The Two Boots Word Vault

On March 16, 2019 the poet, Maureen Skelly, hosted a Celebration of Ancestors at the Walker Church in South Minneapolis. Numerous musicians and poets and a quilter celebrated family and ancestors. These are four of the readers, Maureen, Rebecca Paradis, Mike Finley, and myself.  

Often I am lucky to recite poems with the accompaniment of the SpiritHouse Quartet. Their unique music is the perfect container for poems. This song with two poems, one by the Persian saint, Attar, and one of my own was recorded at the Como Cottage Salon on April 21, 2017.  Spirithouse Quartet is comprised of Gary Waryan on tablas, Michelle Kinney on cello, Jeff Waryan on guitar, and Dalyce Elliott Young on violin.

The Midstream Reading Series has been a favorite series for Minnesota poets ever since David Shove began the series in 2013. After his passing in 2019 a number of other hosts picked up the load to continue this series.  I have been fortunate enough to read in 2014, 2018, 2020, and in 2022. Dave invited me in 2014 and 2018, Diane Jarvenpa invited me in 2020 and 2022.

I am lucky I get to recite poems with the accompaniment of the SpiritHouse Quartet. Their unique music is the perfect container for poems. This song, Freida, with two poems, my own The Glass Brick and my version of the 11th century Andalusian poet, Abu Bakr al-Turtushi, was recorded at the Como Cottage Salon April 21, 2017.  Spirithouse Quartet is comprised of Gary Waryan on tablas, Michelle Kinney on cello, Jeff Waryan on guitar, and Dalyce Elliott Young on violin.

For a couple weeks in 2008, thanks to the storyteller Martin Shaw, I traveled to the United Kingdom's West Country with a "brigand band of poets and musicians". We appeared at a festival, on the radio, in coffeehouses, schools, in the wilds, and in churches. The entire crew consisted of Robert Bly, Gioia Timpanelli, Thomas R. Smith, Danny Deardorff, Judith-Kate Friedman, Tim Frantzich, Paul Frantzich, and Jay Leeming.

Shortly after the second election of an artless president, the Como Cottage hosted a salon of poetry, a scrum honoring the deeper art of grace and humor with words. This scrum featured Thomas R. Smith, Michael Moos, Scott Vetsch, and Timothy Young.   

Many of my poems are reactions to or inspired by music and musicians. This section from my book, Herds of Bears Surround Us, is titled Blue Music from the Star Cafe.   The Star Cafe was a small cafe and bar in Stockholm, Wisconsin, along the Mississippi River, where travelling musicians often stopped for a short gig. 

Many of my poems are reactions to or inspired by music and musicians. This section from my book, Herds of Bears Surround Us, is titled Blue Music from the Star Cafe.   The Star Cafe was a small cafe and bar in Stockholm, Wisconsin, along the Mississippi River, where travelling musicians often stopped for a short gig. 

Often I am lucky to recite poems with the accompaniment of the SpiritHouse Quartet. Their unique music is the perfect container for poems. This song HIDDEN PEARL with two poems, one by Rumi, and one of my own, plus poignant teaching words by Marti'n Prechtel, was recorded at the Como Cottage Salon April 21, 2017. The Quartet includes Dalyce Elliott Young, violin, Jeff Waryan, guitar, Michelle Kinney, cello, and Gary Waryan, tablas.

On January 20, 2024 The Tributary Reading Series hosted a literary tribute to the great Minnesota writer, Frederick Manfred. This is the second of two recordings from that tribute at the MCN6 TV studio in Minneapolis.