#john wall barger

[librarycards]

I enjoy many poets whose work I’d call “warm.” I love Billy Collins and Mary Oliver, for example, but I would not depend on them to tell me their whole truth. They prefer, perhaps, to please me, to wish me well, to enable me. There is a place for them on my shelves. After a hard day, tired in the evening, I will reach for them. But they don’t give me that shuddering thrill. They do not, like certain close friends of mine, stop me mid-sentence to challenge the bullshit I’ve been speaking. They do not lock eyes with me and tell me what’s really on their mind. They will never change my life. [...] Cold art, when it enacts the moment of death over and over, isn’t interested in death in itself, but wants to remind us of death. We are, as at a funeral, not the corpse but the attendees. The life force still surges within us. Cold art doesn’t urge us toward nihilism, but reminds us to live now, to get things done, that we are vital. This is the wisdom of it. Without such reminders we risk becoming fools, like Lear. Cold art is not harmful or bad at all, but provides a useful counterpoint to “happiness” in our society, which is severely overemphasized. Our existence naturally oscillates between warm and cold. This oscillation must be allowed, or the pendulum will break. When that deep cold is invoked—in a poem, a song, a painting, a voice on the subway—the windless ice forest wakes within me. And it’s in me always, the cold. The spiritual, psychic cold. While driving my motorcycle through the potholed streets of Philadelphia, while leading a poetry workshop, while chatting to my mother, while eating dinner, while watching Netflix with Tiina. That cold forest, its myriad frozen boughs, bristles within me.

John Wall Barger, In the Cold Theatre of the Poem.

[emphasis added]

[eunoiareview]

How to Write a Savage Love Poem

Don’t let the smell of kitsch distract you. The love poem is smart. It thinks, changes its mind. Murder in its eyes, the love poem scrapes its front hooves, dirt flying behind it. Suddenly horns fly every which way! Dive toward the love poem. Leap clear. It— vicious, myopic, strains to gore you, charges what moves. Align yourself for death, its death, your back Don Quixote-straight. Now jam the…

[finishinglinepress]

POETRY BOOK OF THE DAY: Crying of Small Motors by Craig Brandis

On SALE now! Pre-order Price Guarantee: https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/crying-of-small-motors-by-craig-brandis/

Through portraits of #working #class #life and meditations on strange, even comedic aspects of personal tragedy, Crying of Small Motors follows the poet’s search for a poetics of devotional wildness, for language that balances sorrow, absurdity and optimism. Brandis’s voice is lyric, narrative and spare. His poems are acts of restless defamiliarization: a voracious sea lion he encountered while rowing is like a familial unkindness carried to the grave; a wounded veteran is like a fermata in a wheelchair. He approaches his large subjects by way of small gestures. As reviewer John Wall Barger wrote, “we trust the poet and follow him into increasingly strange, Tranströmer-like spaces: above the small print / grasses, a horse’s / double field / of vision folds / the country / lengthwise.” The arc of the book follows the poet’s struggle to fashion something useful, like a new utensil, from the grief and tragic beauty found in lifes’ difficult places. #poetry

PRAISE FOR Crying of Small Motors by Craig Brandis

“Each of Brandis’ poems is an act of restless defamiliarization: a lover’s kisses are like a Tasmanian drug lord; a sea lion he met rowing in the ocean is like a familial unkindness many years before. We trust the poet and follow him into increasingly strange, Tranströmer-like spaces. A mighty debut!”

—John Wall Barger, author Smog Mother

“While reading each and every poem in Crying of Small Motors, I kept thinking to myself: Here is a poet, the real McCoy. Craig Brandis is a poet of work, for sure. He interrogates the industry, drudgery, grind, pains, and travails of what it’s like to swing a hammer for a living. But also, he is a poet of devotion and merriment and reverence for the same. Few poets writing today embrace the essential burdens of writing poems like Brandis does; reading this book, you will be in thrall of the precision of his capacious imagination. He sculpts poems from the standing stone of experience. His vision of love comes from understanding, and, by being understanding, he stitches together who he was and who he has become. What a welcome gift this book is.”

—David Biespiel, author A Place of Exodus

“It is intuitive to seek beauty in beautiful spaces, but these poems seek it in hard places, where the reward is more profound.”

—Darren Morris, Poetry Editor Parhelion Literary Journal

Please share/please repost #flpauthor #preorder #AwesomeCoverArt #poetrybook #read #poems

[theartisanalwriter]

Smog Mother

Philadelphia based poet John Wall Barger talks to AW’s Sabyasachi Nag about his newest poetry collection. SN: Smog Mother (Palimpsest Press, 2022) is your sixth collection of poetry; the same year, you published Resurrection Fail (Spuyten Duyvil Press). When you look back at your body of work – over nearly two decades since you first started publishing poetry – how would describe the shape of…

[covertrook]

Do not rejoice, says the crow, for your life is meaningless. Hearing that, I was enlightened.

John Wall Barger

[largethingslargerthings]

Meditative Week of Poetry: John Wall Barger

Ever hear, far off, a grinding, 

some big machine in the wrong gear— 

then realize with a pang 

it’s an animal in pain? 

Once I heard a hawk scree, 

opened my door to find 

a kitten, a stray, gazing at me, eyes cold. 

It’s hard to hear right. 

Just ask the Arizonan mother 

resting her head on the chest of a girl, 

not resting, listening 

to her son’s heart, transplanted 

into this tiny brown chest. 

