latter-day Saints’ first and only official Poet Laureate. Joseph Smith dubbed her “Zion’s poetess,” a title under which she “penned numerous hymns, occasional verses, and theological poems that,” as Edward Whitley observes, “established for her a position of authority that… Read more »

Fire in the Pasture Turns Two–and Other News

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The landmark publication celebrates an anniversary. On October 15, 2011, Peculiar Pages released Fire in the Pasture. Publishing the anthology was a watershed experience for me (its editor), for many of its contributors, and for Mormon poetry. I reflect on that experience, on the anthology’s place in the Mormon arts community, and share my plans to celebrate in this post… Read more »

News from Your Friendly Nayborhood Sonosopher

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Over the past couple weeks I’ve received two emails from Alex Caldiero announcing projects he’s involved with. The first is a Kickstarter campaign, the second a new book. First: the Kickstarter campaign. As a native of Sicily, Alex spent his childhood in the shadow of Mt. Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe. Using the funds to be raised by… Read more »

Listening Closely to James Goldberg’s “In the Beginning”

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(Cross-posted here.) If you’d like to comment on the post, follow that link. Poet Highlight: James Goldberg, “In the Beginning”* James Goldberg’s poem “In the Beginning” exults in orality. It begins, “When he was young, / they read the books / out loud.” But the poet doesn’t revel simply by stating that his experience with language is grounded in the… Read more »

On Language and Connection via S.P. Bailey’s “spark”

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Anthology Poet Highlight 46/82: S.P. Bailey, “spark” Even though it’s short, S.P. (Shawn) Bailey’s “spark” has potential for diverse readings—even moreso, I think, because it’s not punctuated. This places greater emphasis on the words and the lines themselves and invites readers to contemplate how these words and lines work together as a series of signs and sounds, arranged by the… Read more »

Fire in the Pasture Turns Two

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Two years ago today Peculiar Pages released Fire in the Pasture. Publishing the anthology was a watershed experience for me, for many of its contributors, and for Mormon poetry. It might be immodest of me to claim the latter if I wasn’t just reiterating what a trusted voice in Mormon arts has said. Glen Nelson of Mormon Artists Group has… Read more »

Field Notes on Language and Kinship

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I’m indulging in some shameless self-promotion here today, but only because what I’m promoting is a fruit of my work on Fire in the Pasture. This morning via his Mormon Artists Group e-newsletter, Glimpses, Glen Nelson announced the publication of my single-author book. Here’s what he said: Mormon Artists Group is pleased to announce the publication of Field Notes on… Read more »