Landward:
Readings of Place & Season
Readings of Place & Season
Weekly seasonal podcasts of prose and poetry
recorded at WDRT Community Radio
Viroqua, Wisconsin 91.9 FM
~~~~~
Catherine Young, Producer
Weekly seasonal podcasts of prose and poetry
recorded at WDRT Community Radio
Viroqua, Wisconsin 91.9 FM
~~~~~
Catherine Young, Producer
with thanks to
Terry O'Connor & Jim Hallberg
~~~~~
September 2021 - September 2025
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Wisconfluence CLEPSYDRA September 19, 2024
Wisconfluence is a series of four poems created for the MidWay Atlas, a seven-state Midwest artist project in 2022. WATER MEMORY is the contribution of Wisconsin Poet Laureate Laureate Kimberly Blaeser.
Wisconfluence is a series of four poems created for the MidWay Atlas, a seven-state Midwest artist project in 2022. WATER MEMORY is the contribution of Wisconsin Poet Laureate Laureate Kimberly Blaeser.
SEPTEMBER MIDNIGHT September 12, 2024
As the seasons change, so do the sounds of insects until they are gone.
SEPTEMBER MIDNIGHT by Sara Teasdale captures the change.
AUTUMN AGAIN September 5, 2024
AUTUMN AGAIN by Minnesota Poet Laureate, Joyce Sutphen, is from her collection Carrying Water to the Field.
IN QUEST OF AGATES August 29, 2024
Minnesota Poet Laureate Joyce Sutphen combs the road in search of the elusive agates in her poem IN QUEST OF AGATES from her collection Carrying Water to the Field.
Minnesota Poet Laureate Joyce Sutphen combs the road in search of the elusive agates in her poem IN QUEST OF AGATES from her collection Carrying Water to the Field.
Dioramas August 22, 2024
Dioramas is from the memoir Black Diamonds: A Childhood Colored by Coal by Catherine Young, published in 2023 by Torrey House Press. The memoir looks back on childhood in a Pennsylvania coal mining valley, and Dioramas tells of the strange underground exhibit, a coal mine with mannequins.
Dioramas is from the memoir Black Diamonds: A Childhood Colored by Coal by Catherine Young, published in 2023 by Torrey House Press. The memoir looks back on childhood in a Pennsylvania coal mining valley, and Dioramas tells of the strange underground exhibit, a coal mine with mannequins.
EFFIGY HAND August 15, 2024
EFFIGY HAND is an ekphrastic poem created in response to the image of a mica carving from the Hopewell culture. The poem by Catherine Young was published by the Ekphrastic Review in 2022.
RECOLLECTION August 8, 2024
In the poem RECOLLECTION, the poet both remembers and collects inside a small-town antique store. RECOLLECTION by Catherine Young is from the ecopoetry collection Geosmin published by Water’s Edge Press.
In the poem RECOLLECTION, the poet both remembers and collects inside a small-town antique store. RECOLLECTION by Catherine Young is from the ecopoetry collection Geosmin published by Water’s Edge Press.
BECAUSE OF THE SUN August 1, 2024
With summer come the memories of other summers, layered on, including what is here and what is now gone. BECAUSE OF THE SUN by Minnesota Poet Laureate, Joyce Sutphen, is from her collection Carrying Water to the Field
MEDITATION WHILE CUTTING BUCKWHEAT July 25, 2024
Prairie restoration, the Grim Reaper, mentors, and a rusty scythe all compound the images in this poem by Tom Boswell MEDITATION WHILE CUTTING BUCKWHEAT from the poetry collection Heart on a String.
RESTORATION July 18, 2024
Sometimes with the memories of lost objects if we pay attention – come the best insights – and the best stories. RESTORATION by Catherine Young is from the ecopoetry collection Geosmin published by Water’s Edge Press.
