Dreamers: They Never Learn

I know. I know. It's getting redundant. But when artists and dreamers get together, stuff happens. The David Biedenbender / Robert Fanning duo is at it again! I guess we never learn. David's recently composed, incredible 7-movement piece "in a field of stars" was inspired by my poem "Infinity Room," and has been recorded for …

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Poetry / is Song / is Poetry

When poetry and music come together: a lot happens. Last evening, I 'attended' via livestream the performance by Haven Trio of David Biedenbender's amazing new composition "all we are given we cannot hold," which premiered at the University of North Texas. The piece is named after my newest manuscript of poetry and features seven of …

SHADOW AND BLOOM

It began as a spring of build and seed. Of hope and growth. In May, in less than a period of only three weeks, my wife and I placed nearly 1,000 paving stones in our yard to plant a dream in our newly acquired side-yard, to transform the square grass plot into a living spill …

ANOTHER LEFT-FIELD BODY

In looking back at the manuscripts/books I've written, a very interesting phenomenon has become evident. When I'm in the final stages of preparing a years-long-in-the-making manuscript, sometimes a new idea for a manuscript bubbles up out of nowhere and bursts into being. When I was completing / editing what would become The Seed Thieves, my …

Journeying Heima

"If one looks at the glacier for long enough, words cease to have any meaning on God’s earth." – Halldór Laxness After months of preparation, there I was, on September 1, 2021, standing on the ground in Iceland at Keflavik Airport—a month of writing (and hiking and exploring) ahead of me at the Gullkistan Center …

Of Lava and Magma

As I write, while looking out at the bold, barren, beautiful and rainy Icelandic landscape beyond this window of a cabin here at Gullkistan Center for Creativity in Laugarvatn where I'm at a writer's retreat while on sabbatical—I'm so, so thrilled to announce: my sixth manuscript that I've been working on the last few years, …

Between Journeys

Hi all. Happy Summer! I write from a world of in-betweens. In between journeys: back from an epic 8,000 mile camping & sight-seeing journey across the country (and back) with my family—a powerfully inspiring trek—and now: preparing to embark on a solo trip to Iceland, where I'll spend the month of September cooped up near …

Small Fires

"I light / a small fire in the rain." —Galway Kinnell That line by Kinnell, from one of my favorite books, his amazing "Book of Nightmares" blazed off the page when I first read it as a young man. I'll never forget how that small sentence, how those two lines felt so resonant, ringing and …

Deep Resonances

Those who know my poetry know how much time I spend with my ear to the words,  tuning and re-tuning, trying to make them sound just right. Poetry IS music, to me. Well, what a delight it is to have a friend on the other end, who then strolls in between the words I've laid down, …

The Nourishing Dark

    Hello friends, and Happy New Year! So much happens in a decade. One day I received a call in my college office from my brothers in the hospital sitting beside my father, dying suddenly, offering me the chance to say goodbye to him through the cell phone they held up to his ear, …

Construction Time Again

Happy Summer friends, In addition to the joy of several launches of Severance, my latest collection, this spring; this summer there's been a good deal of roadwork on my most recent manuscript, which I hope to complete in the coming months. Underway since 2013, this book is evolving in ways I never could've predicted, and …

Newsong Begins

Hello friends, Happy Spring! My fourth collection of poems, Severance, is in the world. It is available directly from Salmon Poetry for now, and soon will be available on Amazon and other outlets. I'm thrilled that this book, some 9-10 years in the making, is now reaching audience. I have begun to set up readings, …

Severance: Launch!

Hi friends, This Thursday, April 18, at 8pm at Central Michigan University, I'll be launching Severance, my fourth collection of poems, published this month by Salmon Poetry. I will have copies on hand to sell and sign. I'll be reading with the ever-inspiring Matthew Roberson, who'll be reading from his work-in-progress. If you wish to purchase …

Severance: Preview III

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJgwIykPJlY

Severance: Preview II

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSBSDc0pvHE

Severance: Preview I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHAFMzvpMyk

Hot Off the Press

Hello Friends, I've returned from Portland, OR, where I launched my fourth collection of poems, Severance, at the 2019 AWP Conference. It was terrific to see my publisher Salmon Press's latest crop of amazing books, and to read with my press-mates at Kell's Irish Pub, then again at a reception for Salmon Poets. The book …

It’s Launch Time!

Hello friends, If you or anyone you know will be in Portland, OR, March 27-30 I'll be signing copies of Severance, my soon-to-be-released fourth collection of poems a couple times, and reading a few poems from it at an off-site reading. All events at AWP Conference, except the off-site launch reading on Friday, which is …

Sneak Peek of Severance

Hi friends, My fourth collection of poems, Severance, will be published by Salmon Poetry in Ireland in April 2019. Here's a little look behind the curtain.  Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHAFMzvpMyk —Robert

Severance, Coming Soon

Hello friends! Quick news: My next book, Severance, my fourth full-length collection of poetry, will be published in April by Salmon Poetry in Ireland. Hopefully, soon, I'll have a cover to show you. The book will be launched Mar 27-30 in Portland, Oregon at The Associated Writing Programs Conference. I'll share details soon about when I'm …