A poem about meeting the music of each moment.
“Improvisation,” by Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma
THE SAFETY OF EDGES
Marrowstone Press, Seattle
“Magnolias Have Large Petals” from the Tamil poet Avvaiyar | மடல்பெரிது தாழை
A poem about size and true strength by the 12th century Tamil woman, poet, and saint Avvaiyar. From her collection, “The Word that Endures.”
Moothurai 12, “Madal perithu thazhai.”
Translated from the Tamil by Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma
GIVE, EAT, AND LIFE: POEMS OF AVVAIYAR
Red Hen Press, Los Angeles
“Pocket Watch” from The Safety of Edges
A poem about gratitude and the passage of time.
“Pocket Watch,” by Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma
THE SAFETY OF EDGES
Marrowstone Press, Seattle
“Between the King and the Careful Poet,” from the Tamil poet Avvaiyar | மன்னனும் மாசறக் கற்றோனும்
A poem about poetry and power by the 12th century Tamil woman, poet, and saint Avvaiyar. From her collection, “The Word that Endures.”
Moothurai 26, “Mannanum maasara kattronum.”
Translated from the Tamil by Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma
GIVE, EAT, AND LIFE: POEMS OF AVVAIYAR
Red Hen Press, Los Angeles
THE SONG AND THE SILENCE: TALKING WITH SHIN YU PAI
I recently had a wonderful, far-reaching conversation with my friend, the poet, artist, speaker, and curator Shin Yu Pai. Our talk explored embodiment, mothering, teachers, and the practice of devotion, and was published today in The Rumpus:
What is Cascadian Zen? A Talk at Seattle University
Talk delivered on February 15, 2020. Organized loosely around exploring the relationship between the Cascadian bioregion as it intersects with Zen ideas, practices, and aesthetics, Seattle University hosted a diverse group of writers interested in exploring the question of “What is Cascadian Zen?” through their poetic and/or philosophical writing.
“When doing good to a man,” a poem from the Tamil poet Avvaiyar
A poem about gratitude and transformation by the 12th century Tamil woman, poet, and saint Avvaiyar. From her collection, “The Word that Endures.”
Translated from the Tamil by Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma
GIVE, EAT, AND LIFE: POEMS OF AVVAIYAR
Red Hen Press, Los Angeles
Free Performances in May and Wonder From Home
During the month of May I’m honored to present several online performances.
Cozy Grammar is offering free access to these two shows for the entire month:
- A Thousand Thanks: The Gift of Sadako and Her Cranes, a show I wrote for the Family Series at Vashon Center for the Arts (VCA) about the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr.
- By Heart: A Celebration of Words, Magic, and Memory, a show I premiered at Open Space for Arts and Community about how poets and poetry sing memory alive, join past, present, and future, and reveal what’s really in our hearts and minds.
You can learn more and access the performances on Cozy Grammar’s Free Resources page.
And if you’d like to share them with friends, please feel free to pass this information along.
I’m also happy to announce that the NPR recording of my January talk at Town Hall Seattle has been posted to KUOW’s website:
A world where poetry meets magic and wonder | John O’Brien
You’re welcome to share this as well or simply enjoy the recording in a spare moment should you so desire.
Wonder From Home
Last, in a new experiment for me, I’ve been asked by Atlas Obscura‘s “Wonder From Home” series to present a live event from home on Sunday, May 17th.
It’s called The Magic of Words in a Poet-Magician’s Yurt and will be an hour-long online interactive presentation and workshop, similar to one I recently offered at the Sahrdaya Foundation in Chennai, India.
Tickets are $10. You can read all about it on Altas Obscura’s website.
