Poetry of Recovery

After Shocks Reading Features Marjory Wentworth, Susan Meyers, and Satyendra Srivastava

2010-04-30T11:31:00.002-04:00

Three distinguished poets joined me to read from After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events at the University of Central Florida. Marjory Wentworth, the poet laureate of South Carolina, Susan Meyers, the 2007 South Carolina Book Prize winner, and Satyendra Srivastava, the popular Indian-born poet who is lecturer at Cambridge Univeristy, traveled to Orlando for the April 17 event. The reading was part of the inaugural book festival of UCF's Morgridge International Reading Center. The festival organizers had extended a further invitation to Dr. Srivastava for an individual reading of his poetry at the festival. Thanks to Marjory, Susan, and Satyendra for their lovely renderings of After Shocks poems and thanks to all who attended.

After Shocks reviewed in International Journal of Healing and Caring

2009-08-24T12:05:00.004-04:00

The following review, written by by Martina Steiger, ThD, BEd, MA, appeared in a recent issue of The International Journal of Healing and Caring. You may find the review at http://www.wholistichealingresearch.com/92books#1.

Lombardo, Tom. (ed.) After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events. Atlanta, GA: Sante Lucia Books, 2008. 387 pp. Contributors’ bios 53 pp. $19.95

What an accomplishment for the editor Tom Lombardo, who put together this anthology in which 115 poets from 15 nations come together to share their poems of recovery! Indeed, the theme of recovery with a focus on acceptance, hope and healing, however strong or faint it may be, runs through the entire collection that comprises twelve sections. These include the Recovery from Death of a Spouse, from War, Exile, Abuse, Addiction, Bigotry, Loss of a Child, Divorce or Loss of Lover, Loss of Innocence, Illness or Injury, Death of Family or Friends, and Stresses of Living. This diversity surprised me initially. The editor clearly shows the personal and subjective experience of life-shattering events and manages, through his clever selection of poems and their arrangement in the anthology, to validate precisely those experiences. No loss or devastating event is considered more or less important than any other. That alone offers a place for healing and comfort to the reader - at least we know we are not alone, regardless of the circumstances.

The selection of poems in After Shocks crosses and transcends many boundaries and highlights the grief and yearnings of the human soul, common to us as human beings. Although the geographical setting, the language, melody, styles, emotions, and modes of expression vary almost from page to page, we, the readers, never lose track of the underlying and overriding theme – the resilience of the human being who can and does survive the initial trauma and succeeds in living the story of grief. The poets’ voices convey their experiences of pain, loss, love and connection in a deeply compelling manner. The many paradoxes inherent in the grieving process and in recovery, regardless of culture, belief system, or age become apparent. Surrender or letting go on the one hand and forever living with the events of the past on the other hand, develop simultaneously. The poems also illustrate for us clearly how the poetic language of symbols and metaphors powerfully conveys the deeply universal and uniquely personal aspects of the journey of loss, grief, and healing. We also become keenly aware that the process of recovery is just that – an open-ended, unscripted process with no finite point. Each poem invites us to reflect, to empathize, to open our hearts and allow ourselves to receive the images painted in this colourful compilation of poetic imagery.

Many of the poets, whose short biography is included in the biography section at the end of the book, are distinguished poets in their countries, to whom a huge array of awards is attributed. Only a few, it seems, wanted to share with the readers their brief personal stories that motivated them to write a particular poem or series of poems on the topic of recovery. When they did, Lombardo inserted their words in the biographical section, which I greatly appreciate – as this decision allows the poetry to stand completely on its own, while readers still have the information available to them.

Tom Lombardo, the sole editor and publisher of this substantial collection, has presented us all with a gift that may serve to ease grief and restore hope and faith so we can heal or be present to others who find themselves on this journey of recovery. Quite understandably, it seems most poems were written many years, even up to thirty years after the event described. Therefore, I would be cautious in recommending this book to individuals for at least two reasons. When the initial shock of any life-shattering event has not yet worn off, the sheer size of the book is likely to surpass their ability to focus. More importantly, the paradox of loss and grief remains impossible to grasp for many individuals in the early stages of dealing with their experiences because the absence of the presence, the pain and anger, the numbness or shock may render the future incomprehensible and out of reach. And, of course, the opposite might also be true. Others might find solace and comfort in knowing where their path might lead them eventually.

Poetry speaks directly to my heart. This review is not intended to serve as literary criticism of After Shocks but rather as an assessment of resonance. In other words, I turned within, inside my heart, where I listened to my heart and allowed myself to tune in to the emotions and compassion that were swelling up inside me and stirred me. With other books I might include a sample of the text. With this book, I feel that selecting one or two poems as samples from among the enormous variety of topics, poets, and styles in this anthology would only reveal my strong personal bias that is informed through my poetic tastes and my life experiences in general, rather than do justice to the skillfully arranged anthology.

Lombardo’s dedication and deep commitment to his project inspired the generosity of many poets to contribute to this anthology that consists of previously published materials, all of which are carefully cited – a true treasure chest for those of us who feel captivated by a particular poem or poet and are yearning for more. True to the nature of an anthology, we have the luxury of choosing only one poem at a time, randomly, in sequence or by topic, or of reading entire sections. Particularly during this chaotic period throughout the world, the poetic pictures, gems, and insights offered to us in After Shocks may carry us through transitions and remind us of our ever-transitioning stories that we call life. The poems provide us with the opportunity to remember once more the common and shared experiences in the cycle of life, death and rebirth through which we are all connected.

