Thanks Kate. I heard Adrienne speak a few times. She read a poem (one she was working on ) and a specific quote stuck in my head. I have never seen it in print though.
“two women sleeping together have more then their sleep to defend”.
I am just wondering if you ever ran across the whole poem. Amazing how one single sentence stuck ….30 plus years ago.
HUGS
How I got to be a songwriter when I wanted to be a poet is hard for me to fathom, except that my instrument, guitar, leads me with chord progressions to ideas, hardly as profound as Adrienne’s, but moving to some people. Adrienne Rich and you, Kate, have inspired me, along with “all the women I have ever known and loved,” to live my truth. A great light is gone, but not extinguished.
Adrienne Rich has narrated important phases of my life since I discovered her work at age 15, 50 years ago. Most often I repeat to myself “Two women together is a work nothing in civilization has made simple.” She also wrote “our maps were out of date by years” and she helped to draw new maps. I frequently re-read the essay ON LIES, SECRETS, AND SILENCES for the rigorous and unstinting standard it sets for truth in our relationships and dealing with others. I met her and heard her read several times, and am in awe of her gimlet intelligence and use of language. Her poetry was read at my wedding, and will be read at my funeral. Indeed, a great light is gone but not extinguished.
March 30, 2012 @ 3:59 am
lovely. thanks for that. and who did the painting behind you in this clip? it is gorgeous.
March 30, 2012 @ 10:24 pm
Thanks Kate. I heard Adrienne speak a few times. She read a poem (one she was working on ) and a specific quote stuck in my head. I have never seen it in print though.
“two women sleeping together have more then their sleep to defend”.
I am just wondering if you ever ran across the whole poem. Amazing how one single sentence stuck ….30 plus years ago.
HUGS
March 31, 2012 @ 3:34 am
How I got to be a songwriter when I wanted to be a poet is hard for me to fathom, except that my instrument, guitar, leads me with chord progressions to ideas, hardly as profound as Adrienne’s, but moving to some people. Adrienne Rich and you, Kate, have inspired me, along with “all the women I have ever known and loved,” to live my truth. A great light is gone, but not extinguished.
April 1, 2012 @ 9:58 pm
Thank you, in particular for saying the level of A. Rich’s importance.
April 5, 2012 @ 5:40 am
Adrienne Rich has narrated important phases of my life since I discovered her work at age 15, 50 years ago. Most often I repeat to myself “Two women together is a work nothing in civilization has made simple.” She also wrote “our maps were out of date by years” and she helped to draw new maps. I frequently re-read the essay ON LIES, SECRETS, AND SILENCES for the rigorous and unstinting standard it sets for truth in our relationships and dealing with others. I met her and heard her read several times, and am in awe of her gimlet intelligence and use of language. Her poetry was read at my wedding, and will be read at my funeral. Indeed, a great light is gone but not extinguished.
April 13, 2012 @ 5:23 am
Wow. Our loss. She was truly a genious and I’m glad I got to hear her read a few times.
Thanks for tweeting this or I wouldn’t have heard.
April 13, 2012 @ 10:33 pm
Was that class at Saggaris? 🙂