Book Club Reads Poetry

My book club - the Blue Katt Book Club - met Thursday night at the Fincastle library. We used to meet at Blue Katt Art Gallery, but unfortunately it closed earlier this year. I am sad about that, as the building had great atmosphere.

This month when we met, we brought poetry, which we read aloud.

Only four of us showed, but we had a great time. Our book club has no rules and often turns into a nice hen party, and I really like that.

I brought Satan Says, by Sharon Olds. I read a number of her poems aloud. You can find some of her poems to read for yourself here.

Another member brought a book of poems by John somebody; unfortunately I didn't catch his last name except to note that it was not something I would be able to spell. He is a Minnosota professor and was featured on NPR. I liked his work and will have to try to get his name.

Our member who swore she did not like poetry was enthralled by the free verse that we shared. Apparently her efforts to appreciate poems was stalled in school, when she was forced to study iambic pentameter or something. She said she thought she might like to study a little poetry now.

This woman shared the only poem she liked, which was Annabelle Lee by Edgar Allen Poe. (This is a link to an obituary of Poe, quite an interesting read).

During the second to last stanza, my bookmate burst into tears as she read Poe's poem, and could not finish. I sat there, stunned, at the power of a poem to bring such emotion to someone who professed no love of the genre.