Book Review by Martina Steiger, ThD, BEd, MA

After Shocks To Be Used in University of Minnesota Course

2009-08-20T10:37:00.003-04:00

After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events will be used in a topics class called TRAUMA & RECOVERY, WRITING OUR CONTEMPORARY STORIES at the University of Minnesota. The course is Liberal Studies 5100 and will be taught by Roseann Lloyd.

Interview With Invisible Sisters Author Jessica Handler

2009-05-13T21:43:00.003-04:00

Invisible Sisters is a story about growing up with two sisters who died of blood disorders and then how it affected you and your family over the ensuing decades. First, I'd like to get a sense of the birth order of you and your sisters and the events leading up to and causing their deaths.

I am the oldest of three sisters, and by the time I was 32, was the only one living. My sister Susie died of leukemia when she was 8, and I was 10. Our little sister Sarah was 4 at the time; Sarah had been diagnosed before she was a year old with a rare, congenital white blood cell disorder called Kostmann’s Syndrome. She died when she was 27 and I was 32. My mother called these two illnesses, which have, as far as I know, never been seen in one family, in one generation, a “reverse miracle.” This wasn’t a “movie of the week” kind of scenario – when my sisters were well, they were just like any other kids, and throughout her illness, Sarah alternated between regular kid-hood and long periods of hospitalization, sometimes for simple things like infections that other people could fight off. We had a different kind of “normal” in our lives.

So, Susie did not survive through elementary school and Sarah was a young adult when she died. Can you describe your initial reactions to their deaths, and I mean first-day, first-week reactions, and then how your grief has progressed until today, with perspective of decades?

Even though I was – the whole family – aware that Sarah would die young, she ultimately died at home in her own apartment, apparently suddenly. That sounds disingenuous, but it was during a time when she was out of the hospital, working at her job and enjoying her life. I was in shock, but I didn’t know that until I was writing Invisible Sisters and went back to my journal from that time and found that after the words “Sarah died” there were no entries for several weeks. An airplane ticket stub, her death notice from the paper, and that’s about it. Looking back now at my inability to communicate then, even with myself, tells me a lot about how I reacted.

Susie’s death occurred more than twenty years prior to Sarah’s, and I was a kid – I didn’t fully understand the idea of death. Her absence from our shared bedroom was the most ominous sign to me. My parents sent Sarah and me back to school after a very brief shiva- they wanted to make sure that we stayed on course with daily life. We didn’t discuss Susie’s death after that first day or so. I know now that’s because my parents were heartbroken and the only thing they knew to do was to move forward. People grieve differently, and I understand why my parents reacted the way they did - they were grabbing hold of life, making sure we didn't lose ourselves in the past or, in Sarah's case, worry about the unknown.

Of course I still grieve for my sisters - I think of them almost every day, in small things, like when I see children who resemble how they looked, or when I come across something - a news item, a joke, a song - that I wish I could share with them. Missing my sisters is a part of who I have become, and I honor myself - and my life with my sisters - by living fully.

You are the last sister alive, and have been so for many years. How do you think of your sisters today? And do you wonder or fantasize what life would be like for you had they not died, what your life would be like with all three of you grown up, with spouses, families, visits with the aunts and cousins and grandparents, etc.?

I think of my sisters almost every day, in small ways. A song might come on the radio that Sarah and I liked, and I want to call her so we can shout the chorus together into the phone. I meet someone, grown now, and I’m sure they knew Susie in kindergarten, and I want to ask her, “hey do you remember so and so?” There’s a truncated feeling to those thoughts, because there’s no call to make.

When I got married, I made the decision not to have bridesmaids, because my sisters, who would have been in my wedding, would not be present. So, to me, they were present in their absence.

Can you describe the effect on your parents from the deaths of two of their children?

My mother was committed to staying as on course as possible. She made life very normal for Sarah and me when we were kids. She worked, my father worked, Sarah and I went to school, had friends, had piano lessons and ballet lessons and all that stuff. We fought and hung out and had pets and did all those kid things. My father, who was more visibly affected by Susie’s death and Sarah’s serious illness, got unstable for a while. My parents eventually divorced, and my father moved overseas for work for about a year, then came back to the states and relocated and remarried. Sarah had an ongoing relationship with him, but he and I were estranged for a number of years. We reconnected a few years before his death, and I’m glad about that.

Have the deaths of your sisters played a role in your decision to forgo having children of your own?

Oh, definitely. I was honored to have a “My Turn” essay in Newsweek in the April 27 issue on that topic, the idea of being “childless by choice,” which has garnered a large amount of feedback from readers, on my blog, on Facebook, and even phone calls! About a year into our marriage, my husband and I underwent genetic testing, and found that I have a 67% chance of passing on the syndrome that Sarah had. Medical research has progressed since her death, and in Susie’s case, children with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia have much better prognoses than they did in 1968, but my sisters’ childhoods – and mine – have made me kind of gun-shy about being a mother.