Sometimes with the memories of lost objects if we pay attention – come the best insights – and the best stories. RESTORATION by Catherine Young is from the ecopoetry collection Geosmin published by Water’s Edge Press.
IN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION July 11, 2024
Sometimes it’s difficult to answer a question about farming. IN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION by Catherine Young was published in the journal Farmerish in 2020
Sometimes it’s difficult to answer a question about farming. IN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION by Catherine Young was published in the journal Farmerish in 2020
East Mountain July 4, 2024
East Mountain is from the memoir Black Diamonds: A Childhood Colored by Coal by Catherine Young, published in 2023 by Torrey House Press. The memoir looks back on childhood in a Pennsylvania coal mining Valley, and East Mountain tells of the relationship between the narrator and her firefighter father in the early 1960s.
East Mountain is from the memoir Black Diamonds: A Childhood Colored by Coal by Catherine Young, published in 2023 by Torrey House Press. The memoir looks back on childhood in a Pennsylvania coal mining Valley, and East Mountain tells of the relationship between the narrator and her firefighter father in the early 1960s.
COUNTRY COMMUTE June 27, 2024
In the poem COUNTRY COMMUTE the journey across the rural landscape to the office on a June day is a hard transition. COUNTRY COMMUTE by Tom Boswell is published in his collection Heart on a String.
In the poem COUNTRY COMMUTE the journey across the rural landscape to the office on a June day is a hard transition. COUNTRY COMMUTE by Tom Boswell is published in his collection Heart on a String.
TWO GIRLS ON A HAYRACK June 20, 2024
The poem TWO GIRLS ON A HAYRACK captures a childhood moment, a glorious memory of high summer on a farm. The poem is by Minnesota Poet Laureate, Joyce Sutphen from her collection Carrying Water to the Field.
The poem TWO GIRLS ON A HAYRACK captures a childhood moment, a glorious memory of high summer on a farm. The poem is by Minnesota Poet Laureate, Joyce Sutphen from her collection Carrying Water to the Field.
Wisconfluence BEDROCK June 13, 2024
Wisconfluence is a series of four poems created for the MidWay Atlas, a seven-state Midwest artist project in 2022. BEDROCK is the contribution of Wisconsin Poet Laureate Max Garland.
Wisconfluence is a series of four poems created for the MidWay Atlas, a seven-state Midwest artist project in 2022. BEDROCK is the contribution of Wisconsin Poet Laureate Max Garland.
Wisconfluence WATER MEMORY MOSAIC June 6, 2024
Wisconfluence is a series of four poems created for the MidWay Atlas, a seven-state Midwest artist project in 2022. WATER MEMORY is the contribution of Madison Poet Laureate Angela Trudell Vasquez.
Wisconfluence is a series of four poems created for the MidWay Atlas, a seven-state Midwest artist project in 2022. WATER MEMORY is the contribution of Madison Poet Laureate Angela Trudell Vasquez.
Wisconfluence WATERWAYS May 30, 2024
Wisconfluence is a series of four poems created for the MidWay Atlas, a seven-state Midwest artist collaborative in 2022. WATERWAYS is the contribution of poet Catherine Young.
Wisconfluence is a series of four poems created for the MidWay Atlas, a seven-state Midwest artist collaborative in 2022. WATERWAYS is the contribution of poet Catherine Young.
COLOR OF WATER May 23, 2024
How can anyone describe the colors of water as it reflects everything in our world? In the two-voiced poem COLOR OF WATER, Catherine Young explores the palette. The poem is from the ecopoetry collection Geosmin published by Water’s Edge Press.
How can anyone describe the colors of water as it reflects everything in our world? In the two-voiced poem COLOR OF WATER, Catherine Young explores the palette. The poem is from the ecopoetry collection Geosmin published by Water’s Edge Press.
COMFORTS OF THE SUN May 16th
In the poem COMFORTS OF THE SUN by Joyce Sutphen growing up on a farm is a more intimate connection than knowing. The poem is from her collection Carrying Water to the Field.
