12 Feb 2010
Writing Fan Mail to Poet Mark Doty
It was just a short little poem in The New Yorker last week. And it had a title that didn’t interest me at all: Pescadero. Is that a place? Dunno. I usually skip the poetry anyway, but this one’s first line stopped me:
“The little goats like my mouth and fingers,” the poem began.
Goats and me on the Dales Way in England last summer
If you’ve ever fallen in love with baby goats running towards you in a field, you know what a sweetness there is to their goaty little faces. They’re so friendly, so frisky (unlike lambs, who generally run away). I’ve encountered goats mostly on hiking trips – in France, Italy and even Morocco.
I ripped out the page. I keep reading the poem over and over. I keep smiling.
And – this is where our digital lives make these things so easy – I finally wrote poet Mark Doty an email telling him how happy this small thing has made me. I’ve never written fan mail to any author in my life – and certainly not to a poet.
I can’t reproduce the poem here; I’m sure it’s copyrighted. But you can read it online at The New Yorker. And if you’d like to hear Mark Doty speak about the importance of poetry and literature in the world, you can listen to a talk he gave at the Key West Literary Seminar in January, 2008.
Excuse me, I think I’ll go read that poem again. Is there something that calls you to read over and over?
Although I don’t have any experience with goats (wait, that doesn’t sound right!) I have been so enthralled with a memoir that I’ve written the author. Kevin Jennings, author of Mama’s Boy and Preacher’s Son, actually wrote me back. It was very touching. I always get sad when I find out that a favorite author has died. They touch me and their death is like losing a friendship that they didn’t know we shared. Our words have power and create relationships. Good reason to keep writing — about goats, Paris, snow, or cars!
Frank Finamore
February 12th, 2010 at 6:31 pmpermalink
I’m waiting for my New Yorker so I can read the poem, Sheila. I loved seeing this photo again and remembering that memorable hiking day. It was a long one wasn’t it. And involved rumors of a bull and a buzzard in a field…
(anyway, I’m thrilled that you’ve discovered the world of poetry!)
Judy Leaver
February 16th, 2010 at 12:39 pmpermalink
Oh, yes, Judy, now that you mention it, the goats were the ONLY good thing about that day’s hiking. Should’ve stopped right there!
Sheila Campbell
February 16th, 2010 at 5:23 pmpermalink
After reading the poem I can understand why you were compelled to write to the poet. Mark Doty will be speaking in Seattle on the 26th. I can’t wait to see and hear him in person
Pat McGovern
February 21st, 2010 at 11:52 ampermalink
Oh, Pat, what a treat you have in store. Maybe he’ll take requests and someone will ask for the goats poem…oh, wait, it’s poetry, not music.
Sheila Campbell
February 21st, 2010 at 3:25 pmpermalink