One part of the book that I found surprising and intriguing was your father's career, which is discussed in a chapter of Invisible Sisters. Would you describe your father's work in the labor union and civil rights movements?

My father was an attorney in the first part of his career – he later taught – and worked for the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union during the early and mid-sixties. My father brought me along with him when he met with union workers in country towns around Atlanta – suburbs now – and I was exposed early to diversity and the need for justice. My parents raised us with the Jewish sense of tikkun olam – repair of the world. When Dr. King was killed in Memphis, I was eight years old, and my father brought me to Dr. King’s funeral in Atlanta; an amazing and important experience for a little kid that I’ve never forgotten.

How did the deaths of your sisters affect your own life-long relationship with your mother?

My mother and I are very close now, and we’re a lot alike. Throughout my ‘teens and twenties and into my thirties, my mother worked very hard to remind me, in small and almost stealth ways, that I am valuable to her and others, and have things to offer. This came about because in a family where the other siblings require extreme attention, the “well-sibling” takes on the role of self-care, and being a mini-adult. Well-sibling is a term I’ve come across in writing and promoting this book, and it fits. I never resented the attention my sisters received – it was their due, and I wasn’t neglected – but my Mom worked hard to keep my life as rewarding as possible, and I love her for that.

Having lived through those tragedies, what sort of advice would you pass along to someone experiencing a similar loss of family member?

Enjoy your loved ones for who they are, even when you disagree, because that’s a part of life. After a loved one is gone, don’t be afraid to remember them, even though that can be painful. I think it’s a dishonor to your loved one and the life you shared to limit yourself after their death.

Visit Jessica Handler's blog.

After Shocks contributor Carol Ann Duffy Named Poet Laureate of Great Britain

2009-05-07T13:24:00.003-04:00

After Shocks contributor Carol Ann Duffy was named the 22nd Poet Laureate of Great Britain last week. Duffy succeeds Andrew Motion. She is the first woman named poet laureate in the 341-year history of the position.

Duffy's poem in After Shocks was "Mrs. Lazarus" from her collection The World's Wife (Picador, 1999). The collection is themed, containing poems from the perspective of the women behind the famous men in history and examines themes of sexism, equality, bereavement and birth.

I don't have permission to reprint "Mrs. Lazarus" here, but you may find in on page 46 of After Shocks where it is reprinted with the publisher's permission.

The poem from The World's Wife most often quoted in all the news stories about Duffy's appointment, and thereby probably fair game to reprint here, is this one:

Mrs. Darwin

7 April 1852
Went to the Zoo
I said to him - Something about that chimpanzee over there reminds me of you.

The World's Wife is an excellent collection. Go get it as well as any of her other collections, which are excellent. She is among the world's greatest living poets.

After Shocks Visits Boston

2009-05-07T12:58:00.002-04:00

On Saturday, May 2, nine contributors from After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events joined me at the Suffolk University Poetry Center, Boston, to read from the anthology.

Annie Finch, Martha Collins, Steven Cramer, Nancy Tupper Ling, Becky Thompson, Pam Bernard, Carol Dine, and Jennifer Barber read their poems and other selections from After Shocks. Afaa Michael Weaver read from his Foreword to the anthology.

After the reading, Pam Bernard said, "How wonderful...to see first hand why this book emits such power. In the spirit of true grace, you have created something bigger than yourself, bigger than all of us, and sent it as a gift into the world. I was honored and humbled to be there among just a few of the amazing poets you have gathered." Carol Dine said, "A page in the anthology is like a leaf that has curled and died; beside it, a bud, greening." The other contributors were also quite complimentary towards After Shocks and its impact. Becky Thompson told me something that nearly knocked me over: "It's good to see a white editor publishing so much poetry by poets of color." She referred to the 14 African Americans, two Latinos, and 2 Native Americans included in the anthology.

Jennifer Barber, acting director of the poetry center, was our gracious host for the reading. Becky Thompson traveled all the way from Colorado Springs to read. Thanks to both of them for their efforts, and to all of the poets who read.

The Suffolk University Poetry Center is a lovely venue in case you're planning a reading.

The Writer's Center Welcomes After Shocks Reading

2009-04-27T10:36:00.002-04:00

On Sunday, April 26, The Writer's Center hosted five poets reading from After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events. As the editor of After Shocks, I introduced the five acclaimed contributors, each of whom read their poems from the anthology and then read two others of their choice from the anthology. Poets reading were Carolyn Kreiter Foronda, Clinton B. Campbell, R.G. Evans, Kurt Lamkin, and Marjory Wentworth. Sunil Freeman, assistant director of The Writer's Center, Bethesda, MD, was our gracious host, and I'd like to thank Sunil for scheduling this After Shocks event at his terrific venue, which is dedicated to promoting literature, right in downtown Bethesda. And I'd like to thank the five poets, all of whom traveled great distances to participate. Ms. Foronda drove up from the Tidewater area of Virginia. R.G. Evans drove down from southern New Jersey. Marjory Wentworth made a stop on her way home to Charleston from a Rhode Island seminar. Kurt Lamkin and Clinton B. Campbell both drove all the way from Charleston, SC.

