dec 6

In looking at writers for this week, i discovered Rainer Maria Rilke. I knew very little about him, though I had heard about him. His birthday was earlier in the week and the Writer's Almanac mentioned him. I wanted to know more. So on Thursday morning I will be reading from a book of translations of his french poems. What a treat to discover a new voice, a great voice, a voice that has been a beacon for so long, yet I just now am nearer his shore.

oct 11

Eleanor Roosevelt, what a great and very prolific writer. I had no idea. It was much fun and very informative to read over her daily journal, my day. I chose to read several of her columns on women and voting. In light of the upcoming election, which might greatly effect the health and well being of women, I thought it good to read her views on women and voting. Thich Nhat Hahn: I read from his most wonderful book, Living Buddha, Living Christ. It was very challenging and thought provoking, a wonderful challenge to live more mindfully. I have read this book before, but in reading it again I found myself rediscovering its very profound quality. Rereading books is a gift, or a treasure often overlooked.

Oct 4 a day of variety

So I did not read Damon Runyon, rather a wide variety of poetry from a number of poetry collections. Also it is the day after Emily Post's birthday, so I was able to read some of her helpful etiquette tips.

Oct 4 2012

It will be Damon Runyon's birthday, and I was thinking about reading one of his short stories, but I am not sold on the idea, yet. It is also St. Francis day and that inspires some thought as well. If you have a poet, writer or idea, let me know. peter_jenks@yahoo.com

Thursday, September 27 T.S. Eliot

I am going to be reading the four quartets on Thursday, September 27. I read some of them last year and found that these are works I need to read more often. They are very powerful, thoughtful and need more time on which to reflect. From the Wasteland to the Four Quartets there was a deep movement of one's soul. His use of time and its effect on life is also a theme that causes me to think and pay attention more deeply.

Thursday, August 9th Sara Teasdale

Sarah Teasdale is the poet for the 9th of August. Yea

July 19

So July 5th I read from etiquette books and on the 12th I was out to sea for the week. This Thurday, July 19 I am looking to read some Thackerey poems and works and other assorted pieces.

Yeats and Sartre

On June 14 I read the poetry of William B. Yeats again. He is a good writer, but not one I am finding that I like deeply. This last week I read from Jean Paul Sartre. I only had read No Exit a hundred years ago. I don't know much of existentialism, and reading him at 7 in the morning doesn't make me want to read much more. I ran into David Joseph the other day, he now owns the Willow Bakery. He said he listens to the show. So I thought I would go support his business and read some recipes on air this week, June 28.

Thursday, June 7

Last week I read a section from Whitman's, Leaves of Grass. It was most enjoyable. I had not had the opportunity to read that aloud before. It is amazing to do such, the meanings and expressions are more alive and engaged when reading Whitman out loud. This week I will be reading a few poems by Gwendlyn Brooks and Nikki Giovonni, both of whom have a birthday on the 7th of June. But then I will be spending most of the hour reading from F.G. Lorca's work. Lorca is a poet that has haunted and attracted me for years. His birthday is June 5th. This will give me a chance to get to know more about him and his work.

What a treat

Today was the first time that the show had a live poet, Joanna Hynd. She is a graduate of the University of Maine and majored in English with a specialty of poetry. She is also the acting head librarian at the Thomaston Public Library. It was such a treat to hear her poems, and read by her. The live element of poetry is a wonderful treat.

May 17 2012

This week we will have the first guest poet join the show, Joanna Hynd. She is a graduate of U. Maine and studied poetry. She is not acting librarian at the Thomaston Public Library. Recently she organized a poetry reading at the library and I was very impressed by her fresh energy, sincere, and poignant work.

May 10

Sad news about the passing of Maurice Sendak, I will read some of his works this Thursday, May 10 along with Shel Silverstein - May 9th is the is the 13th anniversary of his death. So it is good to read these two together at this time of the year. A morning of childhood delight. Yea! On Thursday, May 17th, Joanna Hynd will join me to read some of her poems, along with some of her favorite poems. She studied poetry and writing and is a local poet. It is always a treat to hear poetry in the voice of a poet.

Celebrating May Sarton's 100th Birthday

This Thursday, May 3rd, the show will be dedicated to words of May Sarton. It will be her 100th birthday. Erika Pfander will be a guest reader. She was the director of the Chamber Theatre of Maine and produced and directed two world premieres of May Sarton's work and in the process got to know her. It will be a treat to have her with me to read and remember May Sarton on her birthday. Don't miss the show.

ONE YEAR !

