Poet

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=120 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0ec8dfe1esnpes.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Michael Czarnecki</B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|</B><B>     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michael Czarnecki"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Brief Bio"><U>Brief Bio</U></A>   |   <B>Poet</B>   |   <A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Themed Programs"><U>Themed Programs</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id69.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Colleges"><U>Colleges</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id72.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Writing Workshops"><U>Writing Workshops</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id71.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PoetintheSchools"><U>Poet-in-the-Schools</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Oral Memoirist"><U>Oral Memoirist</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id74.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Maine Coast Journey"><U>Maine Coast Journey</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id73.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Community Project"><U>Community Project</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Some of My Writing"><U>Some of My Writing</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id70.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Palm of the Hand Writing"><U>Palm of the Hand Writing</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id57.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="US 62"><U>US 62</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id62.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="US 62 Journal"><U>US 62 Journal</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Schedule"><U>Schedule</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id76.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fliers"><U>Fliers</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Books Available"><U>Books Available</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="References"><U>References</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Me"><U>Contact Me</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=360 BGCOLOR="#A0A0A4" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0ec8dfc3.jpg"> <div> <I>Poet</I></div> <div>            <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" > </FONT></div> <div> From that first time writing a poem, 41 years ago, I have not been able to stop writing poetry. That first poem, about the Vietnam war, was influenced by the folk music songs of the 60s. Other poetic influences over the intervening decades have been Robert Frost, Gary Snyder, Robinson Jeffers, Lew Welch, T'ao Ch'ien, Basho, Ryokan, Su Tung-P'o and countless others.</div> <bR> <div> 18 years after writing that first poem in 1967, I gave my first reading of a poem in public. That was not an easy step for one who was never comfortable speaking in front of an audience. I survived that ten-minute long reading (it was a long poem) and have not looked back. </div> <bR> <div> In the last few years I've given well over 200 featured readings throughout much of the United States, from Maine to Oregon, Minnesota to Louisianna. Libraries, colleges, coffeehouses, literary centers, museums, nature centers, wine festivals, music festival, parks, a retirement center and even a bed and breakfast have been venues for my readings. Many of these locations have invited me back for return engagements.</div> <bR> <div> In conjunction with readings, I have facilitated numerous writing workshops for writers of all ages. The workshops are informal, friendly, can be focused on a certain theme or be free-flowing in-the-moment experiences. I like to consider myself an encourager and the workshops are reflective of that attitude.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1fa80aa0.jpg" border=0 width="640" height="426" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Photo by Dan Waber</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>