Lenten Moon Shines on After Shocks Reading

2009-03-28T10:57:00.004-04:00

Three contributors from After Shocks read at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center Poetry Series on March 11 in Atlanta. The series is held in the renovated greenhouse on the grounds of the old Candler mansion. Two frinds of mine played a short classical violin set as the audience arrived. David Bottoms, Stellasue Lee, and Alexa Selph read their poems from After Shocks with the Lenten full moon shining through the glass-paned ceiling. About 50 to 60 people attended the reading in this magical setting, and my violinist friends Al Pieper and Molly McDonald play another short set during the book signing.

St. Dunstan's Invites After Shocks to Sunday School

2009-03-18T13:53:00.005-04:00

I was fortunate to be the guest speaker at St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church adult Sunday school on March 8. I used readings from After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events to discuss issues surrounding recovery from death of a spouse and other loved ones, exile, war, addiction, bigotry, abuse, divorce, loss of innocence. Approximately 25 church members in attendance engaged in a deep discussion of the issues. They asked questions about how the anthology was compiled and whether there were submissions that raised the relationship of God to recovery. Thanks to Rev. Tricia Templeton for inviting me to speak.

After Shocks contributor Jericho Brown appears on Poetic Asides blog

2009-03-05T12:33:00.005-05:00

An interview with After Shocks contributor Jericho Brown appears on Poetic Asides blog. The interview, conducted by Writer's Digest editor and blogger Richard Lee Brewer, focuses on Brown's new collection Please (New Issues, Western Michigan, 2008). He also talks about his job as speechwriter for past New Orleans mayor Marc H. Morial as well as his writing technique.

Does it hurt to write about recovery?

2009-03-02T22:04:00.003-05:00

At a reading/panel discussion of After Shocks poets at the South Carolina Book Festival last Saturday that question in the headline above was posed by a 22-year-old audience member named Zack. The responses of the panelists could be summed up this way: Yes, in the short term, it does hurt, but in the long-term it helps healing, and not only for the poet, but hopefully for readers, too.

The After Shocks contributors on the panel that I moderated at the Columbia-based festival were Laurel Blossom, Clinton B. Campbell, Susan Meyers, Marjory Wentworth, and Ed Madden. In answering this perceptive question, the panelists brought up issues of buried grief or ignored addiction problems or post-traumatic stresses and disorders that when extracted by the poet's pen cause wounds to re-open, or open for the first time if they've been buried from the very beginning. And thus the act of writing--a self-examination--may cause great pain. We all seemed to agree that in the long-run, we were better off for the writing.

Recovery from a life-shattering event like the death of a beloved family member or expriences in war, from exile, acts of bigotry, illness or injury, acknowleding and dealing with addictions--recovery from these events doesn't truly end--ever. There is no closure. There is no point where you can say "I'm totally healed." These events become something that we learn to live with, like a scar, something we wear, like a medal. We are marked forever, though over time, the pain diminishes, and in the long-term, writing helps us move down that asymptotic curve.

Two Successful Radio Interviews for After Shocks

2009-02-16T21:24:00.003-05:00

On December 14 and February 2, After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events was the subject of two radio interviews.

The December 14 interview, for Georgia Public Broadcasting, ran live across the state for the program Cover to Cover by Jeff Calder. The interview is archived at http://www.gpb.org/covertocover. Click on Dec. 14 Tom Lombardo After Shocks interview by Jeff Calder.

The February 2 interview ran live on Radio Sandy Springs on the program Book Talk with Gail, hosted by Gail Cohn. The interview is archived at:
http://www.radiosandysprings.com/podcasts/BookTalkFeb02.2009.mp3

Interview Update

2008-12-11T11:33:00.003-05:00

After Shocks is the subject of two radio interviews. The first, which ran live on Dec. 3 on BlogTalk Radio, hosted by Dr. Arlene Barro, is archived at BlogTalk Radio Interview with After Shocks editor Tom Lombardo. The second will air this coming Sunday, Dec. 14, at 8 PM on the radio program Cover To Cover on Georgia Public Broadcasting. The producer/host Jeff Calder taped an interview with me a couple of weeks ago. He has intercut readings of poems from After Shocks contributors David Bottoms, who is Georgia's Poet Laureate, and Alexa Selph, an Atlanta-based poet, along with Garrison Keillor reading a Thomas Lux poem from After Shocks.

You don't have to live in Georgia to hear this broadcast. You can listen simultaneously on the web at www.gpb.org/covertocover on Sunday night at 8 PM. In case you miss it, the program will be archived at that same web address for later listening.

If you live in Georgia, note that Georgia Public Broadcasting does NOT have an Atlanta affiliate, unfortunately. The WABE station in Atlanta, which is NPR, is NOT GPB. In Atlanta, to hear this program at 8 PM, you could try 88.1 FM, which is a nearby GPB affiliate. Or go to the URL listed above, and linked here:

GPB Cover To Cover Presents After Shocks.

After Shocks contributor in Kurdistan

2008-11-20T12:42:00.001-05:00

I received an email this week from After Shocks contributor Nazand Begikhani, an Iraqi Kurdish poet who fled Iraq after her town, Halabja, was bombed with chemical agents by Saddam Hussein's regime in 1988, killing 5,000, mostly women and children. Ms. Begikhani contributed 3 poems to After Shocks that concern her exile and recovery.

