Barbara Ellen Sorensen blogs

Still More News

Barbara Ellen Sorensen — Wed, 07 May 2014 13:22:52 +0000

It has been nearly a month since I returned to Colorado after having finished a month--long residency program in Banner, Wyoming. The residency was set amid a pretty desolate, and semi-arid, high desert landscape. Not a scrub juniper to be seen! But plenty of white-tailed deer, antelope, and mule deer. Also, no mountain lions or bear.

What I think I enjoyed the most, besides the uninterrupted writing time, was the companionship of other "creative" folk. I miss them!

I have another residency in November of this year in Truth or Consequences, NM, a reading next Thursday in Denver at Bookbar, two upcoming publications, a radio interview, and a reading at Lighthouse Writers LitFest at some point in June. I think people dig my book. I really do!

I also hope that in some small way it may be even helping people.

Happy reading and happy spring!

AWP Reading

Barbara Ellen Sorensen — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 19:00:32 +0000

This past Friday, I had the honor of reading from a Haitian anthology, So Spoke the Earth, which was published by Women Writers of Haitian Descent (WWOHD). I was honored to be asked to read at this year's AWP conference in Seattle on the panel titled: The Haiti I know. As some of you know, I have several poems about Haiti in my book, Compositions of the Dead Playing Flutes. I have them in there because it was such an important part of my life for many years and has always stayed in my heart. Perhaps my favorite part of the entire conference was when I asked the wonderful, beautiful, powerful Haitian poet Danielle Legros-Georges, who read from the same anthology if she would take one of my books. She said, "Of course! And will you sign it?" I could have swooned. What an honor, what a joy!

Interviews, etc.

Barbara Ellen Sorensen — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 23:35:33 +0000

Dear Readers: You can access two interviews I gave to two wonderful writers: Rachel Dacus and MJ Fievre. Both of these women asked sublime questions and then formatted the interviews so well! Click on links below to read. Enjoy!

My VerseDaily Appearance!

Barbara Ellen Sorensen — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 05:25:00 +0000

On January 19th, one of the poems from my book Compositions of the Dead Playing Flutes, "Song from the Deep Middle Brain," was featured on the VerseDaily website. You can read the poem by clicking on the link below:

I think I've told everyone at least 10x that the former U.S. Poet Laureate (2004-2006) Ted Kooser is going to reprint my poem "The Pelican," from my new book, Compositions of the Dead Playing Flutes. So please forgive me if you have heard this before!

What I may not told you is that I have a reading tonight in Westminster at Ziggi's Coffee House and that I think a lot of Denver people may be coming.

A few other important things are in the works that have much to do with the marketing of my book:

• a poem (and I don't know which one) will be featured on Verse Daily on Sunday, January 19

• a cable news channel in Denver is right this moment scheduling me for an interview with one of their documentary makers, Shaughnessy McDaniel.

• I am going to be attending this year's AWP conference in Seattle and speaking on a panel. This may seem far removed from my book, but it is not. Point in fact: several of my poems are about what the panel is about: Haiti. I plan on packing my books when I go!

• I am looking forward to the May radio interview on the KRFC Poetry Show out of Fort Collins.

This I know is not enough. I need to be lining up readings by the dozens and getting my book out into book stores. I also need a professionally rendered book trailer, not like the one I recently pieced together!

And I need to blog more. In the meantime, I have three trips planned that will hopefully allow me some time to market my books to other states and venues: Moab this weekend, Seattle end of February, and then the icing on the cake: A month-long residency up in Banner, Wyomoing, courtesy of the Jentel Artist's Residency Program. Wonderful things are happening.

Meetup Group Enjoyed My Book

Barbara Ellen Sorensen — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 16:53:36 +0000

It was my new daughter-in-law, Kristin, who came up with the idea that I read for our Meetup group. Now, granted this is a group that hikes and reads books. Not at the same time, of course. But the premise of the group is that we read one book (assigned by Kristin) and then she chooses a trail and date and we all meet, hike, and discuss the book.

Luck would have it that it snowed like crazy yesterday, so, much to my chagrin, I didn't expect anyone to show up for the discussion. Kristin had already sent out the email stating that we wouldn't be hiking, but that we would still meet for a discussion. Much to my surprise, four other people besides Kristin and I showed up to hear me read some of the poems and to ask questions!

The questions ranged from "How long have you been writing?" to "Do you feel comfortable reading one of the poems about the death of your son?"

The group was responsive and interested. It turned out nicely. I have another reading set for January 16th, in Westminster at Ziggi's Coffee House. This year is off to a good start.

How Did I Choose My Book's Title?

Barbara Ellen Sorensen — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 23:11:13 +0000

I will admit that I like long titles. My first book of poems was a chapbook published by Main Street Rag. Because the page count was at 44, it was allowed into the Colorado Book Awards in 2011 and became a finalist. The title of that book was taken from a poem with the same title that also won a finalist position in the Joy Harjo-judged Cutthroat poetry contest back in 2010. It was called "Song from the Deep Middle Brain." I still get compliments on that title.''

But how did I choose the rather long-winded "Compositions of the Dead Playing Flutes?" It's a rather long-winded answer, but here it is in a nutshell:

My master's thesis at Regis was about my poetry book, so I realized immediately that I needed to explicate the title well enough so that it made sense. I guess the simplest thought I had about the title was to generate something, some image that would evoke a commonality or contextual structure to the poems. Obviously, there is a lot about death in these poems and I didn’t want them (the death experiences) to just be about my life events. I wanted very much for a universality to emerge and so I thought of the instrument that I actually play (!) and the etymology of its being. As most people know, the flute has very deep roots in stories and mythologies. In fact, the flute crosses continent after continent, culture after culture and offers a "kheru" for the dead in almost every ethnic group. If flute music calls forth the dead and guides them to another shore, it also must be playing from something, something written down. The compositions are what all of the creatures (including humans) in these poems have in common. Compositions can be an arrangement of elements for visual art, music, and words. In this way they become, like the flute, conduits through which the dead and dying speak to all of us whether we choose to hear them or not. Equally important in all of this death imagery is that flute music is actually happy, soothing music to the ear. So, the deaths in each of the “compositions” is accompanied by the tumbling-water and siren-like cadence of the flute. I hope that the lyrical pieces, as well as the more narrative ones reflect that cadence and perhaps help carry some of that grief to lighter places in the heart.That all being said, flute music and its compositions cross ethnic groups to articulate love. I was/am hoping that my poems are not so morbid as to make that essence completely untenable. I was hoping that love, even in the midst of death is felt, seen, and heard vividly in many of these poems.

Lining Up Readings

Barbara Ellen Sorensen — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 23:22:17 +0000

I haven't had time to take a breath, really, since my son's wedding in August. Yes, yes, I know it is December and the holidays are fast approaching, but we DID have a flood that interrupted our lives pretty drastically. Now that the roads are once again passable, I can start lining up readings for my new book, which you can order on this website.

Last weekend and earlier this week, I did do two readings in Denver. One, which was at a coffee house in the historic town of Arvada, was really not about me. I was just invited to be one of many readers who were there to raise money for a friend's breast cancer expenses. A worthy cause, indeed. But the other reading took place at the university where I obtained my master's degree: Regis University. The reading was pretty special for me. My academic advisor, Dr. McGovern introduced me and the Chair of Liberal Arts was present, as were other faculty members, alumni, and a few students. I'd say in terms of numbers, there were about 20 people there. Give or take.

This small cohort never surprises me. I've been to poetry readings where one or two people show up. Sigh..what can you do? Read and enjoy. Read and enjoy.