Sometimes the ideas come in a rhythmic structure formed of words, and to me this feels like poetry. Some certain thing in my life is like the grain of sand in the oyster, layers of thought and image swirl, mix and harden around it until the grain of sand is no longer recognizable on the outside, but is still, and always, at the center of the pearl’s existence, that gem of words, the poem.
Library of individual poems
Please stand by: I am rebuilding my galleries of poems and working out the way I want to display them. I hope to be done in a week or two.
Poetry readings
For each of my four annual “Paths I Have Walked/Art of the Watershed” poetry reading and art exhibits I set up a formatted page with all the poems and art, each different according to the content. These pages don’t compose on a site like this one, but I like the presentation. These links will take you to those pages, but you will still be able to reference this site.
2007 poetry reading: paths i have walked
2008 poetry reading: winter twilight
2009 poetry reading: change of season
2010 poetry reading: coming spring
published works
In December, 2006, two of my poems were chosen to be published on a section of the Prairie Home Companion website entitled “Stories From Home/First Person” for submissions of writing about the place we feel most familiar. This area on the site still exists, and if you go all the way back in the list you’ll see my entries.
In addition, I’ve had worked published in online journals and small folios.
poetry readings
In December, 2006, two of my poems were chosen to be published on a section of the Prairie Home Companion website entitled “Stories From Home/First Person” for submissions of writing about the place we feel most familiar. I’m a long-time listener to PHC and reader of Garrison Keillor’s books as well as a daily listener to The Writer’s Almanac featuring news about writers and writing and of interest to writers as well as a poem, all compiled and read by Keillor himself. I was astonished to find my poems were among the first chosen from apparently thousands, and so happy to be able to share them with a potential audience of so many similarly inclined writers and readers.
My poetry readings and art exhibits were the vision of Maggie Forbes, executive director of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall, after learning of my publishing of those two poems. I owe her many thanks for encouraging me to present this combination of my visual and literary art, a first for me. I love that building, every inch of it, and the opportunity to bring people in to visit is an honor.
I’m proud to offer a folio of my poetry
Paths I Have Walked: the poetry and art of Bernadette E. Kazmarski
FROM FOUR ANNUAL POETRY READINGS AT ANDREW CARNEGIE FREE LIBRARY & MUSIC HALL IN CARNEGIE, PA
People who attended one or more of my poetry readings encouraged me to publish some of my poetry in a book from the beginning.
Once I completed my 2010 poetry reading, my fourth featuring the final piece of artwork in the “Art of the Watershed” series, I decided it was time to publish something and it should be those four poetry readings.
Poetry books are not best-sellers; it’s difficult to convince a publisher to risk effort on a beginning poet, and while self-publishing is the best option it’s not inexpensive and once you’ve got the book, someone’s got to market it. Plus, I’m a graphic designer and I designed books for years, and I want things my way.
All of this is a recipe for a little bit of trouble, but I decided the book was well worth the effort so I designed the book myself and had a set printed—no ISBN or anything formal, but it’s a start! I’m really excited to offer it.
Books are 4.25″ x 11″, 40 pages of information and poetry, with glossy covers featuring “Dusk in the Woods” and little thumbnails of all four pieces in “Art of the Watershed”.
$8.00 each plus $2.50 shipping (they are oversized for mailing first class).
You can order one here, or on Portraits of Animals, my online marketplace for all my art, photography, books and other inspirations.