welcome to poets have something to say uh we have the distinct pleasure uh to have Tom cannon with us again the inaugural poet laurate of Oshkosh thank you Tom thank you for having me this this is you realize you're the first returned guest of the of the program of the podcast I am honored to be so uh and you were the very first guest in October of 2022 uh few months after you took the position um boy I've got a lot of questions for you about the ashkash poet Laurette how it's evolved and what you've been doing I know you've been doing workshops and open mics and uh you've been doing some stuff with James Hamilton we'll get get to that in just a moment we'll talk a bit about the lake fly too coming up but first we we'll take a step back first and uh we're we're going to have you maybe read one of your would you be able to read something for us to start the show uh yes I'd love that and uh today I I I would like to read from a chatbook that I'm working on I've gotten a little side track from it but I've really been um thinking about poetry as a history and if you can write it so that people your personal history can kind of also be the history of the time that you live in and so um my dad dad is 83 and he likes to tell stories I write it down and I've really been trying to transform them into poetry and so uh the working title of my chatbook is nuances of family so uh I would like to I have this poem the small town hall the town hall of Sharon is a stone throw away from my father's heart which makes it part of me around the corner and up the road was the one whom Schoolhouse which it stands as it always did and it reminds my dad of the game of throwing the ball over the roof my Dad loved his chore of fetching water from The Neighbor Next Door within that tract of my father's core three Farms entwine one was my grandparents or his grandparents one was the renters one was the house where he was born where siblings played C Shadow tag while he M cows a creek ran behind that farm dad once followed his sister to capture frogs near that Creek was a group of trees in the memory my dad wants to impart on his children is my grandpa peasant hunting birds flying from the trees so numerous he could not figure out which one to shoot in many ways those Farms are gone you what tranquility bring it gives my dad and me to let our minds past the white barn over the gnarled barbed wire fence Tangled with weeds beckoned by the trickle of the creek we go and want to stand with my grandpa in his brown vest red plaid hat like my dad my plan is to get a lot older yet someday I hope to stand shoulder toosh shoulder with all that have loved that land thank you for let me share that Jeffrey that's that's fantastic uh yeah thank you for sharing it with our audience uh some beautiful uh ways that you put words together there to to bring imagery to the four and that's what good poetry is right um yes yeah I think so and it's pretty straightforward I just try to make striking images and keep it true to uh true to what my dad believes and true to my heart your love for your dad does definitely does show through there very impressive yeah that gave me a few ideas too maybe uh doing something for my parents and memories I think that's that's such a beautiful creative idea I I you had not shared that with me yet I don't think that's a beautiful idea no I I haven't um yes and you you know it's it's just a a great way to capture you you know like who's necessarily going to want to hear the story that I get from my dad and he got from his dad you know but if we can make it poetry then maybe somebody will just kind make an impact on who it can make an impact on that's fabulous thanks again for sharing that with us so as promised uh let's get into what you've been doing uh at ashkash po La I know from my viewpoint you've done a ton of stuff and we've done U you know a workshop two workshops together and uh it's certainly been a thrill from my vantage point is North Fondulac poet Laurette working with you and seeing firsthand what you're doing out there uh you're doing a lot of really positive stuff tell us about uh first of the workshops that you've done and uh what there were some highlights of those workshops that you wanted to talk about uh yes because the you know a Porche Workshop doesn't draw a lot of people um but they can really be special just love them I've been doing them with Dr Bill Gillard who was a great uh guest on your show yes wonderful and yes and in fact so we've you me and Bill to use just a throw grammar to the side yeah good grammar there for a right or not just kidding um yep I mean that was a just a great workshop and uh it's the Synergy you know that was especially the one we did in North vac uh you know that was just three people coming together and when people can just have write those writing exercises and let the creativ creativity flow you know things really come from that and um just the you know the balance uh like Bill Gillard uh he knows his poetry he knows all the techniques and he's very learned and uh yeah I I know some of that stuff but I'm more as you read in the poem as you heard in the poem more down to earth and uh just being more poetry that with not a lot of time where you have to sit and try to get the mystery out of them yeah and everybody has their own specific style and I think you know if as as I write poetry I my style continues to evolve and um you know right lately I've been trying to start off with what are the two best lines I can start with and I really I really think hard about those first two lines because in my opinion those are the two lines that direct the rest of the poem so those and so I've been really serious about that and um I don't know if you you saw my my latest U poem um called the morning um and that's that it's an eight-line poem but I took a lot of time trying to find those first two lines um but anyway but everybody has a different approach to to writing um and that's the beauty of it there's no right or wrong answers yeah I definitely like that approach I oftentimes I'm just trying to look keep an ear out and so if somebody says something in a unique way or striking way try start with that you know and then that's I don't know how successful how often that happens anymore but uh I they really have led to poems that I enjoyed writing that's for sure yeah there's been a lot of great events lately of course uh you have the open mics in Oshkosh we had the story fairer which was great for a first try I think um and we had Pi