Bruce Smith Sticks Landing
Anacapa Poet-in-Residence for a brief week.
Author of six collections including his most recent Devotions, widely anthologized and published (The New Yorker, The
Paris Review, The New Republic, TLS (London), Poetry and the Kenyon Review, among many others), finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award (twice), a “Discovery”/The Nation Award winner, professor at the undergrad and M.F.A. levels--Anacapa Poet-in-Residence Bruce Smith lived the life of a Thacher teacher (hold the coaching and dorm duty) for a week or so just as 2012 took hold. Bunking in at The Cottage, Mr. Smith took every possible opportunity to join with students and faculty in discourse about the art and craft of his genre: every level of English met with him; he and former Phillips Academy, Andover colleague Katherine Halsey (English, French) hosted a “poetry table” at formal dinner beginning with Pablo Neruda’s “Walking Around” and soon moving into "off-the-cuff, go-around-the-table exercises in thought and impromptu composition"; and the Literary Society spent an evening with him in a focused workshop setting--a plus in having writer Jules Gibbs, Mr. Smith’s partner and fellow faculty member at the University of Syracuse part of the work and play. Mr. Smith also met one-on-one with a handful of students zeroing in on their specific poetry and process.
Up for discussion in classes ranging from 9th grade through AP and beyond: a pair of Seamus Heaney’s sonnets (Clearances 3 and 5), Keats’ “Ode on Melancholy” and "La Belle Dame sans Merci" , and several of Emily Dickinson’s: “Essential oils are wrung,” "I had not minded walls, ""I heard a fly buzz when i died, ""My life had stood a loaded gun." Before working through some of his own work (“Mercy,” “The Game”) with freshman students, he played with them in simile and metaphor, using a few examples from Craig Raine’s poems and affirming the 9th graders' offerings.
And, the culminating moment for most of in the salutary clutch of cherubim and philology: after an introduction by Ms. Halsey, Mr. Smith’s reading his own work (as well as two pieces from the LitSoc workshop, including Cooper Penner’s) to the whole School community, interjecting with a grin his own “Questions you might ask me” before each one, and illuminating words or phrases or allusions that might trip the understanding. Always: the teacher in the poet, and both in our midst for too short a stint.
Checking in with their impressions, a few students and teachers:
Emily Jordan ‘12: A “Bruce Smith Moment” that must be shared: I went to the Poetry Table at formal dinner and casually mentioned a rapper that I liked. Mr. Smith then told me that he is a fan of rap himself. Later, he presented me with a fantastic mixtape which includes an eclectic collection of old school rap.I thought it was pretty awesome.
Bobby Holmberg ‘14: Bruce Smith made poetry from the 19th century relatable and easy to understand. Mr. Smith was down-to-earth and genuine, in class or on stage.
Bo Manson, Teacher of English: With our sophomores, Bruce shared his extensive knowledge and deep appreciation for Keats--and totally sold the students on the value and beauty of the poetry. He also joked about how they should all become devotees of Keats by building shrines in their dorm rooms to him, asking them to suggest what personal items they would place in their shrines.
Lexie Kirkwood ‘14: Mr. Smith brought life to poems that I never thought would relate to me, his unique and interesting opinions and ideas really compelled me to think about poetry in a new light.
Joel Sohn, Teacher of English: My students enjoyed the opportunity to work with a poet of his caliber and to hear his perspective on reading poetry.
Casey Mulchay ‘13: Having Bruce Smith at the Literary Society meeting was very enlightening. We did some activities that really challenged my view of poetry and expanded my range of thought for future literary pieces.
The last words are simple appreciation and, judging by what we heard Bruce say about “the work of the poet--to make the familiar strange and the strange familiar”--we think he’d especially enjoy hearing what Teo Davis ‘14 reported about his influence: He made the poem we read in class as clear as prose.
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