Sonoma County Literary Update

Dear Literary Folk,

I want to let you all know that I will be traveling in Central Europe August 18 through September 8, visiting Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Croatia, and Slovenia. If I’m able to get internet service, I’ll try composing a post for September from Budapest. It may be just a brief description of a highlight or two, along with some photos. Alas, I will miss the upcoming reception for our next Poet Laureate Dave Seter on August 18, but I’ll be back in plenty of time for the Poetry Walk on September 15. Information about both these events is included below and on our calendar page.

Emily Wilson’s Modern Vision of Ancient Myths
Hats off to the team of writers and directors of the Napa Valley Writers’ Conference! Last week’s conference was brimming with readings, craft lectures, workshops—some free and open to the public. Though I wasn’t able to attend as a participant, I made the trek from Petaluma to Napa twice to attend a craft lecture and reading by classicist and translator Emily Wilson. Wilson is quite extraordinary as a scholar, poet, and storyteller, and I am especially grateful to Iris Dunkle for introducing me to her.

I was captivated by her presentations, and especially moved when, at the close of her craft talk on translation, Emily Wilson read a scene from Homer’s Iliad in which King Priam, who has lost his son and heir, Hector, in battle, takes off his crown and goes secretly in the night to the enemy camp and the tent of the Greek chieftain Achilles, the man who has killed his son. He goes at great risk to his life and against the wishes of his queen to ask for Hector’s body. Achilles has kept the body to desecrate in full view of the Trojan king and his people, trying to find some solace for his own grief, rage, and guilt over the loss of his dear friend Patroclos at Hector’s hands. The two men meet, and in this very human moment, Priam touches his enemy’s knees.

It is an ancient gesture, a sacred request to be heard, to be granted some blessing one has no right to ask for. The one who receives this gesture must think very carefully before responding.

Achilles hesitates. He, too, is risking much. But Priam takes Achilles’ hand in his and kisses it–kisses the hand that has slain his son. Finally Achilles agrees to hear what the old man has come to say. For a brief time, they speak, not as enemies, not as king and warrior, Trojan and Greek, but as two human beings who are grieving. Achilles agrees to return Hector’s body and to allow a temporary truce for both sides to bury their dead. After that moment, the two return to their roles and their worlds. The war resumes. Within a year they will both be dead, and the worlds they knew will vanish.

I don’t know why this scene moves me to tears. It was clear many in the audience felt the same way, as did Wilson herself. There is an old adage that war is men’s tears, and this scene certainly illustrates that. But it also holds out the hope that beyond the power of fickle gods, corrupt governments, or self-serving corporations with their disregard for human life, it is possible for enemies to share their deepest humanity and to act with decency and honor, to carve out a small space of peace against all odds.

I wish this for all of us in our time of division and violence, warfare and injustice from which there seems no respite or reprieve. Wilson pointed out that both Homer’s world and our own are societies in their last days where violence is glorified and pain is entertainment. And yet, although ostensibly an epic of war, Homer’s Iliad does not celebrate warfare. This scene, as well as others in the epic, speaks to our common humanity and offers us a glimpse of what came before the clashing shields and swords of patriarchal Bronze Age Europe, and what we might take into our own world, if we seize the chance to remake it.

You can learn more about Emily Wilson and her work on this website: emilyrcwilson.com.

Petaluma Poetry Walk GoFundMe Campaign
The 2024 Petaluma Poetry Walk is coming up on September 15, but we need your help to fund this year’s event. The goal is to raise $2,000 to cover some expenses and to make sure the featured authors are paid a small stipend—usually enough to cover their expenses for gas and food. John Johnson and Dave Seter are organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Bill Vartnaw.

If you can contribute something, however small, please check out the GoFundMe page:
gofundme.com/f/PetalumaPoetryWalk2024

The Poetry Walk begins 11:00 a.m. at Hotel Petaluma and winds up for the Grand Finale at Aqus Cafe, 6:00-8:00 p.m. The schedule may be found at: petalumapoetrywalk.org

Celebrate Our Poets Laureate Elizabeth Herron and Dave Seter
You are all invited to a reception to honor outgoing Poet Laureate, Elizabeth Herron and our new Laureate, Dave Seter on Sunday, August 18, 2-5 pm at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S High St Sebastopol CA. This link will get you to the SebArts website where you can register for this event. The event Is free, but donations welcome. sebarts.org/classeslectures/p/soco-poet-laureate-inauguration-dave-seter

You can also hear Dave read on Monday, August 5 at 6:15 p.m. Rivertown Poets will be live at Aqus Cafe. Featured poets are Abby Bogomolny and Fred Carroll. Our new Sonoma County Poet Laureate Dave Seter will open the reading. Open mic follows the features. First come, first read. Come early for dinner and a spot on the list. Please time your reading to no more than 3 minutes total and no more than two poems, so that everyone has a chance to share. Sign up at Aqus, 189 H Street, Petaluma. Questions? Email rivertownpoet@gmail.com.

Poem for August
This month, we are featuring a poem by Fran Carbonaro. I will continue posting a poem or short prose piece by a Sonoma County writer. I so appreciate those of you who have sent me your submissions, and invite all of you to participate. You can check at the end of this post for submission guidelines.

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You Turn

by Fran Carbonaro

In the absence of kindness
take one deep breath
and then let it go
into the heat of confusion
or an echoless emptiness
where it may be swallowed up
like a dove in a black hole
listen as it coos gently in the dark

The next breath may disorient you
that’s a good sign
go ahead
lose your way
your point
your imitation
of someone you don’t
now recognize

You’ve made a U-turn
and like a boomerang
struck by lightning
random acts of kindness
now seem as natural
as being breathed into self
one who has forgiven
any part of the whole that
might have believed
you were not enough

from Out of the Blue, published by northern California fmsbw press

Fran will read from, Out of the Blue, followed by a short reception and open mic on Saturday, August 24, 2:00-4:30 p.m. Location: Church of the Incarnation, 636 Cherry St., Santa Rosa. A portion of book sales will benefit the Journey Center in Santa Rosa. More details: journeycentersantarosa.org/event/poetry-book-launch-open-mic

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Send Us Your Poetry/Short Prose Selections for 2024
Since January of 2024. I have selected a poem or short prose piece by a Sonoma County writer to include at the end of each monthly Literary Update post. The theme can be anything you feel is appropriate to the season. I’ve adjusted the subject line so you won’t feel limited to sending lineated verse. In fact, prose poems, flash fiction, creative nonfiction are all welcome, as long as the piece you send is no more than a page in length.

Send your submission to me at tehret99@comcast.net, with “SCLU Poem/Prose of the Month” in the subject heading.

Send me just one submission, no more than a page (or less).

These can be previously published, provided you identify the publishing source. If the piece is not your own, provide the author’s name and source. The author should be a Sonoma County voice, and if contemporary, please ask the author’s permission to submit.

Deadline: You can send the submission any time during the month, but I’ll need to receive your submission a few days before the month’s end to give me time to read, make my choice, and contact the author of the piece selected.
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Terry Ehret
Sonoma County Literary Update co-editor