GIRL ON A TRACTOR May 9th
GIRL ON A TRACTOR by Minnesota Poet Laureate, Joyce Sutphen, is from her collection Carrying Water to the Field.
FIRST WORDS May 2nd
FIRST WORDS by Minnesota Poet Laureate, Joyce Sutphen, is from her collection Carrying Water to the Field. Sutphen names the first words of the child on a farm and the world that they build.
TORNADO WARNING April 25th
TORNADO WARNING by Minnesota Poet Laureate, Joyce Sutphen, is from her collection Carrying Water to the Field.
DEAR SKY, DEAR BLUE PLANET April 18th
DEAR SKY, DEAR BLUE PLANET is a community poem created from responses to Kimberly Blaeser’s prompt at the American Geophysical Union 2022 conference as part of Poets for Science. A video of the poem and its collaborators can be viewed on YouTube.
IN THE TIME OF CLIMATE CHANGE/DANDELIONS April, 11th
In almost childlike verse, the poem IN THE TIME OF CLIMATE CHANGE describes the devastation of floods in southwest Wisconsin in 2018, and it was published in Catherine Young’s ecopoetry collection Geosmin by Water’s Edge’s in 2022. DANDELIONS, also by Catherine Young, is a poem of resilience and it was anthologized in Tiny Seed Journal in 2023.
THE BLUE IN THE DISTANCE April 4th, 2024
THE BLUE IN THE DISTANCE by Minnesota Poet Laureate, Joyce Sutphen, is from her collection Carrying Water to the Field. The poet paints April’s color shift as it moves on the land.
STRAIGHT OUT OF VIEW March 28, 2024
STRAIGHT OUT OF VIEW by Minnesota Poet Laureate, Joyce Sutphen, is from her collection Carrying Water to the Field. The poet moves us from page — to rural land — and then back again.
And Then I Went Back to the Land March 21, 2024
In this essay, And Then I Went Back to the Land, Catherine Young takes us on a journey from the Great Depression through food co-ops considering where our food comes from and why.
In this essay, And Then I Went Back to the Land, Catherine Young takes us on a journey from the Great Depression through food co-ops considering where our food comes from and why.
Mussentuchit Badlands March 14, 2024
from When I Was Red Clay
Rich in description of desert landscape, Mussentuchit Badlands is from the memoir When I Was Red Clay: A Journey of Identity, Healing and Wonder by Jonathan T Bailey, published in 2022 by Torrey House Press.
from When I Was Red Clay
Rich in description of desert landscape, Mussentuchit Badlands is from the memoir When I Was Red Clay: A Journey of Identity, Healing and Wonder by Jonathan T Bailey, published in 2022 by Torrey House Press.
In That River I Saw Him Again March 7, 2024
In this memoir piece In That River I Saw Him Again, Catherine Young tells a story of trains, photography and what the heart remembers.
In this memoir piece In That River I Saw Him Again, Catherine Young tells a story of trains, photography and what the heart remembers.
DENDROUS & MATTER February 29, 2024
DENDROUS AND MATTER by Catherine Young are two poems that look at the poetry in science. They are from her collection Geosmin published in 2022 by Water’s Edge Press.
DENDROUS AND MATTER by Catherine Young are two poems that look at the poetry in science. They are from her collection Geosmin published in 2022 by Water’s Edge Press.
Gas Stove February 22, 2024
Gas Stove is from the memoir Black Diamonds: a Childhood Colored by Coal by Catherine Young, published in 2023 by Torrey House Press. The memoir looks back on childhood in a Pennsylvania coal mining Valley, and Gas Stove tells of the shift from coal to gas in the early 1960s.
Gas Stove is from the memoir Black Diamonds: a Childhood Colored by Coal by Catherine Young, published in 2023 by Torrey House Press. The memoir looks back on childhood in a Pennsylvania coal mining Valley, and Gas Stove tells of the shift from coal to gas in the early 1960s.
