In the Spirit of T'ao Ch'ien

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=95 BGCOLOR="#CC99CC" TEXT="#080000" background="006265f1ezuady.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>FootHills 2012</B></FONT><B>  </B><B> </B><B>|   </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FootHills 2012"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FootHills 2012"><U>FootHills 2012</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id13.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Books 2012"><U>Books 2012</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id14.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FHP Poets Alphabetically"><U>FHP Poets Alphabetically</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tom Jones"><U>Tom Jones</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mary Jackson"><U>Mary Jackson</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id37.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rick Kearns"><U>Rick Kearns</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ElvridgeThomas"><U>Elvridge-Thomas</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Edward Dougherty"><U>Edward Dougherty</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id41.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lynn Ciesielski"><U>Lynn Ciesielski</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id42.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dexter Roberts"><U>Dexter Roberts</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id43.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Grant Clauser"><U>Grant Clauser</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id44.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Libertys Vigil"><U>Liberty's Vigil</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id45.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Robin Linn"><U>Robin Linn</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id46.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="W. 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Ikins</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id52.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Steve Coffman"><U>Steve Coffman</U></A>   |   <B>In the Spirit of T'ao Ch'ien</B>   |   <A HREF="id54.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jack Spula"><U>Jack Spula</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id55.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="John Roche"><U>John Roche</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id56.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mark Gibbons"><U>Mark Gibbons</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id57.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Peggy Seely"><U>Peggy Seely</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id10.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Anthologies"><U>Anthologies</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id11.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ordering By Mail"><U>Ordering By Mail</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact"><U>Contact</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=385 BGCOLOR="#BBBBBB" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>In the Spirit of T'ao Ch'ien</I></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> In the Spirit of T'ao Ch'ien</div> <div> Charles Rossiter, Editor</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1f72cec0.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="492" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <I>One of the poets in this book speaks of “First Breath” and “Last Breath.” Here are American poets who have “breathed in” the breath of such Chinese poets as T'ao Ch'ien, Han Shan, and Wang Wei. And here they breathe it back out again where it mingles with the breath of America.</I></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Jonathan Chaves</div> <div> Translator and Professor of Chinese</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Contributors</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Sam Hamill</B></div> <div> <B>Michael Czarnecki     </B></div> <div> <B>David Budbill </B></div> <div> <B>Charles Rossiter</B></div> <div> <B>Antler</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>From the Introduction:</B></div> <bR> <div> T'ao Ch'ien (365-427 C.E.) is a major figure in the Chinese poetic tradition whose influence on subsequent generations cannot be overstated.  After holding several official posts he abandoned a traditional government career for the life of a reclusive gentleman farmer.  His poems, expressed in natural language, reflect on ordinary daily occurrences and express a deep connection with nature.  Despite their accessibility and seeming simplicity, they are deeply philosophical.</div> <bR> <div> The poems in this collection share characteristics with T'ao Ch'ien and other poets of ancient China.  They are plain spoken, clear, generally short, and readily understandable.  These poems explore the poets' states of consciousness and relationship with the natural world as they seek a self-understanding, as well as a connectedness with all that surrounds them.  These poems document human relationships, and the comings and goings of other people in the poets' lives.  When these poets address issues in the wider world, they see through the smoke and mirrors of officialdom and are critical of social injustice.</div> <bR> <div> Like T'ao Ch'ien's poems, those collected here reflect a viewpoint on life and society from outside the mainstream.  Poetry is at the center of each of these poets lives, yet, unlike many contemporary American poets, none holds an academic position.  Although the poets live in varied circumstances, all five share the lifestyle of the Chinese mountain recluse when one considers what that lifestyle entails.  As David Hinton, poet and translator of T'ao Ch'ien and other major Chinese poets describes it, the “mountain recluse” lifestyle generally included “a relatively comfortable house, a substantial library, family, friends,” as well as a political dimension, “for the wisdom cultivated in such a life was considered essential to sage governing.” </div> <bR> <bR> <div> From the book:</div> <bR> <div> <B>Sam Hamill</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Mountains and Rivers Without End </B></div> <bR> <div> After making love, we are like </div> <div> rivers come down from mountain summits. </div> <bR> <div> We are still, we are moving, </div> <div> calm in the depths of danger-</div> <bR> <div> two rivers entering the sea </div> <div> slowly, as if nothing matters:</div> <bR> <div> quietly, but with great power </div> <div> merging in deepening waters. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Michael Czarnecki</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>In The Spirit of T'ao Ch'ien: </B></div> <div> <B>a Sequence of 15 Poems</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>2</B></div> <bR> <div> Hilltop covered in thick fog</div> <div> nearby trees barely in view.</div> <bR> <div> No sunrise over eastern ridge</div> <div> only slow lightening of sky.</div> <bR> <div> Cat meows, wanting food in his dish</div> <div> homemade bread toasting on wood stove.</div> <bR> <div> Would you understand if I said</div> <div> right here, the center of the world.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>David Budbill</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>An Old Dog Headed for the Park</B></div> <div> <B>or</B></div> <div> <B>Glad to Have Another Day</B></div> <div> <B>(Montreal, 3/18/07)</B></div> <bR> <div> Two mornings now we've watched</div> <div>                   an old dog</div> <div> walk past the windows of our B&B,</div> <div>                  out in the cold air,</div> <div> out in the new snow, headed for</div> <div>                  the park,</div> <div> yesterday with the man,      </div> <div>                  this morning with the woman.</div> <bR> <div> He's old,</div> <div>                  he's overweight, </div> <div> he moves real slow,</div> <div>                  he waddles along </div> <div>      </div> <div> wagging his tail</div> <div>                  the whole way.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Charlie Rossiter</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Cold Mountain 2000: </B></div> <div> <B>Han Shan In the City</B></div> <div> <B>                    (4 poems from a series of 51)</B></div> <bR> <div> I'm here in the city</div> <div> but there's something wild and unknowable</div> <div> about where I live.</div> <div> Crooked alleys and dark shadows</div> <div> make the way uncertain.</div> <div> If I choose to go inside</div> <div> there's no way you'll ever find me.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Antler</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>First Breath Last Breath</B></div> <bR> <div> When a baby boy is born</div> <div>      and the midwife</div> <div>             holds him up</div> <div>      as he takes</div> <div>             his first breath,</div> <div> Place him over</div> <div>      the Mother's face</div> <div>              so when the baby exhales</div> <div>      his first breath on Earth</div> <div>              the Mother breathes it.</div> <bR> <div> And when the Mother dies</div> <div>      her middle-aged son</div> <div>              the baby grew up to be,</div> <div>      by her side</div> <div>               his head next to her head,</div> <div> Follows her breathing with his breath</div> <div>      as it becomes shorter</div> <div>              and as the dying Mother</div> <div>      exhales her last breath</div> <div>              her son inhales it.</div> <bR> <div> <B>In the Spirit of T'ao Ch'ien</B></div> <div> <B>is an 84 page hand-sewn paperbook  with spine - $16.00. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>TO ORDER:</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id11.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ordering By Mail"><U><B>To order through mail click here.</B></U></A><B>     </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>ON-LINE          </B><A HREF="id11.htm" TARGET="_top" 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