"I just came back from the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, where I had to do some field research on gender-based violence. I have noticed in the recent years that feeding people's spirit through words, dreams and hope, is as important as giving them bread. This is certainly true for Iraqi Kurdistan after Saddam Hussein's genocidal campaign of Anfal. My publisher has organised a 'Poetry Promenade' through different towns and cities of Kurdistan, and I have felt very emotional by direct encounters with local people. I am still recovering from that..."

After Shocks Visits Atlanta Episcopal Council

2008-11-17T11:17:00.003-05:00

I spent most of Friday and Saturday behind a table as the Episcopal clergy and lay ministers of Georgia walked by, many of whom glanced down to see copies of After Shocks, and some of whom I was able to stop and talk to about the poetry of recovery.

Those who stopped seemed very interested in the value of After Shocks as a potential pastoral care resource. A few of them bought copies of After Shocks. One woman wept when she told me the story of her daughter's death at the hands of an impaired driver, just a few years ago. She bought a copy of After Shocks and said that she hoped it gave her the courage to start a MADD chapter in Perry, Georgia.

What I've found interesting about clergy--they are well-educated and quite literate, and most of them like poetry! I probably should have known this already, as I have some friends who are priests or ministers, but when I started meeting them in dozens, I finally understood the weight of their jobs. Hundreds maybe thousands of people depend on them for both enormous emotional upheavals and miniscule emotional blips. Plus, clergy must write something intelligent, interesting, and insightful each and every week as a sermon or their audiences (i.e. their employers) y lose their jobs.

I continue to marvel at the strong reaction by clergy to After Shocks, and I'll continue to promote its value to this audience.

After Shocks Reading in Charlotte a Great Success!

2008-11-11T10:27:00.001-05:00

On Sunday, I hosted 10 other poets in readings from After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events at Joseph Beth Booksellers in Charlotte, NC. We had about 70 people in the audience, which is on the larger side of poetry readings. We took over the entire upstairs of the bookstore!

Poets reading were: Cathy Smith Bowers (Tryon, NC), Susan Meyers (Charleston, SC), Terri Wolfe (Charlotte, NC), Anthony Abbott (Davidson, NC), Genie Cotner (Charlotte), Gail Peck (Charlotte), Barbara Presnell (Lexington, NC), Rhett Iseman Trull (Greensboro, NC), Linda Ferguson, (a native of Charlotte who lives in Charleston, SC), and Ed Madden (Columbia, SC).

Sold many books. The bookstore sold out of its order from the distributor, so I dipped into my own stash.

Gail Peck hosted a wonderful party afterwards at her home, where the literarti of central North Carolina glittered. It was great fun to meet so many of them. Thanks, Gail!

Weekend in Sewanee, TN, with After Shocks

2008-11-06T10:56:00.005-05:00

Last weekend, I visited Sewanee, Tennessee, for three events for After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events hosted/arranged by the Otey Memorial Parish (Episcopal).

The first event was a Saturday afternoon meeting of the church-sponsored recovery groups, where I met with about 10 folks, plus the groups' leader, clinical psychologist Robin Reed-Spalding. I talked about my own personal story, what it meant for me, and what I think recovery means (not as an expert, of course, just a guy who lived it), and read several poems from After Shocks. The best part was when they interrupted me and I could go "off the prepared script." This meeting went well and lasted almost 2 hours. One interesting thing: I made the comment when I read a poem about the death of a child that this was likely the worst kind of loss, and a woman in the group who had lost her 17-year-old daughter disagreed with me: "The worst loss is the loss you face right now," she said.

The second event was a book signing at the Barnes & Noble, which is also the book store of the University of the South, based in Sewanee. I met a couple of faculty members from the seminary there.

The third event was an adult Sunday school session, very well attended, maybe 2 dozen folks or more. I had only one hour with these folks. I had condensed my opening remarks from the recovery group the day before, and as I was reading poems from After Shocks, they engaged me in a very lively discussion. I had anticipated the "God question," and stirred quite a sensation with my response. The "God Question" is this: "When you faced your personal tragedy, how did God impact your thinking/recovery/grief process?" My answer, very delicately, but very emphatically: He did not. Followed by a list of good reasons, not the least of which is that I don't believe that God involves Himself in our lives at this level, but that really sparks the next question: "Yeah, but...didn't you pray, at least for some type of guidance or solace?" Well, no. I'm not that kind of religious. And in fact, when I was in that little room waiting to see my dead wife's body and the nurse asked me if I wanted to see a Chaplain, I nearly strangled her. Who I wanted to see was my family, so that I could hug them and cry! I didn't want some anonymous chaplain. Then the next question of course, "Well, the anonymous chaplain brings you to the God you already know very well..." And on it went. It was a great discussion. The end point really is this: In recovery situations, you must embrace the pain, bring it inside, make it part of you. The longer you hold that off, the harder the road ahead will be. God can't stop the pain. In my question back to the group: Does God care about my measly, insignificant, Middle Class American pain when destitute children in Africa are raped every day?

In both groups, there was a great deal of interest in editorial details: How did you get all the poets? How long did it take? Any surprises in the process? Why did you self-publish? Lots of great questions. I love this "off-the-notes" type of discussion. I'm much more comfortable doing that than having any prepared remarks.