AT FIRST SIGHT February 15, 2024
AT FIRST SIGHT by Catherine Young is a short poem for the mid-winter celebration of love published in the 2024 Wisconsin Poets' Calendar.
AT FIRST SIGHT by Catherine Young is a short poem for the mid-winter celebration of love published in the 2024 Wisconsin Poets' Calendar.
TO SURVIVING COLD WINTERS February 8, 2024
TO SURVIVNG COLD WINTERS by Daniel Smith is from Poems from the Winter House published in 2023 by Water’s Edge Press.
TO SURVIVNG COLD WINTERS by Daniel Smith is from Poems from the Winter House published in 2023 by Water’s Edge Press.
Diamonds from Black Diamonds February 1, 2024
Diamonds is from the memoir of place Black Diamonds: A Childhood Colored by Coal by Catherine Young, published in 2023 by Torrey House Press. The memoir looks back on childhood in a Pennsylvania coal mining Valley, and Diamonds looks at coal in 1960s.
Diamonds is from the memoir of place Black Diamonds: A Childhood Colored by Coal by Catherine Young, published in 2023 by Torrey House Press. The memoir looks back on childhood in a Pennsylvania coal mining Valley, and Diamonds looks at coal in 1960s.
SHELL DREAMS January 25, 2024
In SHELL DREAMS, FLAT AS KANSAS, & ABOVE THE CONDOS by Wisconsin poet Ed Block portrays winters on Sanibel Island. From his collection Shell Dreams published in 2021 by Water’s Edge Press.
In SHELL DREAMS, FLAT AS KANSAS, & ABOVE THE CONDOS by Wisconsin poet Ed Block portrays winters on Sanibel Island. From his collection Shell Dreams published in 2021 by Water’s Edge Press.
IN THE COLD & WINTER RIVER January 18, 2024
Two poems from Wisconsin writers: IN THE COLD by Daniel Smith from Poems from the Winter House published in 2023 by Water’s Edge Press and WINTER RIVER by Jan Wellik read by permission.
THE FARM January 11, 2024
THE FARM by Minnesota Poet Laureate, Joyce Sutphen, from her collection Carrying Water to the Field. Reminiscent of a psalm, the poem paints a farm father as world maker and provider parting the snowy sea.
Tracing Time January 4, 2024
This story about marking time is excerpted from Tracing Time: Seasons of Rock Art on the Colorado Plateau by Craig Childs, published in 2022 by Torrey House Press.
This story about marking time is excerpted from Tracing Time: Seasons of Rock Art on the Colorado Plateau by Craig Childs, published in 2022 by Torrey House Press.
WHAT REMAINS December 28, 2023
WHAT REMAINS by Catherine Young holds the silvery memories of late December. The poem is from her ecopoetry collection Geosmin published in 2022 by Water’s Edge Press.
WHAT REMAINS by Catherine Young holds the silvery memories of late December. The poem is from her ecopoetry collection Geosmin published in 2022 by Water’s Edge Press.
THE SHORTEST DAYS December 21, 2023
THE SHORTEST DAYS by Minnesota Poet Laureate, Joyce Sutphen, from her collection Carrying Water to the Field. This poem for the time of the winter solstice anticipates the day’s end and night descending, while the people rise to meet it.
THE SHORTEST DAYS by Minnesota Poet Laureate, Joyce Sutphen, from her collection Carrying Water to the Field. This poem for the time of the winter solstice anticipates the day’s end and night descending, while the people rise to meet it.
The Time of Anise Part II December 14, 2023
The Time of Anise is from the memoir of place Black Diamonds: A Childhood Colored by Coal by Catherine Young published in 2023 by Torrey House Press. The memoir looks back on childhood in a Pennsylvania coal mining Valley, and the Time of Anise remembers holiday baking in the early 1960s.
