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"Climbing Lightly Through Forests" is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Lightly-Through-Forests-Anthology/dp/1619761971
It's a tribute anthology in honor of Ursula K. LeGuin, and the poems are by an incredible collection of speculative poetry luminaries from around the world. Also me. I'm in it
https://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Lightly-Through-Forests-Anthology/dp/1619761971
It's a tribute anthology in honor of Ursula K. LeGuin, and the poems are by an incredible collection of speculative poetry luminaries from around the world. Also me. I'm in it
@RB_Lemberg and @cafenowhere did the brilliant work of reaching out to poets and curating poems for this antho.
RB solicited me directly, saying that they had collected a great deal of wonderful work for this book already but still felt they were missing my voice.
RB solicited me directly, saying that they had collected a great deal of wonderful work for this book already but still felt they were missing my voice.
I was hesitant. I had read and liked some of LeGuin's work before and understood how important she was to speculative fiction, but surely the work of writing meaningful tribute to her should be done by others? LeGuin scholars? Superfans? I didn't know what to say.
RB listed some works of LeGuin's that they did not have poems about yet for the book. One was "The Lathe of Heaven."
"I think I didn't like that one," I said.
"Why not?" said RB.
We talked.
Eventually RB, in their wisdom, suggested I read it again.
"I think I didn't like that one," I said.
"Why not?" said RB.
We talked.
Eventually RB, in their wisdom, suggested I read it again.
I got "The Lathe of Heaven" from my university library, read it again, and was immediately captivated.
It was a very different book from the one I remembered reading in high school - or, more accurately, I am now a very different person.
It was a very different book from the one I remembered reading in high school - or, more accurately, I am now a very different person.
What I thought I'd read in high school was a treatise on why we shouldn't try to change the world because nothing will get better.
What I found myself reading, in my 30s, was something quite different - a story about abuse of power, about the control and the nature of power.
What I found myself reading, in my 30s, was something quite different - a story about abuse of power, about the control and the nature of power.
A story about a man who experiences something he can't control, and about the man who tries to bend that experience forcefully to his own will, under the guise of helping.
Of course it all gets fucked up immediately.
In my 30s, now that I've lived, these are rich themes for me.
Of course it all gets fucked up immediately.
In my 30s, now that I've lived, these are rich themes for me.
So I found myself writing a poem in response to "The Lathe of Heaven" quite easily, and with gratitude to RB for guiding me to look at it again.
My poem is called "Dream Logic."
I hope you'll read it, and I hope it fits in among the work of these countless other amazing poets.
My poem is called "Dream Logic."
I hope you'll read it, and I hope it fits in among the work of these countless other amazing poets.
