It is a far, far better song Death Cab for Cutie sings than they have ever sung before; it is a far, far better album they've made than they have ever made before.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
My Poem on the NPR Program "Being"
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| (photo: The Consumerist/Flickr/CC-BY-2.0) |
A poem I wrote after experiencing a physical assault this July will air nationwide on the NPR program "Being" this weekend (check http://being.publicradio.org/stations/ for your local time) following the interview with Rabbi David Hartman, but the entire show, including my poem, is available now on the website. Krista Tippett's introduction to my poem begins at about minute 46:25. Listen here: http://being.publicradio.org/programs/2011/opening-up-windows/
The poem and my introduction can be read on the "Being" blog here: http://blog.onbeing.org/post/8640670635/hate-crime-a-poem-of-grace-and-gratefulness
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Ave Atque Vale, Troy Davis
Ave atque vale, Troy Davis, a hero. He said in his open letter, "I have been spiritually free for some time." I hope it was so even at the end.
Troy Davis is about to be executed (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/opinion/a-grievous-wrong-on-georgias-death-row.html?ref=troydavis). Call: Judge Penny Freesemann (912-652-7252) or Larry Chisolm District Attorney 133 Montgomery Street Savannah, Georgia 31401. Phone: (912) 652-7308 Fax: (912) 652-7328 or (912) 447-5396. LCHISOLM@chathamcounty.org
He will refuse his last meal: http://yourblackworld.com/2011/09/21/troy-davis-to-refuse-his-last-meal-this-meal-will-not-be-my-last/
Friday, September 9, 2011
Weak Devotions Now Available
I'm happy to announce that my first book of poems, Weak Devotions, is now available for purchase here.
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| Art by Makoto Fujimura. |
ABOUT WEAK DEVOTIONS
"Luke Hankins' poetry shimmers with intellect and craft. However, what is most surprising about it, especially in our time, is that it wrestles with the issues Donne, Herbert, Hopkins, Vassar Miller, and countless others also found worthy of their most impassioned work. Hankins' voice, which, even in the midst of a religious meditation, can be irreverent and secular, is neither out of date nor irrelevant to the lives of millions. But one need not be religious to be moved by poetry as finely wrought as is found in his brilliant title poem and elsewhere in this book."
-John Wood
"There is great compassion in these poems, most especially for the vicissitudes of childhood, when the mystery of life is first unfolding. But Hankins understands that 'there are few words left sufficient to this world' to explain or console or lift up as praise, and that even the loveliest poem may prove a weak devotion. Still, Hankins does not give in to uncertainty or despair. Rather, in masterfully wrought poems, he exhorts us to 'abandon ideas and concepts of beauty' and 'be part of it,' a natural and blessed part of life's great dance. In the beautiful poem 'Wisteria,' the poet convinces us that it is in fact possible to give oneself over to the mysterious 'sweetening sun,' like a vine-wrapped tree that becomes 'what rises through it.' Such brave surrender is, I think, what gives these heartfelt poems their clarity, power, and grace." -Richard Jones
Monday, September 5, 2011
Hate Crime in Asheville: Recording of "The Way They Loved Each Other"
My commentary and reading of my poem about the attack I experienced is now available online at the WCQS website:
Saturday, September 3, 2011
The Lion Lies Down With The Lamb
Maybe I'm a sap for posting this, but how can we not be moved by the lion lying down with the lamb? And how can we not be outraged at the willful disregard of fellow humans?
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