Al Hellus

A poet I met years ago (1994), Al Hellus, died last Friday, November 14, 2008. His obituary is in The Saginaw News today (November 16). Here it is in full:

Hellus, Al
Saginaw, Michigan

Passed away Friday November 14, 2008 following a lengthy illness. Age 50 years. Albert William Hellus was born September 11, 1958 in Saginaw to Donald E. and Beverly (Musser) Hellus. He was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church. Al was very involved in politics as a teenager and young adult. He was a longtime poet and member of the Plastic Haiku Band in the Saginaw area.

Surviving are his mother, Beverly Hellus of Saginaw, a brother, Daniel (DeeAnna) Hellus of Freeland, a sister, Erika (Ronald) Maxwell of Saginaw, four nieces and nephews, Dylan and Danessa Hellus, and Cameron and Terra Hayden; and many loving friends. Al was preceded in death by his father, Donald E. Hellus and his grandparents.

Funeral service will take place 5:30 PM Tuesday November 18, 2008 at the Reitz Herzberg Funeral Home on S. Midland Rd. (M47). Fr. Ronald Wagner will officiate. Friends and family are welcome to gather at the funeral home on Monday from 5-9 PM and on Tuesday from 10 AM until the time of service. Memorial offerings may be given to Emmaus House or the American Heart Association.

Saginaw resident Gina Myers remembers Al at her blog, I Was Born in Saginaw, Michigan.

I remember Al as a self-described Arts Activist. He often organized fundraisers to benefit non-profit agencies such as Emmaus House. He organized the Drainage Basin Artist's Alliance. He created the Rouse for Theodore Roethke which brought, in the course of ten years, on an annual basis poets such as Tess Gallagher and William Heyen to Saginaw. Prior to that he organized the poetry slams held in Old Town Saginaw at the Red Eye Coffee House. I met Richard Tillinghast, Keith Taylor, Ed Sanders and other poets in that venue. Al introduced me to many people including the River Junction Poets when he decided to help me record a video introduction to Theodore Roethke and his poetry. Al had chapbooks published by Mayapple Press and also by Ridgeway Press. His titles are listed at the Michigan Poetry site. I'm sure Al is looking down on us from a better place. He is missed.

One of my favorite poems of Al's is his 'alternative baseball' poem. Here it is:

alternative baseball

the surrealists
take the field
& the crowd roars!

a right foot
flopping into
left field
with a glove
on its big toe

an assortment of
noses & teeth & eyeballs
& time pieces
blasting hot ones
across the infield

while the dugouts fill
with migrating salmon
& middle management executives

an inflated
fifty dollar bill
steps up to the plate
waving a Louisville Slugger
sprouting branches
& leaves & tiny fists --

it is enough
for a standing-O

and Magritte's head
rolls from the bleachers
laughing & shouting:
"DO BALL !
PLAY IT !
ARF ! ARF !"

Tess Gallagher Writes to Her Friends in Roethke Country

Little did we know when we met on the occasion of Tess Gallagher's birthday that we would one day receive such a lovely note from her. But looking back on it now, I can say that I'm pleased and not surprised.

Ms. Gallagher was here in mid-Michigan - Saginaw to be precise - a few years ago (around 2000). Al Hellus had asked her to be the featured speaker at the annual Rouse for Roethke that Al had single-handedly created from the sparkling dust of his own imagination. As I have said elsewhere, the absence of the annual Rouse for Roethke served obliquely as inspiration for the Birthdays of Poets 'celebrations' we hold at our local Barnes & Noble bookstore.

Here in Saginaw, we were especially pleased to have Ms. Gallagher as our Featured Speaker. Saginaw, of course, was home to Theodore Roethke, the only poet from Michigan to win the Pulitzer Prize. Mr. Roethke went on to teach at several universities including The University of Washington. His students there chipped in to have a documentary film made of their beloved teacher. Ms. Gallagher was a student of Mr. Roethke's during the last semester Mr. Roethke taught. Among the things she shared with us at the aforementioned Rouse for Roethke were her memories of Mr. Roethke as an instructor of writing poetry. Using equipment from the Midland Community (public access) Television station, I recorded her presentation and later sent a copy in the mail to her.

Late in July, 2006, a group of seven of us, some of whom are members of the River Junction Poets, met at the Barnes & Noble in Saginaw, Michigan on the occasion of Ms. Gallagher's birthday. Why did we do that? One reason was that we wanted to read a few of her poems. For some of our group, that's enough of a reason right there. We enjoy listening to poetry as it is read aloud to us. We also like to learn about the poet by reading biographical information. Another reason is that we enjoy visiting with each other while we are beginning and then again while we are ending. There may be other reasons too that I haven't thought of. Anyway, on that night in July, around the time of Tess Gallagher's birthday (July 21st), as we read about Ms. Gallagher and read her poems, we circulated amongst ourselves a birthday card for her. I didn't know her address, so I called and asked Al. He said, "Sure, daddio, but don't give it out to strangers." Al's cool that way. So I folded up the Barnes & Noble store flier that had the announcement in it about the River Junction Poets' Birthday Reading of Ms. Gallagher's poetry, stuck it in the envelope with the birthday card we signed, addressed and stamped the envelope and dropped it in the mail to her. It's always fun to send these cards because we don't know whether we'll ever hear anything back from the poet. If we don't, oh well, hopefully he or she got the card anyway. As far as I know, none of the cards we've sent have come back to us. But lo! and behold! Ms. Gallagher wrote back to us!

She wrote the following note on a folded card that measures about two and a half inches by about four inches. The cover of the card shows two koi swimming beneath what look like orange roses. I suppose they could be peonies though: the stalk has thorns on it. The koi motif is repeated on the envelope. Ms. Gallagher writes:

Dear Andy and all my friends there in Roethke Country - what a delight it was to come home in August & find your dear remembrance & celebration of my birthday & poems waiting for me. I have put the notice of the occasion & the signed card in plastic for my archival binder so someone looking later will know how kind you all were to me. So thank you! Of course, Andy, I recall well your video of my time there. It was splendid!

Only news here is that my book Dear Ghosts has gone into 3rd edition since May pub date. I am about to set out on a tour to the East Coast. It runs Oct. 10 to Nov. 1st - so am hoping my stamina holds up. So far so good, re: my health. One year has passed since my mother's death. But I still miss her a lot. Ireland has been a good cure. Fond thanks, Tess

This is something else I've noticed with our group: people will come to the group and sometimes share intimate personal stories with people they've just met. And why not? We meet to enjoy poetry together. Poetry can include everything.



"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