In antique times those who died abruptly 

they called gods. Since that’s not 

an Arizonan custom, 

the dead boy (still just a boy) leans his ear 

on a splintered wall, 

listening to the dogs fighting 

just beyond it. 

Which is a woman 

breathing.

[bottlecap-press]

From John Wall Barger's chapbook, Trying on the Walrus Costume in the Ed Sullivan Theater of the Mind, available from Bottlecap Press!

[philajazzproject]

The Walt Whitman Sampler Mixtape Series was developed as part of @whitat200 - It consists of a series of 100% FREE MIXTAPES celebrating the 200th birthday of legendary poet, Walt Whitman. It features music & poetry created by some of the Philadelphia area's most talented artists, like Leonard Gontarek, John Barger Wall & more. Get it as a FREE DOWNLOAD HERE: https://bit.ly/2p85SOg #PhillyJazz #WhitmanAt200 #Poetry #Poets #LeonardGontarek #JohnBargerWall (at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJyZy5MDhuN/?igshid=w3e11ivshtcn

[quietya]

31 Days of #quietYA with Mareth Griffith

John Bellairs’ books probably make the top of my Quiet YA list – he has a number of different series, all pitting everyday teenage heroes and a cast of sympathetic adults against the perils of evil necromancers, talismans, killer robots, and the like. There are two main series – the Lewis Barnavelt Books, and the Johnny Dixon/Professor Childermass books, both (counting the books completed by Brad Strickland after Bellairs’ untimely passing) running to over ten novels each.  The books probably have more in common with pulp adventure novels than with most modern YA fiction – but I enjoyed the heck out of them as a teen, and many of them still make engaging reads.  As a teen I was, like Lewis Barnavelt, rather shy, not terribly athletic, and much more comfortable in the company of adults than with kids my own age. I also enjoy that in the Bellairs universe, the books’ teen protagonists are surrounded by a gaggle of helpful adults – uncles, wizards, professors, librarians, and the like – who play an active and supportive role in the stories. Too often in modern YA, especially YA with a fantasy bent, adult role models are frequently either absent, or evil. Though the books don’t need to be read in any particular order, I would recommend starting with the first of the Lewis Barnavelt stories – The House with a Clock in its Walls.

Mairelon the Magician – by Patricia Wrede. This is an engaging, Victorian-style story involving the odd duck pairing of a carnival magician who enlists the aid of a thief hired to burgle his caravan in his quest to clear his name.  You should read this book partly to better enjoy the sequel, the Magician’s Ward, which is even better. The protagonist, Kim, is likeable, and the book shows enough of the difficulties she has making a living as a street pickpocket without losing the light tone. The plot is fast enough that it’s difficult to keep up with at times, as well as the myriad of minor characters (and their various motivations) to keep straight. In addition to being a lovely story in its own right, Marelon the Magician is also a great entry point to discovering Wrede’s work – including the high-society Regency Magic series, which starts with Sorcery and Cecelia, and her deservedly well-known Enchanted Forest Chronicles, starting with Dealing with Dragons.

Secondhand Summer, by Dan Walker. Secondhand Summer, a tale of a displaced rural Alaskan youth forced to move with his family to the big city of Anchorage, could be considered Quiet Alaska as well as Quiet YA. Many stories about Alaska – or the North in general - focus on teen versus nature adventure stories – books like Julie of the Wolves, Williwaw, or Surviving Bear Island. But Secondhand Summer juxtaposes that Alaska with the frontier-town environment of Anchorage in the 1960s, and the challenges that Sam Barger faces finding – and losing – a place for himself in the city, and among his peers. Walker writes that through the editing process he realized ‘how important it is to write books that boys want to read, our most reluctant readers.’ Secondhand Summer succeeds at that, as well as being a well-written and touching coming-of-age story.  (Disclaimer – Walker and I are both residents of the same small Alaskan town.)

Jackaby – by William Ritter. The Jackaby books are a series of 1880s-era supernatural crime novels, combining elements of steampunk, mystery and fantasy, all held together by an engaging cast of characters as memorable for their flaws as for their better qualities.  The series’ protagonist is Abigail Rook, an Englishwoman who becomes the assistant to private investigator and psychic R.F. Jackaby. This series shines through its descriptions of capable women, who don’t let societal expectations determine what they do or, critically, limit their own assessments of what they’re capable of. Expect evil monsters as well as sympathetic ones, threatening prophecies, and some surprisingly touching dialog. I also love that Ritter specifically doesn’t develop a romantic relationship between Abigail and her employer, but still makes their relationship as friends and co-investigators compelling, realistic, and intriguing.

Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland.  This book takes place in a modern world harkening back to classical Greek and Roman myths, complete with gods, oracles, and underworlds. The book has a lot to say on the protagonist, Zephyr, and her struggles to both embrace her destiny and avoid being trapped by other people’s expectations. One of the best parts of the book is the friendship between Zephyr, struggling with fear and weakness having grown up in a society that doesn’t tolerate either, and Cass, who was stripped on her ability to feel emotions after a long-ago betrayal that she’s still trying to atone for. I enjoyed this enough to put Ireland's upcoming zombie novel Dread Nation at the top of my TBR list for next year.