The Time of Anise is from the memoir of place Black Diamonds: A Childhood Colored by Coal by Catherine Young published in 2023 by Torrey House Press. The memoir looks back on childhood in a Pennsylvania coal mining Valley, and the Time of Anise remembers holiday baking in the early 1960s.
The Time of Anise Part I December 7, 2023
The Time of Anise is from the memoir of place Black Diamonds: A Childhood Colored by Coal by Catherine Young published in 2023 by Torrey House Press. The memoir looks back on childhood in a Pennsylvania coal mining Valley, and the Time of Anise remembers holiday baking in the early 1960s
The Time of Anise is from the memoir of place Black Diamonds: A Childhood Colored by Coal by Catherine Young published in 2023 by Torrey House Press. The memoir looks back on childhood in a Pennsylvania coal mining Valley, and the Time of Anise remembers holiday baking in the early 1960s
AUTUMN SUNRISE & OLD FEY AUTUMN SIGHS November 30, 2023
AUTUMN SUNRISE by Wisconsin poet Jan Wellik captures the gold of November.
OLD FEY AUTUMN SIGHS by Wisconsin poet Donna Carnes is a villanelle that imagines a king of autumn letting go of his reign to the oncoming queen of winter.
AUTUMN SUNRISE by Wisconsin poet Jan Wellik captures the gold of November.
OLD FEY AUTUMN SIGHS by Wisconsin poet Donna Carnes is a villanelle that imagines a king of autumn letting go of his reign to the oncoming queen of winter.
REPLENISH November 23, 2023
REPLENISH by Catherine Young reimagines our deep connection to water in our rural landscapes 50 years into the future. REPLENISH is from the Wormfarm Institute 2023 zine, Imagine.
REPLENISH by Catherine Young reimagines our deep connection to water in our rural landscapes 50 years into the future. REPLENISH is from the Wormfarm Institute 2023 zine, Imagine.
AS WE WAIT FOR WINTER November 16, 2023
As the colors drain from the Wisconsin rural landscape, the last garden harvest brings the colors indoors until the house on the wintering land becomes its own small sun. AS WE WAIT FOR WINTER by Catherine Young is from her collection Geosmin published in 2022 by Water’s Edge Press.
As the colors drain from the Wisconsin rural landscape, the last garden harvest brings the colors indoors until the house on the wintering land becomes its own small sun. AS WE WAIT FOR WINTER by Catherine Young is from her collection Geosmin published in 2022 by Water’s Edge Press.
THE LOST PLEIAD November 9, 2023
THE LOST PLEIAD by Wisconsin poet Donna Carnes is based on the universal myths about the Seven Sisters (Pleiades) brilliant star cluster seen in November, used to guide sailors home.
THE LOST PLEIAD by Wisconsin poet Donna Carnes is based on the universal myths about the Seven Sisters (Pleiades) brilliant star cluster seen in November, used to guide sailors home.
THE RIPENING ABECEDARIAN November 2, 2023
In an abecedarian poem, the first letter of each new line spells of the alphabet. THE RIPENING ABECEDARIANby Catherine Young is from her collection Geosmin published in 2022 by Water’s Edge Press.
In an abecedarian poem, the first letter of each new line spells of the alphabet. THE RIPENING ABECEDARIANby Catherine Young is from her collection Geosmin published in 2022 by Water’s Edge Press.
HALLOWEEN October 26, 2023
So many of us love wearing costumes for performances, and as children many of us became
something other than what we were. HALLOWEEN by Catherine Young was published in Bramble in 2022.
So many of us love wearing costumes for performances, and as children many of us became
something other than what we were. HALLOWEEN by Catherine Young was published in Bramble in 2022.
CIDER APPLES October 19, 2023
CIDER APPLES by Catherine Young is a poem of compounded sound describing October apples
on an abandoned tree. It was published in Barstow & Grand in 2022.
