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I was so excited to learn that President Obama will have an inaugural poem. The poem will be written and read by Richard Blanco on January 21st at the ceremonial swearing in.
Blanco, of whom I had never heard, turns out to be someone I want to get to know. He is 44, gay, was conceived in Cuba, born in Spain, and grew up in Miami. He studied engineering in college and worked for a few years helping to design bridges, road improvements and other engineering things in Miami. Then in his mid-20s he decided to get a master’s degree in fine arts. He published his first book of poems in 1998. His most recent book, Looking for the Gulf Motel, was published in 2012.
Sadly, the university where I work doesn’t have any of his books. Thankfully, my public library has his second and third. However, other readers beat me to it. There are two copies of each one and they are all checked out with two hold requests for each title. No, not a lot when you compare it to the 188 holds for 273 circulating copies of Fifty Shades of Grey. But we are talking poetry here. Any hold queue is something to marvel at! I got in line for his second book, Direction to the Beach of the Dead.
But neither you nor I are out of luck because Blanco has a few poems available to read and listen to on his website. I have not read all of them, but so far from what I have read, I am very excited, they are great. Take, for instance, the poem “Somewhere to Paris.” The “I” of the poem is on a train from Italy to Paris and doesn’t know where along the way he is:
In this space between cities,
between the dreamed and the dreaming, there is
no map–no legend, no ancient street names
or arrows to follow, no red dot assuring me:
you are here–and no place else. If I don’t know
where I am, then I am only these heartbeats,
my breaths, the mountains rising and falling
like a wave scrolling across the train’s window.
I like how he used being he doesn’t know where as a way to become something more essential instead of turning into something that is lost.
Also, don’t miss “Maybe.” It begins:
Maybe it was the billboards promising
paradise, maybe those fifty-nine miles
with your hand in mine, maybe my sexy
roadster, the top down, maybe the wind
fingering your hair, sun on your thighs
and bare chest, maybe it was just the ride
over the sea split in two by the highway
to Key Largo, or the idea of Key Largo.
So many maybes in the poem, so many possibilities.
So while Blanco is working hard to write a poem for the inaugural, I will look forward to hearing it.
Mm, I like “Somewhere to Paris” lots – it makes me think of Proust, the start of Swann’s Way and the narrator waking and not knowing where he was or who he was; the inbetween-ness of it also makes me think of Andre Aciman. I’ll have to see if my local library has any of Blanco’s books once I’m done with the TBR Double Dare
Does every presidential inauguration have a new poem written for it? I know Kennedy had a Robert Frost in 1961 so it isn’t a new thing. It must be a hard assignment to live up to especially when the idea of poetry as something public to be performed (before millions) is something very rare. Best of luck to Richard Blanco.
Ian, No, unfortunately an inaugural poem is not an automatic event. After Kennedy there wasn’t another until Clinton’s first. Then none until Obama. I imagine it is an extremely difficult assignment since the poet doesn’t get a lot of time to compose and I would think a poem on demand is more difficult than one that originates organically from the poet. And of course, everyone is suddenly a critic, especially the people who never read poetry.
I think you put me right on this once before. Clinton had Maya Angelou, right? Anyhow, I love the idea too … and look forward to hearing it. Those excerpts are certainly encouraging.
whisperinggums, yup, Clinton had Maya Angelou. What I’ve read of Blanco’s is encouraging. We’ll find out how he does next week.
Heather, isn’t it good? It is kind of Proust-y, I had not made that connection. I’ve not read Aciman before, though he is on my list, but you putting him in here has raised my interest quite a lot!
I just don’t get how they could pick Blanco and ALSO Pastor Giglio! I think someone in the administration doesn’t even know how to use Google! LOL
rhapsody, it is a curious combo, isn’t it? But it looks like Pastor Giglio has withdrawn now, so maybe the second choice will be a better fit.
You got me thinking about who wrote the poem for O’s first inauguration. I must have turned off the TV after his speech, because Elizabeth Alexander’s poem does not seem familiar.
http://contemporarylit.about.com/b/2009/01/20/elizabeth-alexanders-inaugural-poem.htm
Fay, I watched for Obama’s speech and the poem. I thought Alexander’s a fine poem though she received much criticism because people thought it should have been more laudatory. I think those critics didn’t listen very carefully. I am looking forward to what Blanco comes up with.
I think Mr Litlove could confirm that there are very few gay, poetry-writing engineers, so good on Blanco for beating the stereotypes!
I think I would be MOST anxious if I had to write a poem for the inauguration of a President. Talk about a tricky job. So I will cross everything that he does a great job of it. I like the inclusion of poetry into the event very much.
Litlove, LOL, yes, Blanco does break the stereotypes, doesn’t he? I can’t imagine the pressure involved in writing an inaugural poem and he doesn’t get much time either. I like that poetry is included too. Bush didn’t do it. I hope thought that it might start to become a regular feature of the event.
Wouldn’ it be a nicer world if there were 188 holds on the poetry rather than the Fifty Shades of Grey?! It’s cool the inaguration is on MLK Day. My library doesn’t have Richard Blanco’s books either–will have to pu in a request for them!
Danielle, wouldn’t that be something? I thought it was pretty cool that the inauguration was on MLK day too. And yay for hopefully getting a Blanco book for your library!