Mareth Griffith is the author of Court of Twilight, a contemporary fantasy set in Dublin. “Turns Ireland’s rich history of faerie stories on its head. Twenty year old Ivy’s roommate rarely leaves the house and has an unusual fascination with plants, but Ivy’s willing to overlook it because the apartment is posh and surprisingly affordable. But when her roommate disappears, Ivy can’t just shrug and let it go. She sets off to find her, and in the process she finds a whole Dublin underworld — a world she has no business interfering with.  Equal parts amusing and unnerving, COURT OF TWILIGHT is urban fantasy with a sci-fi kick, perfect for readers who are ready for a taste of something beyond angels, demons and shadow hunters.” – Books by Smithies review

[humility]

Top 100 Book List

Top 100 books I have read in my life and the age at which I read them.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (J.R.R. Tolkien) {13}

The Long Walk (Slavomir Rawicz) {28}

Ecclesiastes  (King Solomon) {11}

Mere Christianity (C.S. Lewis) {31}

The Old Man and The Sea (Ernest Hemingway) {29}

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis) {10}

Babylon By Bus (Ray LeMoine) {27}

Bike Snob (bikesnobNYC) {29}

The Mouse and the Motorcycle (Beverly Cleary)  {9}

Book of First World War Poetry (Compiled By: George Walter) {32}

The Global Economy (Thomas Ramge) {35}

The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance (Elna Baker) {33}

The Graphic Canon (Russ Kick) {32}

Proverbs (King Solomon) {7}

All The Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr) {33}

Farewell to Shady Glade (Bill Peete) {12}

Advance Your Swagger (Fonzworth Bently) {30}

The Good Earth (Pearl Buck) {28}

The Last Battle (C.S. Lewis) {10}

It Couldn't Just Happen (Lawrence Richards) {13}

The Return of the King (J.R.R. Tolkien) {12}

Atlas Obscura (Ella Morton) {34}

These Wonderful People (Noel Ames) {33}

How to be Black (Baratunde Thurston) {30}

Henry Higgins (Beverly Cleary) {8}

The Horse and His Boy (C.S. Lewis) {12}

Catch Me If You Can (Frank Abagnale) {34}

A Man Called Ove (Fredrik Backman) {36}

Shoe Dog (Phil Knight) {36}

Why Not Me? (Mindy Kaling) {35}

The Oregon Trail - A New American Journey (Rinker Buck) {34}

You Can't Win (Jack Black) {33}

The Mutt (Rodney Mullen) {31}

Superfreakonomics (Levitt & Dubner) {32}

Hell's Angel (Sony Barger) {32}

For Whom The Bell Tolls (Ernest Hemingway) {29}

Modern Romance (Aziz Ansari) {34}

Anarchy Evolution (Greg Graffin) {33}

Bronze Bow (Elizabeth Speare) {14}

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (Mark Haddon) {33}

Expressions of Loneliness (Alex Free) {32}

Wump World (Bill Peet) {11}

Out of the Silent Planet (C.S. Lewis) {26}

Slaughterhouse-Five (Kurt Vonnegut) {31}

The Hiding Place (Cornelia ten Boom) {32}

Empty Mansions (Bill Dedman, Paul Clark) {36}

Tin Tin and the Land of the Soviets (Georges Prosper Remi) {13}

The Return of the King (J.R.R. Tolkien) {14}

Brave New World (Aldous Huxley) {29}

Achtung Baby (Sara Zaske) {34}

The Wealth of Nations (Adam Smith) {31}

The Indian in the Cupboard (Lynne Reid Banks) {14}

YWAM Backpack DTS (Jay / Ryan Caven) {31}

Red Tent (Anita Diamant) {32}

Freakonomics (Levitt & Dubner) {32}

Homer Price (Robert McCloskey) {10}

Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank) {31}

The Magician's Nephew (C.S. Lewis) {13}

On These Walls (John Cole) {31}

Les Miserables (Victor Hugo) {29}

Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) {26}

When You Are Engulfed in Flames (David Sedaris) {29}

The World is Flat (Thomas Freidman) {30}

The Wonderful Wizard of  OZ (Frank Baum) {14}

The Girl Who Loved the Swastika (Maria Hirschmann) {33}

Colleen Green's Celebrity Encounters (Colleen Green) {32}

Love in the Time of Cholera (Gabriel Garcia Marquez) {32}

Mila 18 (Leon Uris) {32}

Jesus on Trial (David Limbaugh) {33}

The Price of Everything (Eduardo Porter) {33}

Crazy From the Heat (David Lee Roth) {30}

Flash Boys (Michael Lewis) {32}

Runaway Ralph (Beverly Cleary) {8}

The Model Millionaire (Oscar Wilde) {25}

In the Presence of my Enemies (Gracia Burnham) {23}

Just Kids (Patti Smith) {32}

The Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Grahame) {7}

Exodus (Leon Uris) {33}

Transport -7-41-R (Terry Degens) {32}

The Hunt for Red October (Tom Clancy) {33}

Beatles Gear (Andy Babiuk) {34}

Leading With Honor (Lee Ellis) {33}

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (John Godey) {32}

Prince Caspian (C.S. Lewis) {12}

Common Sense (Thomas Paine) {25}

The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald) {27}

Under Fire (Oliver North) {30}

The History of the Caldwell Police Department (Robert Sobba) {31}

Killer Angels (Michael Shaara) {32}

Unbroken (Laura Hillenbrand) {33}

To Kill a Mokingbird (Harper Lee) {29}

Chinatown (Arthur Hart) {32}

The Jungle (Upton Sinclair) {28}

Voyage of the Dawn Treader (C.S. Lewis) {12}

On the Road (Jack Kerouac) {30}

No Place on Earth (Louis Charbonneau) {29}

Rising 44 (Norman Davies) {33}

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Robert Persig) {31}

Razor Eyes (Richard Hough) {30}

The Eagle Has Landed (Jack Higgins)  {29}

In the Plex (Steven Levy) {30}

The Road (Cormac McCarthy) {32}

Free (Chris Anderson) {31}

The Cross and the Switchblade ( David Wilkerson) {30}

The Wolf of Wall Street (Jordan Belfort) {33}

Alexander Hamilton (Ron Chernow) {20}

Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury) {29}

Heidi (Johanna Spyri) {13}

Tombs of Anak (Frank Peretti) {14}

The Anarchist Cookbook (William Powell) {28}

History in Headlines (Idaho Statesman Staff) {33}

Million Dollar Portfolio (David Gardner - Motley Fool) {31}

The Door in the Dragon's Throat (Frank Peretti) {14}

Castor Oil and Laughter (George Randall) {30}

One Hundred Years of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez) {31}

