Weathergram
Liz Scarlett ties one on. Photo: John Scarlett
My friend John Scarlett, who I’ve talked about in earlier blog posts, is a talented blacksmith, farmer, poet and student of poetry and writing. He’s always involved with interesting literary happenings. He turned me onto renga (and I’ve been participating in an online renga group ever since) and the finer points of crafting haiku (not that I can do it, but I appreciate the finessed touch).
The latest to come down the literary turnpike from John is the weathergram. As usual, John doesn’t just talk about literary form and practice, he actively engages. He sent the photos included here from a recent family gathering where everyone wrote and hung weathergrams.
John traces his interest in weathergrams to Lloyd Reynolds. John wrote:
“I think the whole world should know about Lloyd Reynolds (1902-1978) and his teaching years at Oregon’s Reed College and his influence on Gary Snyder and Steve Jobs. Reynolds built on an ancient Japanese tradition but called his version weathergrams, because like leaves (and us) they deteriorate, fall to the ground, and enter the soil to grow new leaves and poems. After retiring he published a pamphlet entitled Weathergrams in 1972. It explains what a weathergram meant to him and how to make one as well as some that he wrote. In 1983 after his death another collection was published. Both are out of print. It is a great group activity.”
Up a tree for poetry. Photo: John Scarlett
Photo: John Scarlett
Photo: John Scarlett
Finally, here’s a YouTube segment featuring Lloyd Reynolds demonstrating the art of calligraphy:
About
Without books, history is silent, literature is dumb, science is crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill. –Barbara Tuchman
The R&W Book Club is a place for us to talk about books—with each other and, from time to time, with the authors of featured titles. We’ll read fiction, non-fiction and poetry. We encourage your suggestions for authors and books to include. There are a few limitations on what we’ll consider: books must be by living authors, have broad audience appeal, and be readily available at libraries, bookstores or via download. If you’d like to suggest authors or titles, go here. If you’d like your local book club or library included in our email early-notification group, go here.
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Books at NCPR
- How a canoe sparked a trek and a book(May 22, 2013) Almost twenty years ago, Christine Jerome and her husband paddled a weeks-long canoe route through the Adirondacks. They followed the path of a nineteenth-century writer and outdoorsman, George Washington Sears, known as Nessmuk to his readers. Our book reviewer, Betsy Kepes, spoke to Chris about the new edition of her book An Adirondack Passa […]
- Books: "Hands on Health"(May 21, 2013) Todd Moe talks with the local author of a new book about healthier eating and taking care of our bodies. Paula Youmell is a nurse and certified holistic health counselor. Her new book is titled, Hands on Health. It's the first in a series of books she calls "The Whole Food Kitchen." [full story] […]
- Book review: "Peak Experiences"(May 14, 2013) The mountains of the northeast attract hikers to their rocky summits. What happens, though, when something goes wrong? Carol Stone White collected over 50 essays in her new book, Peak Experiences - Danger, Death, and Daring in the Mountains of the Northeast. Betsy Kepes as this review. [full story] […]
Books at NPR
- A Lost And Found 'Wonder': Pearl S. Buck's Final Novel May 25, 2013Before her death in 1973, Pearl S. Buck wrote one final novel. But The Eternal Wonder languished in a Texas storage unit for decades until its discovery last fall. […]
- A Literary Tale of Chechnya, The Horror and Whimsy May 25, 2013In his debut novel, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, author Anthony Marra takes readers to Chechnya. Set amid daily violence, Marra follows a landscape where people disappear, informers betray and those with humanity endure great hardships. […]
- 'Steal The Menu': A Chronicle Of A Career In Food Coverage May 25, 2013When Raymond Sokolov began writing about food, it was considered a specialty portfolio. Today, celebrity chefs abound in the U.S. and Britain, with cookbooks, TV shows and groupies. Host Scott Simon speaks with Sokolov about his new book, Steal the Menu: A Memoir of Forty Years in Food. […]
- Three-Minute Fiction Readings: 'Geometry' And 'Snowflake' May 25, 2013NPR's Bob Mondello and Susan Stamberg read excerpts of two of the best submissions for Round 11 of our short story contest. They read Snowflake by Winona Wendth of Lancaster, Mass., and Geometry by Eugenie Montague of Los Angeles. […]