CIDER APPLES by Catherine Young is a poem of compounded sound describing October apples
on an abandoned tree. It was published in Barstow & Grand in 2022.
APPLE SEASON October 12, 2023
APPLE SEASON by Minnesota Poet Laureate, Joyce Sutphen, from her collection Carrying Water to the Field. The poet moves us from tree to kitchen to apple-rich foods with the work of her mother and grandmother.
APPLE SEASON by Minnesota Poet Laureate, Joyce Sutphen, from her collection Carrying Water to the Field. The poet moves us from tree to kitchen to apple-rich foods with the work of her mother and grandmother.
OCTOBER October 5, 2023
In OCTOBER by Robert Frost, the poet pleads with October to go slow. OCTOBER is in the public domain.
In OCTOBER by Robert Frost, the poet pleads with October to go slow. OCTOBER is in the public domain.
CONFLAGRATION INVOCATION September 28, 2023
CONFLAGRATION INVOCATIONis by Wisconsin poet Karen Ostrov. While watching over her toddler grandson in Oregon during the September 2020 wildfires and Covid 19 restrictions, the poet considers Rosh Hashanah 5781 and the binding of Isaac along with her role as a grandmother, sheltering her grandson for future generations.
CONFLAGRATION INVOCATIONis by Wisconsin poet Karen Ostrov. While watching over her toddler grandson in Oregon during the September 2020 wildfires and Covid 19 restrictions, the poet considers Rosh Hashanah 5781 and the binding of Isaac along with her role as a grandmother, sheltering her grandson for future generations.
Series I, Weekly podcasts
from September 2021-2023
from September 2021-2023
THE SHOTS CAME QUICK September 22, 2022
Deer hunting in our region is often a means of survival. Catherine Young reads The Shots Came Quick from her collection Geosmin.
THE LAST APPLES September 15, 2022
Catherine Young reads Joyce Sutphen’s poem THE LAST APPLES from her collection Carrying Water to the Field.
Catherine Young reads Joyce Sutphen’s poem THE LAST APPLES from her collection Carrying Water to the Field.
PURPLE LINES September 8, 2022
Perhaps you remember mimeograph coloring sheets at school– and how they helped celebrate the seasons of the school year. Catherine Young reads PURPLE LINES from her collection Geosmin.
Perhaps you remember mimeograph coloring sheets at school– and how they helped celebrate the seasons of the school year. Catherine Young reads PURPLE LINES from her collection Geosmin.
BAPTISM September 1, 2022
Learning to read and decode words is like climbing into a canoe and letting the waters carry you. Catherine Young and Julee Agar read BAPTISM from Catherine’s collection
Learning to read and decode words is like climbing into a canoe and letting the waters carry you. Catherine Young and Julee Agar read BAPTISM from Catherine’s collection
ELDERBERRIES August 25, 2022
August’s ripening elderberries bring to a parent's mind the return to school and letting go.
Catherine Young reads ELDERBERRIES from her collection Geosmin
August’s ripening elderberries bring to a parent's mind the return to school and letting go.
Catherine Young reads ELDERBERRIES from her collection Geosmin
LETTER TO THE FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD ARTIST: ON Wishing August 18, 2022
Wishes might be like soap bubbles that disappear, or they might be like dandelion seeds that multiply.
Catherine Young reads LETTER TO THE FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD ARTIST: ON Wishing from her collection Geosmin.
Wishes might be like soap bubbles that disappear, or they might be like dandelion seeds that multiply.
Catherine Young reads LETTER TO THE FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD ARTIST: ON Wishing from her collection Geosmin.
FOR THOSE WHO THOUGHT THEY COULD BUY A FARM August 11, 2022
How would a life-long dairy farmer tell the story of place?
Catherine Young reads her poem FOR THOSE WHO THOUGHT THEY COULD BUY A FARM from her collection Geosmin.
How would a life-long dairy farmer tell the story of place?