[the-record-obituaries]

Nov. 13, 2019: Obituaries

Carroll Curtis,  83

Mrs. Carroll Gerber Curtis, age 83 of Millers Creek passed away Sunday, November 10, 2019 at her home.

           Mass of Christian Burial will be held 11:00 AM Thursday, November 14, 2019 at  St. Johns Baptist de LaSalle Catholic Church with Father John Hannic officiating. The family will receive friends from 9:45 until 10:45 AM prior to the service at the church

           Mrs. Curtis was born December 23, 1935 in Detroit, Michigan to Milton Fredrick and Irene Helen Webster Gerber.  She served in the United States Air Force and was a member of St.  John's Catholic Church.

           In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her husband; Adrian Alvin Curtis and a sister; Lonah Greene.

           She is survived by two daughters; Maria Curtis of North Wilkesboro, Suzanne Hanlin and husband William of Millers Creek, three sons; Patrick Curtis and wife Dawn, Gregory Curtis and wife Stephanie Curtis all of Rutland, VT and Michael Curtis of Pittsburgh, PA, eight grandchildren; Sean, Alex, Quinn, Caden Curtis, Chelsea Centurioni, Erin Jones, Kyle and Jessie Hanlin, three great grandchildren; Sawyer, Samuel and Cassandra

           In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Window World Cares, St. Jude Children's Hospital, 118 Shaver Street, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659, Wounded Warriors Project, 1990  Fordham Drive, Suite 100, Fayetteville, NC 28304 or Mtn. Valley Hospice and Palliative Care, 401 Technology Lane, Suite 200, Mt.  Airy, NC 27030.

 Rosa Rhoades, 87

Mrs. Rosa Lea Blevins Rhoades, age 87 of North Wilkesboro, passed away Saturday, November 9, 2019 at Woltz Hospice Home in Dobson.

           Funeral services were November 12,   at Rose of Sharon Baptist Church with Rev. Travis Brown and Rev. Brian Auton officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery.  

           Mrs. Rhoades was born February 16, 1932 in Wilkes County to Elmore Blevins and wife Epsie Wood Blevins. She retired from the furniture manufacturing business where she worked as a seamstress. Mrs. Rhoades was a member of Rose of Sharon Baptist Church.

           In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband; John L. Rhoades, a son; Johnny Lee Rhoades, three sisters; Beulah Mae Perry, Bertha Lou Triplette and Jean Burchette and three brothers; AC (Tump) Blevins, Aldean Blevins and James Fred Blevins.  

           She is survived by two sons; Steven G. Rhoades and wife Vicki of Wilkesboro and Alan Eugene Rhoades and wife Betty of North Wilkesboro, five grandchildren; Carrie Mesinger of Illinois, Luke Rhoades of New York, Jason Rhoades of California, Derek Rhoades of North Wilkesboro and Nicholas Rhoades of California, eight great grandchildren, two step grandchildren; John Ansel Brown and Joseph Matthew Brown, two brothers; Ralph Blevins of Traphill and Marcus Blevins of Hays and a special caregiver; Ellen Irwin.

           In lieu of flowers, memorials  may be made to Rose of Sharon Baptist Church 433 Huie Road Hays, NC 28635 or Mtn. Valley Hospice 401 Technology Lane Suite 200, Mt. Airy, NC 27030.

 Jimmie Walsh, 69

Mr. Jimmie Ray Walsh, age 69 of Wilkesboro, passed away Friday, November 8, 2019 at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem.

           Burial was in Scenic Memorial Gardens.

           Mr. Walsh was born September 13, 1950 in Wilkes County to Zeb Clifton "Clifford" Walsh and Minnie Glass Walsh. He was Self-Employed as a Mechanic.

           He was preceded in death by his parents and a son; Timmie Dean Walsh.

           Mr. Walsh is survived by a sister; Linda Ayre and husband Bill of Evans, Georgia,

daughter- in- law; Heather B. Walsh of Wilkesboro, three grandchildren; Lindsay, Holly and Riley Walsh.

William Owens, 83

William Roger Owens, age 83, of North Wilkesboro, passed away Sunday at his home. Mr. Owens was born October 10, 1936 in Wilkes County to William Howard and Eula Crysel Owens. He was a member of Union United Methodist Church. Mr. Owens enjoyed gardening, truck driving and football. He loved to watch the Atlanta Braves baseball games. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Linda Bumgarner Owens; brothers, C.P. Owens and wife Betty, Calvin Hubert Owens; sister, Reba Mozelle "Cricket" Beshears; niece, Leigh Ann Owens; nephew, Robert Allen Beshears; and great niece, Jamie Crutchfield.

