Lit fest Day 1... Dean Young
Apr
12
By Michelle Bentley
DAY ONE
I am amazed walking around Ohio University. There is too
much to see in one or two days. I can say that the students at Ohio University
have no need of a gym. (Although they have a fantastic facility at their
disposal.) I have not walked so much without having kids in tow waiting
on the Ferris-wheel or smiling at baboons swinging from trees. I have a new
respect for the students of the main campus. That being said--I have had a
great time thus far.
The first and most shocking speaker we heard was Dean Young.
I have read a few of Young's poems in the past but not many, and as far as I
can remember they were your typical words of praise for a loved one or memory
of a childhood moment. However, what I did not know is that Dean Young had been
ill for some time, and he had a heart transplant a few years ago. If you
compare his pre-transplant poems to his post-transplant poems, (what a great essay topic) then you can see
he is writing from a new place.
This place is dark, scary, and seems to make devilish little
logical sense. I fear if you think about it too long you might find that the
ramblings of seemingly disconnected thoughts is what life truly is.
Young's poems may be more honest than we are ready or willing to accept.
The second speaker Bonnie Jo Campbell deserves her own blog. Campbell is simply amazing.
1 comments:
I didn't know about Young's heart transplant. Cool. I see, now, that there is a story on NPR about it. Sounds like someone I will need to study for my disability studies research.
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