John came by poetry through his parents, both of whom quoted lines almost every day. “Every man hew him down a bough” might end up in the same conversation as “parting is all we know of heaven, and all we need of hell.” In John’s house, poetry was art, wisdom, humor and heritage so when he got to Middlebury College, studying poetry seemed natural.

 

As for a vocation, after reading My Side of the Mountain, John wanted to live in a hollow tree and eat pancakes made from acorn meal. When he saw that as impractical, he decided he’d live in an Alaska trapper’s cabin and work as a forest ranger. That did not pan out either so he ended up working in marketing and getting his wilderness fix on vacations. Now he lives in New York City and spends as much time as possible at a remote cabin in the Adirondacks with his wife and children.

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The poems in this collection are about gods, words, ceremony and culture and why we need all of those. They explore the power of culture and words as a sacred part of life. There is one poem about a boy who has lost touch with the sacred and is lost. Two of the poems are abstract which means that their magic comes from the act of trying to understand them, not from their meaning. 

John’s writing has been published recently in The Wading List ("Home Water") and Breathe Bold ("Chiropractor"). He gives thanks to his writing group for their constant encouragement. And he thanks Susan for everything.

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