Misadventures of the Monster Librarian

By the time you read this I will be in Michigan, again, this time for the babyshower of my old college roommate, College Kim. Bestie L and I are throwing a small affair with mostly College K's co-workers. Do you see the pattern lately? Babies, babies, babies. I know at least 5 people who are pregnant now--insert unhealthy distrust of pregnant people and you can almost hear my blood pressure going up--and don't even get me started on how this will again be a summer of weddings: 3 more to go this year beginning in June. I am looking forward to a (fast) weekend away and hopefully to finishing a few books and reading some Gary Snyder poetry. Speaking of poetry, American poet Adrienne Rich passed away this past week. I came to know her work during my last sememster of my undergrad when I took a Women Poets class; the class was awesome and introduced me to the likes of: Adrienne Rich, Rita Dove, Jorie Graham, and Elizabeth Bishop. I came to know ...

I had the privelege of going to Rita Dove's (U.S. Poet Laureate 1993-1995) poetry reading at a local college last night. I was very excited when I heard that she was coming--having written, for my undergrad thesis, a comparison between Rita Dove's " Thomas and Beulah " poems and a smattering of Elizabeth Bishops' poems. It's funny how you forget those things, I'm not sure how, since I spent an entire half a semester working on that paper. It's funny too that when you are writing those monstrous papers it seems like the material will never be applicable in your life, and I guess in some ways it hasn't been, other than that I still think about those poems and tonight had a better appreciation for the poet herself! I think my favorite poem that Rita Dove read tonight was "Maple Valley Branch Library, 1967," which Ms. Dove said is her, "love poem to librarians." (Yes, being a librarian might be part of the reason why...) I will sha...