I'm getting a lot more comfortable talking about those events surrounding the death of my first wife. I realize that I have buried that stuff pretty deeply, and digging it out...it's an exhumation of the past. It's hard to talk so openly to perfect strangers about something that I feel so proprietary about. Dr. Reed-Spalding, the clinical psychologist who ran the recovery groups (and also attended the Sunday school session) said this to me afterwards: "I am sure telling your story is not easy…but by telling your story you help create a safe environment."

I have several more church-based sessions scheduled for After Shocks, and I'll post further thoughts here as they occur.

After Shocks Editor interviewed on Poetic Asides Blog

2008-10-31T10:08:00.002-04:00

Robert Brewer, editor of Writer's Market and Writer's Digest, interviewed me for his Poetic Asides blog. The interview, posted a couple days ago, goes into depth on my process and the motivation for After Shocks. Check it out at:

Poetic Asides

2 New Events Scheduled for After Shocks

2008-10-11T11:18:00.003-04:00

March 11 at 8:15 PM
Readings by contributors to After Shocks
Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, 980 Briarcliff Road, N.E., Atlanta, GA 30306
(404) 872-5338

May 2 at 4 PM
Readings by contributors to After Shocks
Suffolk University Poetry Center, Mildred F. Sawyer Library, 73 Tremont Street, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02108 (617) 573-8535

November Upcoming Events

2008-10-06T16:08:00.007-04:00

After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events.

Nov. 1
1:30 PM Recovery Groups Reading and discussion of After Shocks
Otey Episcopal Church, 216 University Avenue, Sewanee, Tennessee, 931-598-5926

Immediately followed (4 PM) by Book Signing at Barnes & Noble, Sewanee, Tennessee.
735 University Ave, Sewanee, Tennessee, (931) 598-1153

Nov. 2
Adult Sunday School reading of After Shocks and discussion
10 AM to 10:50 AM
Otey Episcopal Church
216 University Avenue
Sewanee, Tennessee
931-598-5926

Nov.9
Reading at Joseph Beth Booksellers
2 PM
4345 Barclay Downs Dr.
Charlotte, NC 28209
704-602-9800.
After Shocks contributors who will be reading:

Anthony Abbott (Davidson, NC)
Cathy Smith Bowers (Tryon, NC)
Clinton B. Campbeell (Beaufort, SC)
Genie Cotner (Charlotte, NC)
Gail Peck (Charlotte, NC)
Barbara Presnell (Lexington, NC)
Rhett Iseman Trull (Greensboro, NC)
Terri Wolfe (Charlotte, NC)
Susan Meyers (Summerville, SC, native of Albemarle, NC)
Linda Ferguson (Charleston, SC, native of Charleston, NC)
Ed Madden (Charleston, SC)
Val Nieman (Greensboro, NC)

Nov. 14-15
I'll be hosting a table at the Episcopal Diocesan Council of Atlanta Annual Meeting
9 AM to 2 PM both days.
Holiday Inn Decatur Conference Center
130 Clairemont Ave., Decatur, GA 30030

Clergy reacts to After Shocks

2008-10-01T12:32:00.011-04:00

The reaction to After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events among clergy has been both surprising and strong. Surprising because I never expected it. Strong because I'm getting invited to conduct readings at churches and synagogues.

Months ago, during my reading and selection process, I spoke with the mother of a friend of my daughter about After Shocks. She happens to be Rev. Lindsay Armstrong, a Presbyterian minister, and her husband, Mark Douglas, happens to be a theologian at Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta. My initial question to them, very informally, was this: I had been reading the Psalms, all 150 of them, searching for a Psalm of recovery (one which had not yet appeared on a T-shirt) that I might include in the anthology. I commented that the Psalms of recovery always seemed to include vengeance as part of their recovery, which I didn't deem within my vision for After Shocks, and I rejected using a Psalm. Mark whipped out his Blackberry, into which he had loaded an entire Concordance, and began searching, and he looked up puzzled. "You may be right," he said.

However, the more we talked about my vision for After Shocks, the more excited they became about the possibilities for After Shocks as a resource in a pastoral care context. It took be a couple of days to process their reaction. When I began to look at this more deeply, I discovered that for most people, their first point of contact after a life-shattering event is their clergy. They may end up with a psychiatrist, psychologist, other therapist, but clergy plays a huge role in recovery for most people. I had one of those "duh!" moments, where you hit your forehead with the palm of your hand.

It was one of the more interesting events to confront my vision over the 18 months from conception to publishing.

The minister's husband suggested that I contact Walter Brueggemann, Old Testament Scholar at the Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur (near my Atlanta home), which I eventually did, and Dr. Brueggemann read over the manuscript and wrote a foreword to After Shocks.

Now that After Shocks has been published, the reaction from clergy is very strong. I've had clergy members tell me that they like to use poetry in their sermons, that they look for stories like those in After Shocks in their pastoral care for the sick, the dying, the grieving, the lost.

I have received invitations to conduct readings at Sunday School sessions at three churches, one in Sewanee, Tennessee, and two in Atlanta. I'll post the schedule later this week. There's also a synagogue in D.C. that's considering inviting me to a session with the congregation.

