To the Stars Through Difficulties: A Kansas Renga in 150 Voices

Edited by Caryn

Mirriam-Goldberg

A "renga" is a collaborative poem based on the Japanese haiku form, often about nature. Poets in the chain take readers across the mythological as well as physical landscape of Kansas. Each poet begins with the seed of an idea from the poem before, writes, and leads the way for the next poet, all the way to the end. The editor, Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg Kansas Poet Laureate 2009-2013, developed the project as part of her website, www.150KansasPoems.wordpress.com, to help lift up the literary arts in Kansas. Throughout 2012, new renga sections appeared every few days, giving viewers of the site the regular sequels. Mirriam-Goldberg explains, The renga draws together descendants of pioneers, lovers of dogs or cats or both, attorneys and people who've spent time in jail, old hippies and young activists, social workers and psychologists, mothers and grandfathers, mathematicians and dancers, college professors emeritus and current students. In our poetic conversation, we celebrate Kansas and make community with readers. The writers celebrate startling beauty of the grasslands and its brilliant skies, including reverie as well as plein air descriptions. The poets follow images and questions threading through the unfolding form of the renga, creating together one winding poem, a river of words on what place can and does mean.
MAMMOTH PUBLICATIONS 1916 STRATFORD RD. LAWRENCE, KANSAS 66044 785-925-3509 mammothpubs@gmail.com www.mammothpublications.com Publication Date: December 15, 2012 164 pages Cover art by Lara Jost ISBN 978-0-9837995-9-7 $18.00 Paper, perfectbound. Listed in Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and other major distributors