We were exposed
to poets literally responding to the pandemic
but while they were responding to it , we ’ ve been creating these connections with poets that might not ever have met each other . ” read whatever they had been writing in the moment . We were exposed to poets literally responding to the pandemic but while they were responding to it , we ’ ve been creating these connections with poets that might not ever have met each other . Now you can go to a reading every single night but for a couple months really we were one of the only spaces where poets were connecting with one another and it ’ s endured all this time through a lot of work ”
One of Sandy ’ s favorite things that came from the “ Cultivating Voices ” readings has been the opportunity it ’ s given her to give back to the poetry community which has influenced her so greatly over the years . Creating and holding space to showcase some of her friends and mentors has been transformative for her . “ Not only have I got to meet and hear poetry from poets all around the world , I ’ ve also been able to honor folks that supported me on my journey in poetry , including one of my mentors , Hilda Raz .”
“ Cultivating Voices ” now has over 3000 members online , and is still an open and welcoming place to new and seasoned poets alike . They ’ ve moved on from their wild card open mic night to include themed open mics , as well as a number of larger events to keep members engaged and inspired . “ We ’ ve just tried to create these interesting ways to reach poets and keep them connected to each other .” They now host showcases for poets in the group who have released new books , as well as more seasonal events such as poetry pride parades and themed readings for Juneteenth or the 100th anniversary of women ’ s suffrage .
The friendships made through this network are becoming even stronger and more obvious as the group continues . The events of the reading this past Sunday made that wonderfully clear . “ What was so interesting was as they were introducing themselves a number of the readers were looking back to when they had first joined the group . Many were reading poems they had written , either in response to a poem they had heard or written in homage to a friend that they had made through the group , or a poem that was inspired by someone they were now in a poetry group with .” Even on a wild card night , themes of community and connection began to emerge and poets expressed their gratitude for the space and each other in such an earnest way .
“ You can go back into those early months and hear the poets talking about just how invaluable it was for them to have a place to come and to feel like they could be heard and seen and not feel so isolated . It was really profound every week to know that we were providing something that may be the highlight of someone ’ s week to know they could connect with these poets and just not feel so alone .”
Through all of this , Salmon Poetry picked up Sandy ’ s next project for publication and it can be expected in early 2023 . The next step in her career drives at something more personal . “ The Glass Studio ” is a poetic meditation on the word glass . The central metaphor surrounds her parents ’ workshop , where she would spend hours of her adolescence making lamps . This book will come to life soon after her parents ’ glass studio closes its doors . “ It seems in some ways an apt place to begin to tell the story of how that business started and the influence of creating things in glass , how that influenced me as a younger person in terms of thinking about being an artist .”
“ What ’ s so interesting about growing up in a dynamic like that is that usually you talk to young people and in a way they have no idea really what their parents do . For me , it was the flip side . I knew too much . So here is this business that ’ s originating out of an unfinished second floor of a house turned into a factory and downstairs are my father ’ s parents , who are living out their lives . The entire family system is part of the business ; everybody is in each other ’ s business whether they want to be or not . There was no real way to understand this separation between work and family , and work and play , because they were just constantly engaged with each other .”
“ Even my father ’ s commute to work was walking across our yard and up to the second floor of my grandparents ’ house .
30 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE