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Northwest Passages: Shaindel Beers
- LATEST COMMENTS
- I have a new poem at the Best American Poetry ... - shaindelr
- Hi, Doris, Thanks so much for your kind words--and for ... - shaindelr
- Have enjoyed all the NW Pass' interviews but this one ... - Doris
One of poet Shaindel Beers' early memories involves a 1972 Chevy Nova with no air conditioning and a blind family friend with a Pomeranian dog. She met both the summer her mother "kidnapped" her, long before her mom served time in jail. Beers' first collection of poetry, A Brief History of Time, is largely autobiographical. She told me
"There are people who say they don’t want to visit Europe until they've seen all 50 states. I feel like that about myself. I wanted to explore me before other people's psyches."
She also told me she started writing poetry because "it's faster than fiction."
Here are the opening lines from her book's title poem:
"Now that we each have someone who knows how
we take our coffee, that smallest but most telling of intimacies —
you, black, three sweeteners; me, cream, no sugar —
we’re each eating breakfast with other people who don’t
drink coffee at all. There seems to be a message here, but
I don’t know what it is. I’m no good at this love thing"
The Powell's Books blog highlighted Beers' slim volume as one of three "great Oregon books for the summer." Garrison Keillor put one of her poems on his website. She's also been hitting the blog interview circuit, experiencing first-hand the limits and opportunities in the changing publishing world.
Beers is now working on a collection of poems reflecting on artwork done by children who have lived in war zones. We'll talk with her about what moves her to write, her "pretty tumultuous" childhood, students who inspire her, and falling in love with Eastern Oregon. You can read lots of her poetry online and post questions for her here.
Tagged as: northwest passages · pendleton · poetry · shaindel beers
Photo credit: Evan Moodie Photography
COMMENTS: (12 total)
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She is a very interesting guest.
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Thank you Shaindel, you taught me how to love again.
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Fascinating conversation. My 4-year-old son loves to create and tell stories, and loves creating and experiencing art.
He was kidnapped by his mom several years ago, but is back with me now. It was a traumatic experience for him, and I have done what I can to help him recover.
Listening to you, and what you've accomplished, gives me incredible hope for his future.
Thank you...
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I never much appreciated poetry while growing up and I hated having to memorize and then recite a portion of Evangeline "This is the forest primeval...", but I have since learned that people once valued memorization of even very long poems and that it is great training for memorization skills for the brain.
It was the way history was passed on verbally long before most people learned to read and write, so it was really the entertainment medium for most people.
I liked stuff like "Fleas, Adam had 'em" , and Carl Sandburg's "Fog", but most poetry just didn't do it for me.
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Thank you for this interview with this talented and lovely young woman. When she read the part of her poem about the bench warmer being thrown back in the game I laughed so hard I nearly crached my car. When I shared that part with my 91-year-old mother, she cracked up. Most of us aren't good at this love thing. Instead of just focusing on the lonliness and heartbreak the way blues ballads do, it's refreshing to look at the absurdly entertaining aspects of romance and love.
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Wonderful interview, thank you Ms. Beers. Ms. Harris, you mentioned a deeply moving piece written by one of the students. Can you post the link please?
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Hi Linda,
We may have to wait until it's published in the Los Angeles Review. I'll double check today and post it if we can. Here's an excerpt. From "Moses" by Judy Phillips.
Our families moved into the trailer park around the same time, in early June. Curtis and I met while riding our bikes, and we spent that summer cruising around the dusty gravel roads separating the single and doublewides. Sometimes we ventured outside the park and hiked through the surrounding desert, looking for tarantulas and scorpions. Occasionally, we snuck out after bedtime, to meet behind a carport and smoke discarded cigarette butts. We would stare up at the stars, picking out constellations we convinced ourselves we recognized, and following the milky way path across the night sky. Curtis had a small transistor radio, and he would bring it out if the batteries were working. Curtis liked country music. I liked rock. But we could always agree if we found a station playing an Elvis song.
We talked about a lot of things. Curtis had a soft voice, and I loved his accent. Both of our families moved around a lot, and we discovered neither of us enjoyed these moves. We both loved animals, and Curtis had spent years trying to convince his mom to let them have a dog. There wasn’t a certain moment when it happened, but it was soon apparent to all the kids in the park that Curtis and I were boyfriend/girlfriend. We were inseparable.
Emily Harris — Fri Aug. 28th 5:59a.m.
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Thank you, Everyone, for your kind words about the interview. I've had terrific responses and have been emailing back listeners all day so far.
If you're interested in buying a signed copy of my book directly from me or just keeping up with what I'm up to and knowing when I'm giving readings in your area, please find me one of the following ways.
Via email, please email sbeers@bluecc.edu and let me know you'd like to be added to my announcements list.
On Facebook, you can add me as a friend by visiting:
http://www.facebook.com/people/Shaindel-Beers/521563806?_fb_noscript=1
On Twitter, I am at: http://twitter.com/shaindelr
I also have events calendars at the author sites Goodreads.com :
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2798132.Shaindel_Beers
and RedRoom.com:
http://redroom.com/author/shaindel-rebekah-beers
My next Portland event is a reading and book-signing at Broadway Books, September 14th at 7 p.m.
If you are a writer interested in submitting work, please check out Contrary Magazine, where I'm the Poetry Editor:
http://www.contrarymagazine.com/Contrary/Summer-2009.html
Take care and be well,
Shaindel
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Have enjoyed all the NW Pass' interviews but this one was the best of all. SB's down to earth honesty was very refreshing, and I'm sharing her work with several others who did not have the opportunity to hear the show. Unfortunately I have a meeting at 7 pm on the 14th or I'd be there. Many thanks for the series...a refreshing change from the political topics.
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Hi, Doris,
Thanks so much for your kind words--and for sharing this episode! If you'd like to find me on Facebook or email me at sbeers@bluecc.edu, I'll add you to my updates list. I do have upcoming readings in Portland in October as well.
Take care,
Shaindel
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I have a new poem at the Best American Poetry website. Please make comments if you have time.
Thank you,
Shaindel
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This is the first "Think Out Loud" show that's inspired me to make a comment. Why? I am inspired.
I've written some poetry in the past, and listening to Beers ... I have to write again! Wow.
She makes it sound so accessible. Though I know it's not easy ... man, she makes it sound rewarding.
Thanks for having her on the show!