Whether you missed it or want to relive the fun, this year's Birdy Poetry Prize event recording is now available! Thank you to everyone involved, and congratulations again to all semi-finalists, finalists, and Zachary Lundgren for his winning poetry collection, Turkey Vulture!
About the Winner:
Zachary Lundgren was born in California and received his MFA in poetry from the University of South Florida. He has been published in several literary magazines and reviews, including The Columbia Review, The Wisconsin Review, Clockhouse, Beecher’s Magazine, and The Louisville Review. He received his PhD in rhetoric and composition from East Carolina University and now resides in Denver, Colorado.
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We made it!
What a year, folks. We are thankful for your readership and support today and every day of the year. This year, Meadowlark published 13 very different books, debuted 105 Meadowlark Reader, and kicked off Meadowlark Poetry Press. Wow! All thanks to you, readers and writers alike, we get to keep going.
We are proud to look back on the year, with publications and awards that only show the tip of the iceberg of what it means to be a part of the Meadowlark family. Here are some of the major highlights:
Ava: A Year of adventure in the life of an American Avocet by Mandy Kern
Echoes in the Hallways by James Kenyon
A Cat Named Fatima by James Kenyon (official release: January 2022)
...Damn politicians never change,the old soldier knows that,they’ll sell you out for a penny,cut your heart out for ten. …
Tomorrow is the event we've all been waiting for! Starting at 6 p.m., hear from each of the previous winners and finalists of the Birdy Poetry Prize, including JC Mehta (Selected Poems 2000-2020), Brian Daldorph (Kansas Poems), Carol Kapaun Ratchenski (A Certain Kind of Forgiveness), and Ruth Maus (Valentine), and be there for the announcement of the 2021 Birdy winner and finalists! Grab a glass of champagne, some popcorn, get comfy on the couch, and indulge in all the excitement of tomorrow's event. Remember, if you haven't yet registered, please do so at tinyurl.com/birdypoetryprize.
To cap off our Birdy video series, today, you have Carol Kapaun Ratchenski, author of A Certain Kind of Forgiveness reading from Valentine by Ruth Maus!
In recognition of the virtual Birdy Poetry Prize event, 6 p.m. on March 13, each of the previous winners and finalists will be reading and discussing one of their fellow Birdy poet's poems in these special videos. Today, you have Ruth Maus, author of Valentine, reading from A Certain Kind of Forgiveness by Carol Kapaun Ratchenski.
In recognition of the virtual Birdy Poetry Prize event, 6 p.m. on March 13, each of the previous winners and finalists will be reading and discussing one of their fellow Birdy poet's poems in these special videos. Today, you have JC Mehta (Selected Poems) reading from Kansas Poems by Brian Daldorph.
Please join us in celebrating the 2019, 2020, and 2021 winners and finalists of the Birdy Poetry Prize! Our illustrious Birdy authors you are familiar with--Carol Kapaun Ratchenski (A Certain Kind of Forgiveness), Ruth Maus (Valentine), JC Mehta (Selected Poems 2000-2020), and Brian Daldorph (Kansas Poems)--will each be reading pieces from their books.
To top it off, the 2021 Birdy winner and finalist will be announced for the first time ever, live, by a secret, beloved guest judge!
Register for the event at tinyurl.com/birdypoetryprize.
More Birdy Event Details
Last Friday, the internationally beloved Meadowlark poet, Brian Daldorph, released his eighth poetry collection, Kansas Poems. Below, you'll find a 30-minute video of the book launch highlights, including Brian's poems and words of congratulations from around the world (it was the middle of the night for some!). You will also find a bonus video of all of the Oak Hill Cemetery poems, shot on location.
Whether you are seeing these for the first time, or want to relive the fun we had on Friday, these are available for you to enjoy and share. Thank you all for your support for Brian and for Meadowlark Press!
Brian will also be participating in a virtual reading, sharing more selections from Kansas Poems. Stay tuned for more details!
It's just about time for a toast! We would like to cordially invite you to join us in celebrating the book launch of Kansas Poems by Brian Daldorph! The free, public event will take place at 6 p.m. (CST) on February 5 via Zoom. Please register for the event at https://tinyurl.com/kspoemsregistration.
Each Wednesday we share an excerpt from a Meadowlark book. Use the "Follow our website" form on the right to receive Meadowlark updates by email.
This week we are delighted to share a few poems from Brian Daldorph's new book, Kansas Poems. This title is now available for pre-release order. We expect to begin shipping in late January.
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| Kansas Poems by Brian Daldorph Book Launch: February 5, 2021 |
What we did in my parents’ garden
we should have done for our marriage:
plucked off
brown, withering petals
of the magnolia,
dropped them in a black bucket
so strong new buds could push through.
My mother showed us how to do it.
We did it in her garden,
didn’t do it at home,
and then it was too late for flowers.
Kansas Poems
©Brian Daldorph 2020
The Blue Owl Motel
My dad turns over, groans, then
starts snoring again. He’s sleeping
deeply. Went to bed at ten
and he’ll sleep through until eight.
How does he do that?
I might snatch a bit of sleep
toward morning, an hour or so
if I’m lucky, before the sun glares
in through our motel window
and Dad rises, “Boy,
that sure was some good sleep!
I’m hungry as a hog!”
We’re going fishing on the Saline River.
We’re hoping the fish will bite.
I’m wondering if I’ll have a home to return to,
a wife and kids, a job.
It was Dad’s idea to, kick back, as he says,
to take a break, rest up awhile
then go back and take a firm grip.
I didn’t want this trip but again
I wasn’t my father’s son,
I wasn’t man enough to say no.
“Let’s go see what’s bitin’!”
and what can I do but follow him
out of our room to his truck?
Kansas Poems
©Brian Daldorph 2020
The prodigal son
He doesn’t take anything back with him,
doesn’t need anything,
sits with them in the morning,
swims in the afternoon,
stick-thin arms hauling him
through the tepid water of Clearwater Lake.
Most days his parents are fine
so he spends his time
reading every book in the house,
walking downtown to the coffee shop
where he stares out at people
busy with their lives.
When nothing matters anyway
it might as well not matter here,
where he can at least be useful,
where every other night he can cook chili dogs and corn,
get half-drunk in his room on homemade wine.
Kansas Poems
©Brian Daldorph 2020
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