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Northwest Passages: Crystal Williams
Here is one response to Crystal Williams' work:
She limns the heart of what moves her speakers and subjects to signify and sass as they are prone to do and immerses readers in moments that words rarely fully render. Williams not only makes these spaces real but also leaves her readers pondering what can be mined from their own past and present lives, homes, loves and losses.
That's from poet L. Lamar Wilson's recent review of Williams' 2009 book, Troubled Tongues, which won the Long Madgett Poetry Award and was a finalist for an Oregon Book Award. She now teaches at Reed College in Portland, though she's on sabbatical this year.
Her sabbatical ramble has taken Williams several places, including back to Detroit, her hometown, one touchstone in her American experience, and the focus of her upcoming book. (Check out her blog post from the "ghetto Starbucks" in Detroit on the scene there and the arts scene in Portland. And the view from her Detroit window on the world.) Williams was adopted as a baby by a black father who played jazz piano when he wasn't working at the Ford foundry, and a white mother, a school psychologist thirty years younger than her husband. Although raised in Detroit, Williams spent two years with her mom in Madrid, and many summers in Mexico.
Williams says her father's music and an uncle's poetry led her to the craft. She was drawn to Portland because of the opportunity to teach at Reed. One poem she wrote here is From the Hospital, Hood. It's from her second collection, Lunatic. Here is an excerpt:
My mother is dying & in the distance
the mountain hulks along the ridge, white, too big
for description. I stand upon an opposing hill.
Face to face, this mountain & I. Between us, the city
flattened. Something in me wants to count the houses,
the small blips of light that make pretty patterns,
divide that number by another unknown quantity,
figure how many humans down there live,
in near darkness, as orphans. Solace, then. People
continue. This is a new tribe to which I will belong
& I wonder if I will recognize them.
Post your thoughts and questions to help shape the conversation with Crystal Williams.
Tagged as: books · crystal williams · northwest passages · poetry · race · reed college
Photo credit: Reed College
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Does simple aesthetic sound or tone, rather then general meaning, play a part in Ms. Williams work? I am attracted to poetry often for the impact of the sound rather then what it means. Sometimes, I perhaps, don't even try to think about what it all means, or don't really want to know---at least consciously.
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Several years ago Crystal Williams collaborated with a multimedia artist for Born Magazine, which published the resulting interpretation of her poem "Faith" (http://www.bornmagazine.org/projects/faith/). (Full disclosure: I'm Born's editor.)
I understand that her jazz influence was the basis for the visual and musical elements included in the piece for Born. I'd be curious to hear, with the flourishing of online poetry since then--e.g. sites such as Poets.org including audio of poets actually reading their work--what Crystal thinks of bringing the poet's actual voice to a broader readership? I fantasize that the music of the voice will return as an important primary experience of poetry--a very different experience from reading a poem on the page.
Anmarie Trimble
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"I fantasize that the music of the voice will return as an important primary experience of poetry--a very different experience from reading a poem on the page."
I was stunned the first time I heard a poet read his own work.
I agree with you, I hope the human voice returns to its rightful place of conveying the music and emotion of the storyteller whether in poetry or prose.
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As a former resident of Detroit, I have always felt the potential of this city was undercut by its lack of leadership. I'm wondering if Ms. WIlliams feels the same. It is such a loss. ANd it continues.
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You are correct, that Detroit is maybe the most productive American city that has suffered the most from inadequate leaders. I would really like to hear more from Ms. Williams on her native city, and although I have never lived there, I have heard that it has been a creative hub (albeit, very underground) for some time now. I'd really like to
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I grew up in Japan as the only white girl among the Japanese, and then at the age of 18 went to Portland to study music. I now live in Wales, UK studying for a PhD. I am also trying to write about my life as I have lived in three 'foreign' countries and find the experience of 'fitting in' rather interesting, as in theory, I don't fit in anywhere. I am also finding that peotry is a way that I can communicate my memories better. Thank you for sharing your poetry today. It was beautiful.
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Thank you for answering my question. I believe that is good advice. I find myself telling stories about my youth, for example in Jr. High School I ran into the gym during gym class in my underware not realizing it for the first 5 or 10 minutes, shooting the ball running and having fun while everyone was laughing at me and a classmate finally got frustrated and told me I didn't have my shorts on. Hopefully my wife and I will go to Detroit this summer and I will surely follow your advice. Thanks again!
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Crystal....great listening to you. I am from Michigan, now living in Corvallis. Your description of Detroit is making me home sick. I grew up in the Northern Suburbs, but my mother grew up in Detroit and has shared with us what a great place it was. (I did see Santa once at the downtown Hudsons.) I can very much relate to the connection you feel to the people and the comfort you feel when your plane lands at DTW. Of course my heart breaks too...to see the poverty and need of the city.
Thank you.
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i was born and lived in japan til i was 16, blonde hair blue eyes. speaking japanese before english, i could understand when comments were made about me. when i was in grade school it really bugged me because though i was pointed out as a foreigner (gaijin) i wanted to respond by saying no i am not. i was born here like you. but of course didn't. however it was fun to hear what people were saying. and then when i came back to the states at 5 and then again at 12, we lived in manhattan, where harlem was right across the street. i remember one day just blurting out, when am i going to see people that look like me!!!
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I like that one about beauty. I've had that beautician moment but about intelligence. So I get what that feels like.
Robert Osborne tells about the actress Hedy Lamarr being one of those women who stopped the room when she walked in, stopped both men and women in the middle of their conversations, she was so beautiful. And an interesting thing was that the women didn't hate her for it, she got along with everybody.
Great poem, great noticing and thinking about what you saw, Ms Williams. Thanks for a delicious cup of thought coffee this morning.
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Thank You
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Thanks for highlighting this author. It is good to hear women's voices in print.
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In my opinion, Troubled Tongues is William´s best book so far. I finished reading this book recently and I was very impressed. Highly recommended reading. Irena from cheap hosting
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Hello My name is Quincy I grew up in Detroit in the Brewster Projects the first 6 years of my life, then Highland Park and finally the NW side. My Mom is originally from Mississippi and my Dad from Tennessee. I want to write a book about my Mom and her raising six of her own children and 3 of my stepfathers, as well as my childhood. I am having a difficult time getting started although I've had several writing courses in college. Can you please give me your best advice on getting started writing a book of this nature and how to remain consistent until the book is finished. I also live in the Northwest. THANK YOU!