April 19, 2024

In the dark may you see all you need

Today I'm glad to have two new poems online in the O Winter! issue of The Wild Word. I wrote both of these poems during my recent residency at Rivendell Writers Colony, where I was inspired by winter walks in the woods and great conversations with fellow residents. … [Read more...]

Poetry in the Boro: Featured Readings, Open Mic, Community

The poetry scene in the greater Nashville area is incredible. I'm convinced a poetry addict can find an event or two to attend almost every night of the week. But you know what else can be incredible? Nashville area traffic. For those of us who live outside Davidson County, getting to and from events in Nashville is an exercise in unpredictability. One day you can do it in 35 minutes; … [Read more...]

So Long to the Good Old Moon

I'm delighted that my poem "So Long to the Good Old Moon" has found a home at Ascent literary magazine. (Update: This poem is also in my book Sugar Fix.) This poem takes its title from a headline in the July 4, 1969 issue of Life magazine - one of a trio I have, thanks to some creative gift-giving by my daughter, covering the Apollo 11 mission. As you'll see, the poem itself has little to do with the moon, but it has a lot to do with giving up our old ways of thinking about things - or at … [Read more...]

The Built-Wells Upright 4-String Washtub Bass: A Labor of Love and a Lot of Fun

The Built-Wells Upright 4-String Washtub Bass: As discussed on Thunder Radio's Bluegrass Crossroads Show (listen here), appearing on our CD, and maybe at a music festival near you. I've been a wannabe musician for a long time, and the "wanna" has grown stronger in recent years as I've seen how much fun goes on at bluegrass and old-time music festivals. I've squeezed into a circle of musicians with a video cam at plenty of jams, often filming my daughter Kelsey, an old-time fiddler, and … [Read more...]

Old Bunch of Keys: A Documentary on Old-Time Fiddler Kelsey Wells

Proud mama alert: Kelsey Wells is the subject of a new short documentary from folklorist Caitlin Coad. Old Bunch of Keys, named for an old-time tune, as well as Kelsey's latest CD and thesis project as a Buchanan Fellow at Middle Tennessee State University, is a fifteen minute film available here on Vimeo. Yes, yes, I'm her mama, so of course I've watched it more than once. But even you might enjoy at least one viewing to: Learn more about old-time music, particularly fiddling Sample a … [Read more...]