Catherine Young reads her poem FOR THOSE WHO THOUGHT THEY COULD BUY A FARM from her collection Geosmin.
FOR THOSE WHO THOUGHT THEY COULD BUY A FARM August 10, 2022
How would a life-long dairy farmer tell the story of place?
Catherine Young reads her poem FOR THOSE WHO THOUGHT THEY COULD BUY A FARM from her collection Geosmin.
How would a life-long dairy farmer tell the story of place?
Catherine Young reads her poem FOR THOSE WHO THOUGHT THEY COULD BUY A FARM from her collection Geosmin.
BOY AT THE FAIR August 4, 2022
Summer is Fair time. Boy At the Fair by Catherine Young is a child’s experience at the State Fair.
Summer is Fair time. Boy At the Fair by Catherine Young is a child’s experience at the State Fair.
WATERS, SILVERED & RIME July 28, 2022
WATERS, SILVERED and RIME by Catherine Young are 2 poems of endless summer in the waters of a Great Lake from her collection Geosmin.
WATERS, SILVERED and RIME by Catherine Young are 2 poems of endless summer in the waters of a Great Lake from her collection Geosmin.
THE QUEEN OF SUMMER LAWNS July 21, 2022
Catherine Young reads a summer celebration poem Queen of Summer Lawns by Joyce Sutphen from her collection Carrying Water to The Field.
Catherine Young reads a summer celebration poem Queen of Summer Lawns by Joyce Sutphen from her collection Carrying Water to The Field.
Shoreline Instructions for Lake Superior and Superior July 14, 2022
SHORELINE INSTRUCTIONS FOR LAKE SUPERIOR and SUPERIOR by Catherine Young from her collection Geosmin are 2 poems to from the south shore of Lake Superior in summer.
SHORELINE INSTRUCTIONS FOR LAKE SUPERIOR and SUPERIOR by Catherine Young from her collection Geosmin are 2 poems to from the south shore of Lake Superior in summer.
CLOUDS RISE UP LIKE FISH & CARRYING WATER TO THE FIELD July 7, 2022
Catherine Young reads 2 July poems from the rural landscape: CLOUDS RISE UP LIKE FISH, a poem by Tom Hennen from Darkness Sticks to Everything: New and Collected Poems and CARRYING WATER TO THE FIELD, a farm poem by Joyce Sutphen from her collection of the same name.
Catherine Young reads 2 July poems from the rural landscape: CLOUDS RISE UP LIKE FISH, a poem by Tom Hennen from Darkness Sticks to Everything: New and Collected Poems and CARRYING WATER TO THE FIELD, a farm poem by Joyce Sutphen from her collection of the same name.
July 4 and Sweet Land of Liberty June 30, 2022
Catherine Young reads 2 poems from her collection Geosmin giving different views of the July 4 holiday.
JULY 4 is an ekphrastic poem based on a painting, depicting viewers of a small town parade.
SWEET LAND OF LIBERTY is a vibrant tableau of many cultures of America gathered at a state park holiday picnic.
Catherine Young reads 2 poems from her collection Geosmin giving different views of the July 4 holiday.
JULY 4 is an ekphrastic poem based on a painting, depicting viewers of a small town parade.
SWEET LAND OF LIBERTY is a vibrant tableau of many cultures of America gathered at a state park holiday picnic.
MIDSUMMER & FIREFLY NIGHTS June 23rd, 2022
MIDSUMMER & FIREFLY NIGHTS by Catherine Young from her poetry collection Geosmin are 2 poems celebrating the sweetness and long light of June.
MIDSUMMER & FIREFLY NIGHTS by Catherine Young from her poetry collection Geosmin are 2 poems celebrating the sweetness and long light of June.
THE OAT BINDER June 16, 2022
Catherine reads the farm poem, THE OAT BINDER by Minnesota poet Joyce Sutphen from her collection Carrying Water to the Field: New and Selected Poems.