Surviving are his girlfriend, Marlene Ashley of Moravian Falls; sister, Geraldine Owens Miller and spouse Lloyd of Millers Creek; brother, William Howard "Junior" Owens and spouse Carol of Moravian Falls; step-son, Billy J. Howell and spouse Landa of Millers Creek; several nieces and nephews; several great nieces and great nephews.

           Funeral service will be held 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 13, 2019 at Union United Methodist Church with Rev. Derick Hodges and Rev. Sonny Thomas officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends at Union United Methodist Church from 2:00 until 3:00 on Wednesday, prior to the service. Flowers will be accepted. Memorials may be made to Union United Methodist Church Cemetery Fund, 2257 Boone Trail, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659 or to the family.

           Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements.  

 Orman Walls, 74

Orman Paul Walls, age 74, of Wilkesboro, passed away Friday, November 8, 2019 at his home. He was born December 18, 1944 in Lincoln  County, West Virginia to James Franklin and Ollie Gaynell Wheeler Walls. Orman worked at General Motors in Detroit, Michigan and as a maintenance man at Fox Hollow Apartments in High Point, NC. Mr. Walls was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, David, Jerry and Allen Walls; sister-in-law, Phyllis Walls.

           He is survived by his brothers, Jimmie "Roger" Walls of Wilkesboro, Ricky Walls and spouse Gwendolyn of Hamlin, West Virginia, Doug Walls and fiancee Roxanne of High Point; niece, Lisa Holler and spouse Allen; daughter, Paula Flowers; sons, Teddy Walls and Patrick Walls.

           Memorial service will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday, November 16, 2019 at Miller Funeral Chapel with Rev. Allen Holler officiating. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements.  

 Betty Church, 89

Mrs. Betty Huffman Church, age 89 of Ferguson passed away Friday, November 8, 2019 at her home.

           Funeral services  were November 10,  at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church Reach Center with Pastor Kevin Brown officiating.  Burial was in the church cemetery.  

           Mrs. Church was born December 26, 1929 in Wilkes County to Everette Monroe and Selma Eller Huffman.  She retired from Wilkes County School System as a Secretary at Mt. Pleasant Elementary School and was a member of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church.        

           In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by five sisters; Ruth Brown, Charlotte Greene, Maxine Church, Kate Huffman and Loretta Estes and four brothers; Wayne Huffman, Ray Huffman, N.C.Huffman and Loyd Huffman

           She is survived by her husband; Edwin Church of the home, a daughter; Teresa Church Bynum and husband Clancy of Ferguson, a son; Dwight E. Church and wife Loretta of North Wilkesboro, a granddaughter; Sarah Elizabeth Church, a sister; Patricia Minton of Wilkesboro, several nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews

           Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, 239 Champion Mt. Pleasant Road, Wilkesboro, NC 28697 or the Donor's Choice.

Wade Miller,  84

Wade Albert Miller, age 84, of Wilkesboro, passed away Wednesday, November 6, 2019 at SECU Hospice Home in Yadkinville. Mr. Miller was born August 27, 1935 in Ashe County to Joe Henry and Cordie Bowlin Miller. Wade was a member of Calvary Freewill Baptist Church in Glendale Springs. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Sebert, Gilbert, Delmer, Robert, Ward and Henry Miller.

           Surviving are his wife, Dare Barnes Miller; Son, Jeffery Miller and spouse Janet of Purlear; daughters, Janet Triplett and spouse Jerry and Joann Miller all of Purlear; grandchildren, Jessica Bryant and spouse Scott of North Wilkesboro, Heather Powell and spouse Nick of Purlear, Brittany Barger and spouse Frank of Troutman, Renee Walker of Wilkesboro, Aaron Walker of Purlear, Amy Miller and fiancé Justin Jones of Charlotte; great grandchildren, Noah Powell, Preston Powell both of Purlear, Kaylee Bryant, Riley Bryant both of North Wilkesboro, Sophia Denny of Purlear; sisters, Shirley Jones of Glendale Springs, Faye Dixon of China Grove, NC, Evazell Kilby of West Jefferson; several nieces and nephews.

           Funeral service was November 9,  at Calvary Freewill Baptist Church with Rev. Russell Sheets and Rev. Sonny Thomas officiating. Burial  followed in the church cemetery.   Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to SECU Hospice Care Center of Yadkin, 243 North Lee Avenue, Yadkinville, NC 27055. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements.  

           Pallbearers were Scott Bryant, Nick Powell, Aaron Walker, Jerry Triplett, Frank Barger, Justin Jones, and Noah Powell.

 Elizabeth Golden 99

Mrs. Elizabeth Martin Golden, age 99 of North Wilkesboro passed away Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at Westchester Manor in High  Point.

           Funeral services will be held 1:00 PM Thursday, November 14, 2019 at Reins-Sturdivant Chapel with Rev. Keith Knox, Rev. James Ferguson, Rev. Ronald Howell and Dr. Terry Hunt officiating.  Burial will be in Mountlawn Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 11:30 to 12:30 PM prior to the service at Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home.

           Mrs. Golden was born September 14, 1920 in Wilkes County to Henry and Lula  Alexander Martin. She was a member of the First Baptist Church Main Street and attended Pleasant Hill Baptist Church.  She was a member of the Eastern Star, she loved needlepoint, gardening, her grandchildren, family and friends. She loved cooking, and was best known for her apple pie and always had an open door.

           In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her husband; Charles Jerry Golden, a daughter; Carolyn Golden, two grandsons; Reginald and Chase, two sisters; Stella Hunter and Pludia Martin and one brother; Earl Campbell.