Though After Shocks is not overtly religious, nor even covertly religious, I believe that clergy are reacting to the underlying theme of the anthology that builds as you read it: The resilience of the human spirit. We have the resources within ourselves to battle our way back from life-shattering events.

Kurdish Women's Rights Watch

2008-09-26T09:41:00.005-04:00

One of the contributors to After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events is Nazand Begikhani, who survived the chemical gas-bombing attack in Halabja by the regime of Saddam Hussein on Iraqi Kurds on March 16, 1988, which killed 5,000 civilians, 75 percent of them women and children. Begikhani escaped, though her two brothers died, and she now lives in London.

She is an incredible poet and scholar, a polyglot who translates her own poetry into French and English, and her poems have been translated into Arabic and Persian. She has also translated Baudelaire and T.S. Eliot into Kurdish. Begikhani is a founding member and coordinator of Kurdish Women Action Against Honor Killing. Her research into Kurdish gender issues is widely published in Kurdish, French, and English.

In an email yesterday, Begikhani asked me for comp copies of After Shocks to sell at upcoming conferences in Paris and London of the Kurdish Women's Rights Watch. Proceeds would benefit KWRW. The Paris conference starts next Thursday, so I am mailing her a dozen copies expedited. At that weight and speed, this is going to cost at or near $100, maybe more (gulp!). Can I afford this? Not really, but I guess I can afford it more than Kurds can. My incredibly insignificant contribution--can it help the cause of justice in this murderous world?

Anyway, I share this here because I am just totally overwhelmed by the unexpected turns in my journey of the past 18 months to compile and launch After Shocks. The surprises get more incredible each day. Whether I sell enough books to earn back my costs seems immaterial at this point. The fun I'm having is worth every dollar. Never in my wildest dreams would I have anticipated coming across Nazand Begikhani's poems and her causes.

Blog Interview about the Making of After Shocks

2008-09-22T13:05:00.004-04:00

Today, blogger Jessica Handler posted her interview with me at Swimming in the Trees. The interview, conducted via email, focused on the conception of After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events and the background of the making of the anthology. Here's the link:

Interview with Tom Lombardo

Report on After Shocks Reading in Charleston: Sept 18, 2008

2008-09-20T06:24:00.002-04:00

The readings in Charleston Thursday night from After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events went very, very well. About 60 people showed up, helped by a Sunday news feature in the Charleston newspaper and two TV spots my publicist was able to line up for me that day.

The reading featured 8 Carolina contributors to After Shocks: Paul Allen, Linda Annas Ferguson, Barbara G.S. Hagerty, Richard Garcia, Kurt Lamkin, Susan Meyers, Gail Peck, and South Carolina Poet Laureate Marjory Wentworth. Things went very smoothly, considering the individual readings were quite short, 2 poems apiece. I was able to insert little bits of information about the anthology as a whole in between the readers ("15-second ads"). The entire reading took one hour, then the book signing lasted about 30 or so minutes. I had invited each contributor to sell his/her recent books, too, and a few of those were also sold and signed. The Friends of the Charleston Library managed the selling of the books.

Kurt Lamkin graciously played his Kora before and after the reading. The Kora is a 21-stringed West African instrument. The large, round gourd-like body sits in the players lap, and the neck stands up about three more feet. The nylon strings face the player, who plucks them while facing the neck. The sound is wonderful. It's been described as a harp-lute, but that doesn't quite capture it exactly. Google Kora, and you will find links with samples. Kurt has performed internationally. Not only sounds great, but he looks great playing it, too.

I was on TV twice on Thursday in Charleston to promote the book and the evening reading, at the ABC affiliate and the CBS affiliate. And this was great experience for future publicity efforts. I had done some production work in the past from behind the camera, but this was my first time in front of the live camera, and it does jangle the nerves a bit. During my time on "Low Country Live" at the ABC affiliate, Channel 4, the two interviewers were prepared, interested, and asked good questions. Lasted about 5 minutes. Afterwards, the woman interviewer, Ryan, told me her college roommate had been murdered by a stalker and that her fiancé had died in an auto wreck. I felt that connection that shared grief enables, and I inscribed her copy with a deeply heartfelt message. The afternoon segment at Channel 5 news was very brief..."After Shocks...reading tonight at the library...Yes, my wife died...Oh, yes, I recovered, sort of...Next up, how pregnant women can prevent radiation damage to their fetuses..." I was on camera for 75 seconds.

All in all, a good day. Because Charleston was the first public reading, I can now say proudly: After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events is now officially launched.

You can see more about After Shocks at:
After Shocks

Readings from After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events

2008-09-13T07:02:00.000-04:00

Charleston, South Carolina

September 18 7 PM
Charleston County Public Library
68 Calhoun Street

Carolina-based contributors to After Shocks will read from the anthology: Paul Allen, Linda Annas Ferguson, Richard Garcia, Barbara G.S. Hagerty, Kurtis Lamkin, Susan Meyers, Gail Peck, Marjory Wentworty, and editor Tom Lombardo. Music by contributors Kuris Lamkin and Paul Allen. Book signing follows the reading.

The Charleston Post & Courier published an article promoting this reading last Sunday. Click the link to read it.