Day Pi day was great so really when you look back at it this has been a very active year for uh for poetry work for the yeah kind of uh I guess I want to call it Outreach work kind of it's well it's it's our duty I think as poet laureates to spread the word of how great of an experience it can be to express oneself in writing um but tell us uh if I may ask U can I ask a bit about the uh your open mics uh were great at the new moon I got to attend a few of those in the last year and a half or so um and what what what is your sense about open mics and what what happens at an open if somebody's watching this right now um what what should they expect if they come to an open mic and what are they all about all right uh first let me start by saying what my plan is and I've been talking to the owner of caramel crisp uh books here in ashkash um and I'm going to do a little bit differently we going to uh do a round table and cool so it'll be more informal and I would like to do like half an hour 45 minutes of kind of like a a fix it period where people have questions uh they can come to me I'm not an expert but I uh you know I might have something to say and anybody that would like to come along and and and help another writer who has a problem who's asking a question you know whether it be about you know finishing a book finding time to read or the ins and outs of publishing think that that would be great and then the second part would be just going around the table and uh uh having people share their Works which is kind of kind of inspired by the um the uh Round Table that's held once a month in Fond laac at the sof Center um and that's really getting its feet too uh but I hope it's to be a special as the open mics were at uh New Moon Cafe and they about to do uh open up you know if it's a little bit different go open up and and try open mics again because it's very it's special I really enjoyed uh just kind of spreading the word and you know hearing but giving a voice and a chance for those um writers to be able you know have an audience whether it's you or James Hamilton Mary Chancellor um it's just can be a special night and then for and then also what's really special is those people that have been poet po writing poetry and they um get up for the first time and they read their poems and it's very powerful because these are the poems that they want to share and they're they're polished but they're not you know they're they're still just writing from the heart and so yeah it's really just amazing and so if anybody would like to check out some of those and uh I do have them on my YouTube Channel Thomas Canon author um yep that's great yep and if you don't go there try I encourage people to go to other open mics go to the stateof center go to uh any other ones that you can because it's just great to get up and share your poetry it is well that's cool that you're experimenting with different formats you're not you know you're not staying in the same format and that's what true creativity does right it changes forms and and some experimentation involved so kudos to you on all of that uh when is the first uh caramel crisp uh event take place do you know I think that I am actually planning uh September and uh to start with it's kind of up to carel Chris but they've been great to work with um Jen is the manager there and she's like we uh bill and I held a poetry Workshop there and from there she just I asked about having a work uh you know a round table there and uh she was like yes absolutely but we just had to get things nailed down and so kind of watch for that announcement you know I'm we'll definitely put it on the ashkash uh laurate group I post it in your or La group and uh get the word out set up a Facebook event and and try to really grow our community that's uh fantastic and I've heard uh just I just got had this thought here I had to add in I've heard that Appleton now is our our ideas are spreading Tom uh to Appleton now yes I've heard about that and actually was c a couple years ago and this is thanks to Mary palmary that was the mayor of ashkash now and now she's in the State House of Representatives she created po laurate program here in Oshkosh and um I had been on the a great podcast with uh Timber Smith yes Timber SMI he's an establishment in of ashkash and he has a podcast called the Kos and so he just talks to people that have to deal with um anything they have to deal with the Fox Valley and Oshkosh and I uh wormed my way in and told them about the Poetry in ashkash and so then he kind of I had a meeting with him way a couple years ago and to get it going so I think Timber Smith has really been uh key to getting the PO La program in Appleton going great that would great I think they and they're also doing a poetry walk uh program where uh people are um having poems Chosen and then they're just written right into cement on the sidewalk oh that's like per like permanent or is it temporary uh for as long as that cement lasts okay it's going to be quite a while then yes I would think so oh that's that's fantastic so you know good idea has spread and uh on the podcast I certainly still have many Wisconsin poet laurates to talk with I've got a list still so uh I think it's growing um I think there's but I had to do a guess and maybe you're more accurate on this time but what would you say 10 to 15 right now in the state probably as rough estimate or more more uh well yeah I'd say 15 probably a pretty good guess uh you know with Milwaukee and Madison Noosa rine Wasau you me um and then uh there's Jim landar who he calls himself poet poet laurate ameritus I forget of which small town it is and that just means oh I I should have him on the show uh yeah yes he's a a wonderful uh wonderful writer and a great person absolutely yeah I think I've I memory show serves me correctly he might have won a writing award at the lakefly oh yes I do believe you're right yeah good well I'm GNA have to definitely get in touch with him um and speaking of the lak fly uh give us a quick summary of how this is Al already two months ago and I had a chance to uh present with you there that was a blast it was really fun and uh got to exhibit my books sold a few books uh tell us about the lake fly experience for those that have not experienced it before um yes it's uh turned out it turned out really great and uh this year we had a book fair we've always had a book fair but this year we've expanded it and hopefully we expand it more next year uh like you said it worked out well