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 …

Come Together

Happy Summer, friends! In addition to continuing work on my most recent manuscript, which is totally out of my control, it seems—and lovingly so—it has also been a time of solicitations and collaborations lately. Last year, I was solicited for a poem on Detroit music for the forthcoming anthology on Michigan State University Press entitled …

Music into Words into Music

In the early spring, I received an email from the magnificent composer David Biedenbender, who'd already composed a piece for my poem "Staying the Night," which has been performed in Idaho, Ohio and Michigan thus far. His composition for "Staying the Night" was already an honor—as David himself was inspired to select that poem from …

The Year Ahead

Hello friends! And Happy New Year! 2017 was an especially fruitful year for me that saw the publication of Our Sudden Museum, my most recent collection. I conducted several readings from that book throughout the year, and have been thrilled at its reception by many kind readers. If you've yet to purchase a copy, fret …

New Review in NewPages!

Thanks so much to Natalie Tomlin, for her review of Our Sudden Museum in NewPages.com, and to all who take a moment to read it! It is thrilling and gratifying to read another's words about my work. Here is a link, if you'd like to re-post the review--which is so helpful in getting the word out …

Discussions: Our Sudden Museum

Thanks to Kimberly Ann Priest for this challenging and delightful interview in The Tishman Review about Our Sudden Museum. "Anticipation and Resignation: An Interview with Robert Fanning." The Tishman Review, Issue 3.3., P. 144. July 31, 2017. by Kimberly Ann Priest.   To read more conversations about Our Sudden Museum, click below, or visit the Media page. …

Full Bloom

Hello, friends. This spring and summer I've been quite busy, doing more than 10 readings to promote my most recent collection, Our Sudden Museum, published in April. I'm so thankful to everyone who has hosted my readings and been in attendance, and to those who have purchased copies of my new book. If you still …

Out & About

Thanks so much to all of those who've bought my new book, Our Sudden Museum, my third collection—and to all those who've come out to hear me read poems from the book. Since the release in D.C in February, I've enjoyed sharing poems across the home state in Grand Rapids, Elk Rapids, Ann Arbor, Detroit and …