Charleston Post & Courier article

2008-07-28T08:13:00.000-04:00

INTRODUCING

After Shocks
The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events

An anthology of 152 poems by 115 poets from 15 nations
all speaking the language of recovery

With chapters on recovery from Grief, War, Exile, Divorce, Abuse, Bigotry, Illness, Injury, Addiction, Loss of innocence.

Including three U.S. Poets Laureate, a Pulitzer Prize Winner, a Whitbread Book of the Year winner, a Whitbread Poetry Award winner, two Lannan Award winners, two Forward Prize winners, the poets laureate of three states or commonwealths.

Available on-line and in bookstores NOW.

Order at http://www.poetryofrecovery.com/

Praise for After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events

“Editor Tom Lombardo has assembled nothing less than an atlas of recovery for our time, a book brimming with various maps of the journey through suffering, despair, survival, restoration, and hope. Each poem here glimmers with an experiential and artistic wisdom that shows us how suffering can be endured, how loss can be accepted, and how the meanings of death can be transformed and turned toward an affirmation of life.”
— Fred Marchant, author of Full Moon Boat, Director, Creative Writing, Suffolk University

“This international collection of poetry can serve as an aid in promoting compassion and courage. We draw courage from those on a similar path. Our stories, whether personal or professional, are about transitions, and the story continues to unfold.”
— Nicholas Mazza, Ph.D., Editor of Journal of Poetry Therapy, Patricia V. Vance Professor of Social Work, Florida State University

“After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events is a book that seeks to stand up and walk among us as a living thing, a force to activate the good and prepare us to weather the bad. Let it stand and not be taken down. Let it live in our lives as readers.”
— Afaa Michael Weaver, author of The Plum Flower Dance, Alumnae Professor of English, Simmons College

“The sum of these poems is to tell the truth and by the telling to find relief and sometimes healing. The ones who read and hear these poems can share the loss that is so common among us, and perhaps also share the healing that comes through bold voice.”
— Walter Brueggemann, Ph.D., author of Finally Comes the Poet, Biblical Scholar, Columbia Theological Seminary

“This anthology is of national and international significance. It is a collection that crosses and embraces all boundaries—culture, class, gender, and race. It takes us into the hardest places human beings have to go—the failures of personal relationships, loss of loved ones, genocide, racial oppression, addiction, loss of innocence, marginalization, and more. And, yet, each section moves, finally, toward a place of hope and dignity and resilience.”
— Cathy Smith Bowers, author of The Candle I Hold Up To See You, Faculty, Queens University of Charlotte MFA Program.

Available on-line and in bookstores NOW.

Order at www.poetryofrecovery.com

The poets in After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events

Rita Dove Simon Armitage Carol Dine Douglas Dunn Cathy Smith Bowers Patricia Wellingham-Jones Donald Hall Carol Ann Duffy Molly Gloss Thomas Lux Pam Bernard Elizabeth Bernardin Sandor Kányádi Stellasue Lee Doug Anderson Jim McGarrah Sonja Besford Martha Collins Rachel Tzvia Back Brian Turner Nazand Begikhani Liu Hongbin Paul Sohar Satyendra Srivastava Marjorie Wentworth Diana Woodcock Majid Naficy Shelley Davidow J. P. Dancing Bear Margaret Chula Major Jackson Lisha Adela Garcia Ron Rash Annie Finch Barbara Mitchell Roseann Lloyd Joy Helsing Nehassaiu deGannes Peter Cooley Paul Allen R. G. Evans Barbara G.S. Hagerty Clinton B. Campbell Iain Haley Pollock Laurel Blossom Willie James King Satyendra Srivastava Georgia Ann Banks-Martin Kevin Young Tolu Ogunlesi Meir Wieseltier Randall Horton Richard Garcia György Faludy Bette Lynch Husted William Stafford Terri Wolfe J. Stephen Rhodes Gail Rudd Entrekin Anthony S. Abbott Faye J. Hoops Annie Finch Farideh Hassanzadeh Rebecca McClanahan Sister Lou Ella Hickman Anna Rabinowitz David Bottoms Janet Winans Stellasue Lee Alexa Selph Dennis Ward Stiles Renée Michele Breeden Ellen Doré Watson Joseph Mills Liesl Jobson Deborah P. Kolodji Aimee Nezhukumatathil Kurtis Lamkin C.C. Thomas Barbara Presnell Naomi Ruth Lowinsky Jericho Brown Therése Halscheid Becky Thompson John McAllister J. E. Pitts William Greenway Susan Varon Shaindel Beers Genie Cotner Marcia Slatkin David Bottoms Barbara Mitchell Joan Houlihan Jenni Meredith Rhett Iseman Trull Pramila Venkateswaran Diane Holland Valerie Nieman Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda Susan Meyers Meir Wieseltier Satyendra Srivastava Joseph Enzweiler Jane Gentry Rachel Eliza Griffiths Gail Peck Jennifer Barber Ilya Kaminsky Allison Hedge Coke Steven Cramer Linda Annas Ferguson Kevin Simmonds Gail Rudd Entrekin Nancy Tupper Ling Carole Baldock Deema Shehabi Kate Gale Jeffrey Levine Bernardo Atxaga

Available on-line and in bookstores NOW.

Order at www.poetryofrecovery.com