Claudia Keelan and Rusty Morrison: April 30, 2015

Steve Dickison introduces Rusty Morrison, who reads from Beyond the Chainlink, which she describes as a more personal work compared to her previous books. The poems range in topics from marriage to living with chronic illness: "Sense Work," "Necessities," "Impulse Says," "Sense Work," "Necessities," "Backward Rowing," and "Inventions." She then reads new poems which consist of seven syllable segments, including a sequence of poems each titled "Want," and "Blowflies up from the floor vent..."

Steve Dickison introduces Claudia Keelan. Keelan reads from her book Truth of My Songs: Poems of the Trobairitz, inviting poets in the audience to read with her. She reads "Alba," "Girlfriend, I'm begging, don't be rude...," "I should give up on song...," "I am so pretty and I don't love my husband anymore...," "This is need to know...," "Gi, you said goodbye to all that sings...," "The poets who wrote our books are dead..."

Rusty Morrison and Claudia Keelan answer questions from the audience. Keelan discusses the original language and historical context of the Trobairitz, the women troubadours whose work she has translated. They both discuss when they first realized they were poets and their early writings. They also talk about the "cultural codes" of being a poet and how to make writing a communal act. Morrison, who considers herself an "organic formalist," discusses the 7-syllable form used in her recent poetry. Morrison answers questions about revisiting subject matter and Keelan offers writing advice to students, via the troubadours, regarding incorporating a sense of danger.