This is the blog for the Bentari Project.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
to that river of cloud and star i cast up for a catch of time and he strikes it like a tarpon and i begin to strip in years time’s fight is like no other you look up, gills flaring, his tail slapping huge rings in the light it takes heartbroken strength to reel in the king of ages to hold it spent in your hands then let go [1] [1] Untitled poem by ...
Read full postThursday, January 12, 2017
I dreamed I was barefoot in a public place. What does it mean? I dreamed I skated in shoes and I was pretty good! What does THAT mean? I dreamed my friend had a very valuable coffee cup and I helped him store it in a locked display. What for the love of Mike does THAT mean? I dreamed I was back home where I grew up and I watched a pair of hawks cir...
Read full postFriday, December 30, 2016
“A Dog’s Tale” by Mark Twain is a stirring short story. It is told in a first person voice, er, first dog voice by the most steadfast, generous and loving character that Mark Twain ever created—Aileen Mavourneen! Yes, that is a dog’s name. Her mother learned it from a song. Her father was a St. Bernard. Her mother, a collie. And even though Aileen ...
Read full postSaturday, December 24, 2016
Ruben Huenemann was a friend of my grandfather Roy Tate. They both were Presbyterians. The last time I saw Ruben was on a December day in 1983. It was at Willamette View Manor, where he and grandpa lived out their later years as neighbors. As we said our good-byes, Ruben told me that he wanted me to have a poem he’d written and he handed me a folde...
Read full postWednesday, December 21, 2016
After reading Bentari , our grandson Ashton sent me this e-mail: I loved Bentari! The detail and flow of the story are amazing! The story was very descriptive and it sounded like it was all true! I liked all the intense action scenes the best! And I loved reading about all of the animals. They are really neat! A lot of the German and native names w...
Read full postSaturday, December 10, 2016
Ellen Meloy’s The Anthropology of Turquoise: REFLECTIONS ON DESERT, SEA, STONE, AND SKY came to me highly recommended by a writer friend. He told me that Ellen Meloy’s ability to cast readers under the spell of “Place” was the best he’d seen. Turns out, he connected. If you ever wanted to cry until you laughed or to eat until you were starving, Ell...
Read full postSunday, December 04, 2016
Fred Hampton was murdered in his bed in the middle of the night on this date. He was 21. Growing up, he wanted to play centerfield for the Yankees. His bravery and honesty and the truth led him on his short-lived course away from the ball field. Fred Hampton was a powerful and eloquent speaker. He said, “You can jail the revolutionary but you can’t...
Read full postMonday, November 28, 2016
Nobody Left To Crown[1]—by Richie Havens To those of you seeking perfection Oh Lord it’s not a long, long way to go All you need is a bit of reflection Just might seem like changing direction right now Don’t go around taking up no collections On your way down There’s nobody left to crown What if politicians were all good guys Oh Lord don’t we wish ...
Read full postMonday, November 21, 2016
I wrote a poem that was meant to celebrate the election of this nation’s first woman President. But voters postponed its release date. So I wrote a letter instead. This is not it. Well, not exactly. This is the bare bones of it. The rest lies buried under polluted soil. Dear Us, Barack Obama has served two terms and earned widespread acclaim and hi...
Read full postMonday, November 14, 2016
Bentari is a sweeping tale set in the panoramic back drop of ancient equatorial forests. The action rushes on the winds of war from an isolated village across plains and woodlands to a valley that surrounds a volcano. Within its caldera, the chambers and vents are hollow, dark and deathly silent. Yet still they breathe, and gas from the pit is dead...
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