Well, it has been one year on the air. What a wonderful experience. I feel like I have gained much, learned more and had fun doing it. The opportunity to learn about so many writers, to engage with their writings, and to have the time to practice reading aloud has been very rich and rewarding. I look forward to my second year. We will be starting with a treat, Erika Pfander will return to read from the works of May Sarton, to celebrate her 100th birthday, which will be on the 3rd.

Sorry no show on March 29

This week I will be away.
I enjoyed the last few weeks of reading various lyrics to hymns, pop music of the last hundred years and then last week with the lyrics of Stephen Sondheim. The lyrics without the music, they have a life of their own, sometimes one can only understand them with a tune behind them, or the tune rings through the words, other times they live well all on their own.
The monuments of words, the way we express our soul, it is so often with the sound fashioned into words. And when they combine with music it filters deep into the depths of our memory, body and spirit.

snow on this thursday

I was off this week because of the snow on Thursday. Maybe it was too bad to go out, maybe the thought of having an excuse caused me to stay in bed. It was nice. It could be debated. It was nasty out, how bad at 6 a.m. was a bit of a debate, and I chose the more horizontal choice. Sorry, kindof.

February 23

Thursday, Feb. 23, I will be reading the poems of Edna St. Vincent Millay. What an amazing poet, a local woman makes the big time.
Come and enjoy the hearing of the written word spoken.

I am trying to understand how to pod cast these shows, any advice is more than welcome.

Email me at peter_jenks@yahoo.com

Wislawa Szmborska

It was my aim to read Alice Walker on Feb. 9th, as it was her birthday. But I kept looking and thinking and having so much of so many of her work, that I felt it better to wait for another day.
What I did was to read Wislawa Szmborska, the polish poet who died earlier this month. What a jewel! She won the 1996 Nobel prize for literature, and has an amazing gift with word. I am always surprised with joy to discover those from other places that I was oblivious to because of my limited language.


from her poem Born:

So this is his mother.
This small woman.
The gray-eyed procreator.

The boat in which, years ago,
he sailed to shore.

The boat from which he stepped
into the world,
into un-eternity.
...



I am still looking for what to do next week.
Next Tuesday is the 10 year anniversary of WRFR, so come stop by.

feb 2 2012

Cold day today, groundhog day. In reading James Joyce's "The Encounter" today I ran out of time. Maybe I can copy the ending here later.
Here is a picture of arriving early in the morning at the station and reading this morning.
Also Happy Birthday to John Meyer, one of my few and wonderful listeners.

Feb 2

Feb 2 is looking to be a James Joyce day. It is his birthday and so I am looking at his poetry and short stories. I had thought of adding Langston Hughes into the readings, but his birthday is Feb. 1 and I thought a whole day next year would be better.

I had thought that perhaps a reading of Molly Bloom's soliloquy but thought that the radio station might not appreciate it and that it might be a bit weird to have a man read it anyway. Just some idle thoughts and fun.

It is interesting to learn more about him and his writing. Having read him in college but not since, I find that he is one of the authors of my past that is a shadow in my life. It is good to look at his effect on me and my assumptions of him.

Jan 26 to be readings on Lewis Carroll

What an interesting person Lewis Carroll was.
From Wikipedia: Charles Lutwidge Dodgson ( /ˈtʃɑrlz ˈlʌtwɪdʒ ˈdɒdʒsən/ charlz ludt-wij doj-sən;[1][2] 27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll (/ˈkærəl/ karr-əl), was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the Snark" and "Jabberwocky", all examples of the genre of literary nonsense. He is noted for his facility at word play, logic, and fantasy, and there are societies dedicated to the enjoyment and promotion of his works and the investigation of his life in many parts of the world, including the United Kingdom, Japan, the United States, and New Zealand.

He was a deacon in the Anglican Church, was an inventor, mathmatician and very creative chap. I am going over various writings of his to determine what I might read of his. Any suggestions?

reflections on Jack London

Jack London had quite the American life, what a voice. It is amazing to think of him working 12 hour shifts at the cannery at 13 years old. His traveling around the country advocating social change at such a young age was also amazing to think about, how I might feel about my children doing such activities.
Reading the story of the man freezing to death was hard, I do not always like to read such painful stories. When I am reading it aloud, on the air, I have to keep going. There were times I wanted to take a break and come back, maybe. But it is a very good story. He tells us the details so clearly and understands the thinking process of this man struggling with the cold.

Next week, A.A. Milne.

January 12

This week I am looking at reading Jack London's short story, To Build a Fire. I have not read much Jack London and it is interesting to discover his story and stories. He had a tough childhood and time of it up in Alaska. I want to see if this story can be done in the limited time of my show, though.