           She is survived by four daughters; Linda Habershaw and husband Robert of Roaring Rover, Marilynne Bailey of North Wilkesboro, Kathy Turner of North Wilkesboro and Penny Golden of Elkin, two sons; Walter Golden of North Wilkesboro and Charles Lee Golden and wife Sandra of Lawton, OK , ten grandchildren; Diedra, Timothy, Larry, Aaron, Charles, Ineke, Damon, Micah. Christopher and Jessica, thirteen great grandchildren; Amanda, Doug, Trey, Jordyn, Sydney, Embry, Sierra, Sienna, Rowyn, Elijah, Cameron, Dutch and Harper and one sister; Virginia Miller and a host of beloved nieces and nephews.

Susan McManus,  75

Susan E. (Knam) McManus, age 75, of Wilkesboro, passed away Monday, November 4, 2019 at Wake Forest Baptist Health-Wilkes Regional. She was born May 20, 1944 in Flushing, New  York to Justus H. and Mary E. Fernsler Knam. Mrs. McManus was a graduate of North Haven High School in 1962; a graduate of Virginia Intermont AA in 1963; a graduate from High  Point College in 1967 with a Bachelor's Degree in Teaching. She was a member of St. John Baptist de LaSalle Catholic Church and the choir. Her hobbies were her grandchildren.

           Susan is survived by her husband of 46 years, Henry S. McManus; her son, Brian McManus and spouse Traci of Wilkesboro; step-sons, David McManus and spouse Sibrey of Novi, Michigan, Michael G. McManus of Reno, Nevada; grandchildren, Sydney, Payton and Addison McManus all of Wilkesboro; Sibrey Alexis and Troy D. McManus both of Novi, Michigan.

           Funeral mass will be held 1:00 p.m. Saturday, November 16, 2019 at St. John Baptist de LaSalle Catholic Church with Father John Hanic officiating. An ice cream social will be held immediately the service. Flowers will be accepted. Memorials may be made to Duke Children's Hospital and Health Center for Cancer patients at 300 West Morgan  Street, Suite 1200, Durham, NC 27701. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements.  

Ruth McCachren, 87

Mrs. Ruth Brooks McCachren, age 87 of North Wilkesboro, passed away Tuesday, November 4, 2019 at Wake Forest Baptist Wilkes Medical Center.

           Funeral services were November 11, at Reins Sturdivant Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Steve Snipes officiating. Burial will be in Scenic Memorial Gardens.  

           Mrs. McCachren was born February 23, 1932 in Richmond County to Thomas Joshua  Brooks and Lola Wallace Brooks. She was retired from the Wilkes County School System. Mrs. McCachren was a member of North Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church.

           In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband; William Barnette McCachren, Sr. and a daughter; Myra O'Neil McCachren Carrigan.

           She is survived by two sons; William Barnette McCachren, Jr. and Matthew Scott McCachren both of North Wilkesboro, two grandchildren; Roseann Dixon and Jennifer Carrigan and three sisters; Rebecca Brooks Blackwelder of Mooresville, Norma Funderburk of Monroe and Myra Gray of Concord.

           Flowers will accepted.

James Stanley, 71

Mr. James Paul Stanley, age 71 of North Wilkesboro, passed away Sunday, November 3, 2019.

           Graveside services  were November 9, at Salisbury National Cemetery.

           Mr. Stanley was born January 11, 1948 in Wilkes County. He served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. Mr. Stanley worked in the Mobile Home business and was a member of Yadkin Valley Baptist Church.

           He was preceded in death by two brothers; Harold Stanley and Dean Stanley.

           Mr. Stanley is survived by his former wife; Nancy Karen James Stanley of North Wilkesboro and two sons; Mark Stanley of Roaring River and Kelly Stanley and wife Iva of North Wilkesboro.

Dina Benge, 84

Mrs. Dina "Mae'  Bumgarner Benge, age 84 of Ferguson, passed away Sunday, November 03, 2019 at Forsyth Medical Center.

           Funeral services were November 6,  at Lewis Fork Baptist Church with Rev. Dwayne Andrews and Rev. Sherrill Welborn officiating.   Burial was in the church cemetery.  

           Mrs. Benge was born November 8, 1934 in Wilkes County to Harry Delbert and Veoria Elledge Bumgarner. She was a homemaker and a faithful member of Lewis Fork Baptist Church for almost 50 years. Mae was well known as The Walnut Lady. She always thought of others before herself and took care of others before herself.

           In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband; Harley Jackson Benge and a son: Randy Jackson Benge.

           She is survived by a daughter; Darlene Benge Roberson and husband Donald of Hays, two sons; Ricky Benge and wife Davina of Ferguson and Robin Benge and wife Dian of Charlotte, a daughter in law; Debra Benge of Ferguson, ten grandchildren; Jacob Norris and wife Julia of Knoxville, Tenn., Brenna Roberson Wood and husband Thomas of Roaring River, Matthew Roberson and wife Julie of Hays, Samantha Benge of Georgia,  R.J Benge of Ferguson, Penny Souther and husband Tracy of Ferguson, Brett Benge and wife Brittany of North Wilkesboro, Morgan Davis and husband Christopher of Raleigh, Daniel Benge of Charlotte and Paiton Benge of Charlotte, ten great grandchildren; Jonah Norris, Ethan Benge, Serenity Benge, Ashtan Benge, Mollee Benge, Paisley Benge, Amber Souther, Laura Souther, Aiden Davis and Wyatt Davis, three sisters; Betty Jones of Ferguson, Bert Dockery of Ferguson and Nancy Craven of Ferguson and a brother; Ronald Jones of Charlotte.

           Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to the Donor's Choice.

 Henry Rodriguez, 27

Henry Alexander Gonzales Rodriguez, age 27, of North Wilkesboro, passed away Wednesday, November 6, 2019. He was born March 11, 1992 in Lima Cortes, Honduras to Isandra Francisca Pineda Soriano.

           Surviving are his girlfriend, Silvia Juares; sons, Steven Gonzales; Rossel Matute, Kricia Matute, Lester Pineda; his mother, Isandra Pineda of Honduras; sisters, Raquel Pineda, Reina Pineda of Honduras; brothers, Gustavo Pineda of Honduras, Rossel Matute, brother's-in-law, Juan Carlos Juares, Marco Pineda, Antonio Pineda; sister-in-law, Zeilyn Pineda; father-in-law, Marcos Pineda; mother-in-law, Blacina Sierra; and aunt, Marina Pineda.

           The family will received friends at Iglesia Pentecostal Rosa De Saron November 9, with Pastor Benito Marroquin officiating. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements.

[malereiundgrafik1718-blog]

FEMINISTISCHE AVANTGARDE DER 1970ER-JAHRE  – aus der SAMMLUNG VERBUND, Wien kuratiert von Gabiele Schor und Peter Weibel     18.11.2017 –  08.04.2018  VERNISSAGE  17. 11. 2017  19:00 Das ZKM I Zentrum für Kunst und Medien Karlsruhe zeigt mit über 400 Kunstwerken aus der SAMMLUNG VERBUND in Wien, wie Künstlerinnen in den 1970er-Jahren zum ersten Mal ein eigenes Bild der Frau kollektiv neu kreierten. With 400 artworks from the SAMMLUNG VERBUND, the ZKM is showing how female artists in the 1970s collectively recreated their own »Image of Woman« for the first time. ARTIST TALK   18.11.2017 14:30  ZKM_Medialounge Die Kuratorin Gabriele Schor spricht mit den Künstlerinnen Anneke Barger, Linda Christanell, Renate Eisenegger, Kirsten Justesen, Karin Mack, ORLAN, Ewa Partum, Margot Pilz, Lydia Schouten und Annegret Soltau. The curator Gabriele Schor will talk with the artists of the exhibition Anneke Barger, Linda Christanell, Renate Eisenegger, Kirsten Justesen, Karin Mack, ORLAN, Ewa Partum, Margot Pilz, Lydia Schouten and Annegret Soltau

****** 

AGING PRIDE

Annegret Soltau: generativ – Selbst mit Tochter, Mutter und Großmutter, Fotovernähung 1994

Die Kraft des Alters 17. November 2017 bis 11. März 2018 Vernissage: 16. November, 19 Uhr Belvedere Museum Wien

Das Belvedere widmet sich in dieser Ausstellung dem gesellschaftlich hochaktuellen Thema des Alters. Kuratorin Sabine Fellner zeigt in der Ausstellung, wie es Künstlerinnen und Künstlern gelingt, Chancen und Grenzen des Alterns jenseits von Altersverklärung und Pessimismus differenziert wahrzunehmen. In den präsentierten Arbeiten veranschaulichen Kunstschaffende, wie das Alter mit all seinen Facetten auf wertschätzende Weise in unser Leben integriert werden kann. Neben zahlreichen Werken aus der Sammlung des Belvedere zeigt die Schau hochkarätige Leihgaben aus nationalen und internationalen Museen.

Mit Werken u.a. von Tina Barney, Max Beckmann, Louise Bourgeois, Aleah Chapin, Heinz Cibulka, John Coplans, Lovis Corinth, Tacita Dean, Otto Dix, Eric Fischl, Lucian Freud, Adolf Frohner, Lea Grundig, Alfred Hrdlicka, Alex Katz, Gustav Klimt, Herlinde Koelbl, Broncia Koller, Käthe Kollwitz, Oskar Kokoschka, Brigitte Kowanz, Friedl Kubelka, Maria Lassnig, Robert Mapplethorpe, Karl Mediz, Paula Modersohn-Becker, Marie Louise von Motesiczky, Ron Mueck, Roman Opałka, Pablo Picasso, Arnulf Rainer, Egon Schiele, Cindy Sherman, Joan Semmel, Kiki Smith, Annegret Soltau, Fiona Tan, Spencer Tunick, Bill Viola, Max Weiler und Jeff Wall

With Aging Pride, the Belvedere has dedicated a comprehensive museum exhibition to the highly topical, socio-political subject of age. In this show, curator Sabine Fellner demonstrates how artists have succeeded in differently perceiving the possibilities and limitations of age while transcending exaltation and pessimism. In the presented works, artists illustrate how age in all of its facets can be thoughtfully integrated into our lives. In addition to numerous works from the Belvedere collection, the exhibition presents high-profile loans from national and international museums.

  ******

 Zur Eröffnung der Ausstellung

C O L L A B O R A T I O N

Zeitgenössische Kunst aus Lüneburg 9. – 26. November 2017

am Donnerstag, 9.11. um 18.30 Uhr laden wir Sie herzlich ein. Kunsthalle der Sparkassenstiftung Lüneburg

Die zuvor in Tartu, Estland präsentierte Ausstellung „Collaboration“ zeigt anhand von acht künstlerischen Positionen einen Querschnitt durch die Gegenwartskunst von Lüneburg und seiner Region.

