Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Father/Daughter Poems

The current theme of the Featured Poets Page at Adanna Journal is father/daughter poems, and there is a variety of experience represented there. I have two poems on this page, one about my own dad and his talk of philosophy at the breakfast table while I was growing up, and Donna Vorreyer has two wonderful "literary analysis" poems that explore fictional fathers.

Of course, Atticus Finch is one of my favorite fictional fathers.

I alerted my dad to this page, having been told by him that all great poets write a "father poem." And I realized in the context of his response that, while I have indeed contributed poems to literary journals devoted to women's experience and drawing mostly female contributors (which helps balance out an imbalance in the publishing world, I note re: VIDA statistics)*, none has actually excluded men as contributors!

Case in point, from Adanna's home page:

While this journal is dedicated to women, it is not exclusive, and it welcomes our counterparts and their thoughts about women today. Submissions to Adanna must reflect women’s issues or topics, celebrate womanhood, and shout out in passion. 


*It's cool that Granta, a magazine my folks love and gave me a subscrip-tion to, represents men and women writers pretty equally, this year swinging toward the women!

15 comments:

Jessa said...

Wow, both of those father poems are fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

I especially liked the seahorse imagery, since I spent a long time taking pictures of a seahorse at the aquarium yesterday!

Kathleen said...

Thanks, Jessa! I loved your "Birthday Fishes," your attire, and the tiny penguins. Happy Birthday!!

Kathleen said...

Tiny via perspective, as in "from afar." It looks like a little penguin world...

Readers, check out Jessa's blog, Bowls of Bees, in the blogroll at right!

Maureen said...

Your second poem is especially moving, Kathleen. Great feature!

Kathleen said...

Thanks, Maureen.

Sandy Longhorn said...

Nicely done, Kathleen. I love the lightness of the poems combined with the heavier theme.

Kathleen said...

Thanks, Sandy.

Hannah Stephenson said...

Stunning poems, Miss Kathleen. xo

Carol Berg said...

Lovely poems!

Kathleen said...

Thank you, Carol and Hannah.

Sherry O'Keefe said...

catching up with you, poems and interview. love what you said "sent your children out of the room". oh my gosh, you are hilarious. :)!

sherry

Kathleen said...

Yay! I think I'm hilarious, too! Vindicated! Thank you!

Collagemama said...

I have cried very little about Howie's passing, but now I approach the April birthday we shared for almost 57 years. I miss Dad's aggravating philosophy and rigid standards at the breakfast table.

The Beans said...

Lovely poetry, Kathleen. I especially love the topic of talking about fathers; mine was my confidante and best friend in the world.

Also, Gregory Peck is yummy. ^.^

-Barb the French Bean

Kathleen said...

Oh, Collagemama, sending you love and a hankie.

Thank you French-roasted Barb!