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Pamela Biery

~ communication, pr, writing

Pamela Biery

Category Archives: poetry & poets

Book Review: Every Day We Get More Illegal

08 Sunday Nov 2020

Posted by Pamela Biery in Book Reviews, poetry & poets

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migrant issues

Released over the summer of 2020, Everyday We Get More Illegal highlights social issues and the growing divide between American citizens. While this book speaks specifically to the plight of immigrants, and the current US policy, it also gives a voice to anyone who feels marginalized. “Everyday” provides pivotal insights. Herrera reminds us that words are a political tool and he uses his words powerfully, hopefully, and without softening the edges of harsh realities.

Herrera’s writing pedigree includes being named California’s poet laureate in 2012, and the U.S. poet laureate in 2015. These accolades come in addition to numerous awards and previously published works. Everyday We Get More Illegal was highly anticipated and does not disappoint.

Whether painting a word-picture through dialogue with a young son separated from his deported father, or recognizing essential workers’ constant contributions through labor—Herrera’s language penetrates the reader’s psyche, not brutally, but respectfully asking for reflection, consideration and remembrance. Herrera chronicles a lesser seen America that it is time to see, feel and make tangible.

Many poems in “Everyday” contain the rhythm of a conversation. The book is organized into poems collected under the common term for migrants, fireflies. In this case, Fireflies on the Road North.

Like most exceptional poetry and prose, these works may perhaps land on the reader’s feelings, touching on direct experience and also, giving light to scenes often acted out in the darkness of forgetting.

Address for the Firefly #6 On the Road North:

here  a river — you can stop you can bathe & rest

you can meditate on water & stones & the flow

you can note

the breath sound

of all our lives

            –Juan Felipe Herrera, from Every Day We Get More Illegal

Used with permission, Copyright 2020 City Lights Books

Every Day We Get More Illegal                                                 

Juan Felipe Herrera

City Lights, $14.95 trade paper (88p)

ISBN 978-0-87286-828-1

Release date: 07/01/2020

Hear Juan Felipe Herrera read from Every Day We Get More Illegal at LitQuake 2020

Reluctant Blogger

10 Wednesday Jan 2018

Posted by Pamela Biery in environment, Green, Indie film reviews, poetry & poets, Uncategorized

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California State Poetry Society, Film Festival, Wild&Scenic

There is so much writing to be done, places to explore and moments to be shared, I find it hard to dedicate a wee bit of time to discuss unfolding life, here in this blog. So forgive me and let me shortcut to the heart of what’s at hand without further fanfare.

This season I’ve been excited to get several commemorative poems written, and (bonus!), published. At last something useful to do with poetry: save cherished moments and honor dear friends at the same time. The California State Poetry Society published ‘On Becoming 21st Century Women’ this fall and will soon publish ‘Persimmon Pudding’—a winter poem set in Tahoe. These quarterly books are available to order at CaliforniaStatePoetrySociety.org.

The 16th Annual Wild & Scenic opens January 11. Read about how and why the South Yuba River Citizen’s League was formed here, in Sierra Living magazine. Sierra Living was formerly Sierra Heritage magazine and this new publication sets a fresh tone, while retaining cultural content. Learn more about the lasting impact of the Wild & Scenic Film Festival and other projects being used at models in other places here, at community supported news source, Yubanet.com.

My poetry chapbook, Swimming into Sunsets is now for sale at The Bookseller, Gold Creek Inn and at the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce office. A percentage of profits are designated to support Yuba River conservation by donation to SYRCL. This book is also available on iTunes as an iBook here.

Finally, thank you to The Union for this very nice opportunity to have my say, in the kindest way—in my own words. This ‘Meet the Author’ column is a bit humbling. Appreciate this and new city reporter, Matt Pera.

What I’ve been up to lately

21 Saturday Oct 2017

Posted by Pamela Biery in Indie film reviews, Nevada City, poetry & poets, Uncategorized, writers and writing

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California State Poetry Society, Nevada City Chamber of Commerce, Nevada City Tree Tour, yuba river

I suppose by looking at my blog people would think I was gone or this blog was just another momentary whim, abandoned in cyberspace, but actually, I’ve been very busy, and now that a few projects are done, am happy to take a moment to write.

A new series of poems are emerging, inspired by my dear friends. One of these was submitted to the California State Poetry Society, and was published in the last California Quarterly issue. ‘On Becoming 21st Century Women’ chronicles a lifelong friendship, written as a gift to commemorate a 70th birthday.

Frustrated by the die off of 66 million trees in California, I turned my attention to protecting heritage trees in Nevada City and took the walking tree tour into a digital format. Just published this week, the hope is that through education, these heritage trees will be valued and preserved. Get this new Google Map here.

This project happened with the help of great volunteers, sponsors and community donations. Yay, team trees!

Three years ago I took my Yuba River writings and produced a chapbook as an iBook. But no one seemed to find it and I was busy working and so it has languished. At the request of an associate for a printed copy, I converted this book to print and now have released ‘Swimming Into Sunsets’ for sale here in Nevada County (The Bookseller, Nevada City Chamber of Commerce, Gold Creek Inn). Thanks go not only to those selling the book, but to Caleb Dardick for showing up and asking so definitively for a printed copy—the nudge I needed.

Other news is that my article on the South Yuba Citizen’s League and Wild & Scenic Film Festival is slated for the December issue of Sierra Living magazine (formerly Sierra Heritage magazine). I have wanted to get something in a glossy book, in advance of the Wild & Scenic for a few years and this seems like just right match. Appreciate Roger Hicks, Caleb Dardick, Melinda Booth and Janet Cohen for taking time to provide critical insights and snippets of history that might have gone missing.