Präsentiert werden Werke international renommierter Künstlerinnen und Künstler. Die Werke entstammen aus dem Bestand des Kunstarchivs der Sparkassenstiftung Lüneburg im Amt Neuhaus, das in Zusammenarbeit mit der Hansestadt Lüneburg und dem Landkreis Lüneburg im Jahr 2012 initiiert wurde. Das Kunstarchiv ist ein Ort für das kulturelle Gedächtnis der Region, das in seiner Vielfältigkeit eine einmalige Institution darstellt.

 Kuratiert wird die Ausstellung von Enno Wallis.

Ein Projekt des Kunstarchivs Lüneburg, gefördert durch die Sparkassenstiftung Lüneburg, die Hansestadt Lüneburg und den Landkreis Lüneburg.

Der Eintritt ist frei.

Mo-Fr, 10-18 Uhr, Sa & So 13-18 Uhr

******

laufende Ausstellungen / ongoing exhibitions

PARIS PHOTO

Annegret Soltau “in mir SELBST – schwarzweiß” 1-12, 1977/1992

PARIS PHOTO

 GRAND PALAIS, Paris 9-12 NOV 2017

with works by Christiane Feser, Annegret Soltau and Carla Chaim Anita Beckers Contemporary Art Visit us at Booth C32 Wednesday, November 8th I Preview & Opening I 14:00 – 21:30 every day I 10:30 – 20:00

[maryellensullivanblog]

The East Coast Nominees for the JM Abraham Award for Poetry read in Wolfville, NS

June 1/16. John Wall Barger with his ‘The Book of Festus.’  if you ever have a chance to see him perform his poetry, go for it! 

The nominees for the JM Abraham East Coast Literary Award for Poetry Phillip Crymble, John Wall Barger, and Sue Goyette read at The Box of Delights, Wolfville, Nova Scotia last night. A wonderful evening - breath-taking poetry, intriguing stories behind the poetry collections, and a great discussion after about poetry, the form, the practise, and the impact of poetry on community. 

Thanks, Box of Delights, for a delightful evening. http://www.boxofdelightsbooks.com

Sue Goyette. Incredible.

Phillip Crymble. And a story about bumping his crib over to a window and falling out and down two stories. A bed of marigolds broke his fall. Which is appropriate, I thought, because marigolds are the flower used to honour people in India. I’ve recieved several garlands when visiting people in India, very moving.

And if you look carefully at the picture above you'll see my poetry chapbook, 'My Farm Whispers' (designed by my daughter Evelyn Stewart) on the piano beside the nominee's books, far right! Thanks, Mitzi of Box Of Delights for putting it there. 

Telling the audience a little bit about Father Abe.

Since one of my poems about my friend, the late Fr. Abraham is in it, his presence was even more tangible for me. I'm thrilled to also have ‘My Farm Whispers’ in Bookmark Bookstore in Halifax. Another moment of gratitude for independent bookstores!

With Father Joseph Murray Abraham, 2005.

Sharing my poem.

Verse at Sunrise 

In loving memory of my two fathers: John J. Sullivan and Fr. J. Murray Abraham, SJ.                                                                                                Mary Elle.n Sullivan

My father faces east. Standing on wheat stubble, its tiny knuckles pressing into his rubber boots.

He watches the skies. The time a camouflaged pilot dipped a wing, saluting the young man with leaping arms. His hay-trampled message - God speed!

Turns back to slop the pigs as the plane’s drone fades, swallowing his bitter war duty to feed his country.

When the harvest moon lit the wheat like golden wicks Abraham returned home in search of wisdom. Tell me how to farm the fallow Himalayan hills.

My father, stroking the warm plush of a trembling piglet, placed it like a sacrament into the other’s cradling arms.

He dreamt of crossing the Atlantic to visit his Jesuit friend but was refused the nectar of the elusive Indian foothills.

I wrote - Thank you, you were a dear friend. He dreamt about you.

Your words washed back. I gathered the air mail envelopes, their edges clicking against my thumb, sparking grief.

I take my father’s passage, fly into Bagdogra Airport with his ashes in my breast pocket.

See you standing behind the glass, a greying white figure, with your flock of beaming marigold children.

It isn’t as easy as I’d anticipated. Despite our growing familiarity, the quick wit in our letters, we are both surprisingly shy.

Breath reaches more deeply here. A bird sings a single verse at sunrise. I walk into the thinned Himalayan wisps between the rows of improbable gardens. The earth glows.

There is a piggery in the Himalayas made from rocks broken by children. I hear the waking grunts of pigs, and a voice muffled and tender, talking to them.

Yours in poetry,Mary Ellen

[aesmithwriter]

Funny. Serious. Russell Edson's tips for reading poetry.

[covertrook]

Thawing their souls at bonfires of books.

John Wall Barger

[philajazzproject]

100% FREE MIXTAPE celebrating the 200th birthday of legendary poet, Walt Whitman, featuring music & poetry created by some of the Philadelphia area's most talented artists. The Walt Whitman Sampler Mixtape Series: A program of @whitat200, presents artists Charles Carr, Lenny Belasco, ELLECT, John Wall Barger, Toby VEnT, Anam Owili-Eger & more. Get it as a FREE DOWNLOAD HERE: https://bit.ly/2p85SOg #PhillyJazz #WaltWhitman #WhitmanAt200 #LennyBelasco #CharlesCarr #ELLECT #JohnWallBarger #TobyVEnT #AnamOwiliEger#SingPhillySing #Poetry (at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGIEBcqDoKK/?igshid=6fqy14yt54er