Matthew Olzmann

It was my pleasure to have lunch today in Lansing with members of the Poetry Society of Michigan and Mr. Matthew Olzmann who came to the Spring meeting of the PSM as a Featured Speaker. Among his stated goals was to read a few of his poems (from his chapbook The Discarded Halo, Pudding House, 2007) and to talk to us for about an hour. He achieved both his goals and looked good doing it. He spoke to us about surprise in poetry. Afterward, a few of us, including me, were interested in having a copy of his talk in print. Hopefully we can get that through the e-mail. We made it clear to him that he is more than welcome to join our Society and that, by doing so, he automatically becomes a member of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies. Hopefully we'll see more of this young man, and maybe we'll get to meet his wife as well ( poet Vievee Francis). All in all, the meeting went well. We conducted business, enjoyed reading our poetry to each other and we look forward to bringing the Convention of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies to Michigan in 2011 or 2012. Either way it'll be in June. And it'll be in Grand Rapids.






-- "It is our goal to appreciate and improve our talents, to share our own work and to communicate the joys of poetry with others. Everyone's poetry is valued."
River Junction Poets Mission Statement