These are the ‘extra projects’ and writing— real work on strategy, marketing and content development continues through Thumbler.net.

If you are reading this, thanks for stopping by and be well.

“Longing for the Light” provides poetic start to summer

26 Sunday Jun 2011

Posted by Pamela Biery in poetry & poets, Uncategorized

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Alberto Rios, Copper Canyon Press, Heather McHugh, Michael Dickman, Sarah Lindsay

It finally felt like summer, with light and sun pouring in as Seattle’s ACT Theatre quickly filled for “Longing for the Light,” Copper Canyon Press’ Summer Solstice Reading, the devoted audience leaving the balmy evening for a dark urbane interior.

Poet Heather McHugh

Notable poets from distant corners of the U.S. filled the stage, bringing with them considerable light and a summation of wordful colors.

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Richard Ford on Writing

16 Monday May 2011

Posted by Pamela Biery in poetry & poets, Uncategorized, writers and writing

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Frank Bascombe, Linda Bowers, Richard Ford, SAL, Seattle Arts & Lectures

What can be said about a man so calm and charming that it seems perfectly reasonable to store manuscripts in the freezer or plant a 38mm bullet through an unsavory book? The author himself demonstrates the answer when he reads from his upcoming novel, Canada.  What can be said is the gentleman can surely write. In a few short minutes Richard Ford takes listeners down a windy path, introduces us to a family and splays open their history, from a happenstance beginning to the worn features of lives habituated by compromise.

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Setting the Mantle Aside for an Evening

23 Saturday Apr 2011

Posted by Pamela Biery in poetry & poets, Uncategorized, writers and writing

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Joyce Carol Oates, Seattle Arts & Lectures, university of washington

As Dr. Jessica Burstein of the UW English Dept, introduces Joyce Carol Oates, the room grows still. Surely the credits are remarkable and even perhaps incomparable—over 50 novels and dozens of short story collections, the National Book Award and the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction. Her works Black Water, What I Lived For, and Blonde were all finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. In 2003, Oates was honored with the Common Wealth Award for Distinguished Service in Literature. For brevity, here I omit listing her purview at Princeton and other extensive recognitions…

Joyce Carol Oates’ quiet presence filled the room as Seattle’s Benaroya Hall audience sat in on a discussion of Oates work, skillfully and unobtrusively led by Dr. Burstein. But for starters, Oates took off the mantle of her achievements, making it clear that her role was not to distribute wisdom, rather it seems she casts sidelong glances at her worldly accomplishments, not owning them in a way that explains her light touch in discussing her writing process and the consistently unusual choice of topic for her works.

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What was the first moment…

16 Saturday Apr 2011

Posted by Pamela Biery in poetry & poets, writers and writing

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Major Jackson, Philip Levine, SAL, Seattle Arts and Lectures

… poetry wooed you? So asks Alice Quinn, longtime poetry editor for the New Yorker and current executive director for the Poetry Society of America. The answers are informing, coming from three famous University of Oregon Alumni, gathered around after a Seattle Arts & Lecture (SAL) reading in Seattle.

Major Jackson describes the importance of being raised in  the church, not because of the religious aspect, but because of the respect and honor shown to ritual in his Philadelphia family home. Sacred speech,  like Robert Frost’s Nothing Gold Can Stay, was a beckoning.

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Falling off the page

22 Sunday Aug 2010

Posted by Pamela Biery in Book Reviews, poetry & poets, travel

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Bellevue, Joan Swift, Sierra Nevada, Slowcoast

Ok, ok, so most of summer is gone and I haven’t blogged in a month. Now I will make up for it and with one single post cover a book review, some new poetry and observations from the Greater Seattle, excessively PC caffeine wagon.

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Blue Marble Planet lover Lea Haratani dives deep

02 Friday Jul 2010

Posted by Pamela Biery in environment, ocean & fisheries, poetry & poets

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environment, Jacques Cousteau, Lea Haratani, poetry

“A lot of people attack the sea. I make love to it.” —Jacques Cousteau

Lea Haratani has had a lifelong passion for the ocean, and every day she tries to show it. Some days, it means not eating fish. Other times, it’s all about taking a walk on the beach—or diving off the coast of Belize with Jim Simon, the vice president of one of the nation’s largest ocean conservation organizations, Oceana. She might also be found circulating petitions against offshore drilling with her children at Bookshop Santa Cruz, or organizing a fundraising event for Oceana at the Saint Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco.

Read more about Lea and ocean activism, featured in Good Times this week.

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Houses Are Fields

17 Monday May 2010

Posted by Pamela Biery in poetry & poets

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Bookshop Santa Cruz, Poetry Santa Cruz, Taije Silverman

Silverman reads at Bookshop Santa Cruz

This week I attended a reading by Taije Silverman. Silverman read from her new book Houses Are Fields. (Published by LSU in 2009)

Amazing, soulful. Words hung on a loosely reorganized scaffold of iambic pentameter. A powerful reader whose quiet strength shines through metaphors, and leaves sensual images drawn from a mix of Greek tragedy and the sumptuous landscape of Virginia.

Looks like Santa Cruz has a very active current of poetry running through it, with its own Poet Laureate (Gary Young), amazing residents like Adrienne Rich (more on Rich and her upcoming book later) and an organization dedicated entirely to fostering poetry, Poetry Santa Cruz.

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