First of all, I’m thrilled that the Kenyon Review Online is featuring a poem of mine, “Kant the Nephrologist,” in their current issue. My apologies to Cincinnati doctor Dr. Shashi Kant, whose name I heard butchered in a medical building check-in line, and to whom I owe the poem’s concept.
The KROnline site features an audio version of me reading the poem, and so I wanted to share a few other multimedia goodies with you. The first is a recording from the Performance and Time Arts series in Cincinnati (which brings together dance, music, poetry, and performance). The March performances featured a song cycle composed by Sarah Hutchings (also the pianist in the recording) and sung by soprano Alexandra Kassouf. The text of the cycle was two of the poems from Full Cry, “Clear and Cold” and “Evening Star.” I had goosebumps as I listened to the performance; it’s an honor to have Sarah devote her time and incredible talent to setting my words to music. Listen here: “Clear and Cold” and “Evening Star”
In addition, last year the amazing Wick Poetry Center at Kent State University animated one of the poems from my chapbook. Here’s a video of me reading the poem to the animation created by a Kent State design student.
Lullaby from Traveling Stanzas on Vimeo.
Lisa Ampleman 