for me just selling books and um and I just encourage even people to check that out next year because you can um you know it's just a chance to see writers that are in your neighborhood meet there some wonderful writers and hear their stories and hear their passion uh I was thinking of and thinking of the gentleman that was next to you at your table Nick that was nick uh oh my gosh yeah what's his last name shus I'm gonna have him U but yeah I actually I got one of his books that I'm reading um he wrote a book about the streets of New York City and um so uh yeah he was a great guy really great to meet him I think it's chus is the name I think so I don't not sure what a great gentleman yeah Nicholas sharkus c h i a r k s yeah just delightful what a great conversation you could have y and uh I think he led two of the workshops there um yes he's a marvelous speaker and you know when you meet him he's just the most kind genuine person and you know you can tell when somebody's really listening to you that they're listening 100% to you not thinking of what they're going to say next that's that's what Nick is like he's just he focuses laser light right on you and he uh he's an amazingly empathetic and um and a really brilliant writer I think I really don't I don't want to blow our own horn so much yeah I think that as an author that you really want to hear what people have to say and you know and you're you're always looking for that great thing that you want to know more about life and um and he's a prime example of that but also just the attendees at the lak play writers conference I think that they're really special too I just uh they've really made the 11 years that we've been doing it wonderful and um you know we needed we with things changing we needed attendees to come and to really have a good time and feel it valued and hopefully they did they definitely showed up for us um and you know and our session was probably the one of the best SE was the best session I've ever uh had there I've ever facilitated just it was really something special and yeah it was wow yeah it did um if you just tuned in this is poets have something to say with inaugural ashkash P lur at Tom Cannon uh Tom and I are friends so it makes it easy to do the show with you um uh tell me a bit and we have about five minutes left of the of the program we're going to get to your uh maybe one do you have one more poem to share with us in a few minutes I yes I always do okay you you're always armed with poetry um but uh tell and by the way before I go on I wanted to talk about Ruth Percy and how how much she puts into that conference and uh the hours and hours that that she spends uh in making sure everything goes right yes she is really the um force behind it um she is the one that kind of originally said told the the director at the library at the time we should do this got his backing and um she spent a lot of her own time uh this this year making sure that it got put on doing all the small things and the big things um and she was actually quite busy as the acting director of the ashkash public library wow yeah so she just was tireless in her pursuit of of putting on a great show and she did a great job once again um well let's uh do do you have any uh any more updates for us as far as the your poet laurate activities uh well it's um kind of we're just going for that um you know that Workshop in the fall and just to get the word out and the further like the PO La Facebook group um I feel like I've kind of been po to that very much but uh I do post on there and more importantly and this is the my original goal with that was for other people to post and uh that's going very well um good and there sharing events and uh so then I plan on being at the uh Open Mic at the Coco uh coffee shop up at Appleton and I have an event with James Hamilton and July and um and actually Bill Gillard and I uh we have still have to get approval but we want to do a local uh radio Lo local radio show at the ashkash media channel um oh right here in town and I would you know I'm pretty sure that it will end up being a podcast as well and um so we want to interview people and we you will get a an invite definitely Jeffrey and thank you yeah we just want talk about poetry and share the community what's going on and even do writing exercises you I know you and Bill will be great hosts for that program no doubt about it yeah that's exciting well keep me up to date on that I would love to hear more information on the podcast absolutely yeah right well we've come to that time Tom um one more do you have one more for us of your of your own writing yes I do and thank you for this opportunity Jeff um sure and this is still um along the in my chatbook no is a family and uh this one is for my cousin Teresa and it's based on a conversation I had with her uh at my Uncle Leo's funeral Okay small town EMT every time I close my eyes I see my father as I bring him back to life on the floor of my childhood home my mother kneels next to him she has to be the one to let him go we squeezed and breathed the life back into him trying to get him to float on the surface existence in every waking moment I see him sink slow slowly beneath the waves where is he as the white gloved men hand my mother the flag and Tumble the spent shells into her shaking hands he is not there lower whatever you want Into The Frozen Ground When I close my eyes I see my father slowly assembling himself into the man I love only then do I sleep that's great Tom thank you for sharing that yeah that that's just came from experi going and my uncle Leo was a great man he was a he was on the fire department for his local small town volunteer fire department for like 40 years or so and so just it was just a powerful event and I wanted to record those I think poetry is a great way to do that that's great like I said you've given me a few ideas now um of with my mom and dad maybe putting together some poetry about their lives so great idea great great way to remember run with that yeah well thank you Tom uh any final words for us on our podcast uh no just uh keep writing everybody uh even if you're having an off day you know write in your Journal write whatever comes into your head just keep writing it can be very therapeutic absolutely uh well thanks again Tom Cannon inaugural poet laureate of Oshkosh we will talk to you down the line and thanks for joining us on our program here today on poets have something to say thank you yep have a great night Tom you too good night