Catherine reads the farm poem, THE OAT BINDER by Minnesota poet Joyce Sutphen from her collection Carrying Water to the Field: New and Selected Poems.
FROM A COUNTRY OVERLOOKED June 9, 2022
Catherine Young reads the poem FROM A COUNTRY OVERLOOKED by Tom Hennen from Darkness Sticks to Everything: Collected and New Poems..
Catherine Young reads the poem FROM A COUNTRY OVERLOOKED by Tom Hennen from Darkness Sticks to Everything: Collected and New Poems..
POEMS APPEAR June 2, 2022
A dreamer has to choose between following Muse or reality. POEMS APPEAR by Catherine Young is from her poetry collection Geosmin.
A dreamer has to choose between following Muse or reality. POEMS APPEAR by Catherine Young is from her poetry collection Geosmin.
PASSERINE May 26, 2022
The poet becomes a swallow in the afterlife. The poem PASSERINE by Catherine Young is from her poetry collection Geosmin.
The poet becomes a swallow in the afterlife. The poem PASSERINE by Catherine Young is from her poetry collection Geosmin.
WHEN FRESHLY PAINTED May 12, 2022
Catherine Young reads her farm love poem, WHEN FRESHLY PAINTED, from her poetry collection Geosmin.
Catherine Young reads her farm love poem, WHEN FRESHLY PAINTED, from her poetry collection Geosmin.
HARROW AND WHAT EVERY GIRL WANTS May 19, 2022
Catherine Young reads 2 farm poems, HARROW and WHAT EVERY GIRL WANTS from Minnesota poet Joyce Sutphen’s collection Carrying Water to the Field: New and Selected Poems
Catherine Young reads 2 farm poems, HARROW and WHAT EVERY GIRL WANTS from Minnesota poet Joyce Sutphen’s collection Carrying Water to the Field: New and Selected Poems
SOME GLAD MORNING May 5, 2022
Catherine Young reads the spring poem SOME GLAD MORNING by Joyce Sutphen from Carrying Water to the Field
Catherine Young reads the spring poem SOME GLAD MORNING by Joyce Sutphen from Carrying Water to the Field
BY THE CREEK BANK April 28, 2022
Catherine Young reads the poem By the Creek Bank by Tom Hennen from Darkness Sticks to Everything: Collected and New Poems.
Catherine Young reads the poem By the Creek Bank by Tom Hennen from Darkness Sticks to Everything: Collected and New Poems.
TIGHTROPE April 21, 2022
Recalling our role in averting tragedy is like walking a tightrope. The poem TIGHTROPE by Catherine Young is from her poetry collection Geosmin.
Recalling our role in averting tragedy is like walking a tightrope. The poem TIGHTROPE by Catherine Young is from her poetry collection Geosmin.
VERDANCY & HYMENOPTERA: WASPS I April 14, 2022
Catherine Young reads 2 poems from her collection Geosmin. Many colors of green refill the April landscape in VERDANCY. Hornets build homes in HYMENOPTERA: WASPS I.
Catherine Young reads 2 poems from her collection Geosmin. Many colors of green refill the April landscape in VERDANCY. Hornets build homes in HYMENOPTERA: WASPS I.
ELOQUENCE ENGRAVED IN STONE April 7, 2022
ELOQUENCE ENGRAVED IN STONE by Catherine Young, from her poetry collection Geosmin, uses an epigraph from Tony Hoagland’s poetry to describe Driftless region geology.
ELOQUENCE ENGRAVED IN STONE by Catherine Young, from her poetry collection Geosmin, uses an epigraph from Tony Hoagland’s poetry to describe Driftless region geology.
SHEPHERD OF TREES March 31, 2022
A caretaker asks trees what they need in the poem SHEPHERD OF TREES by Catherine Young from her poetry collection Geosmin.
A caretaker asks trees what they need in the poem SHEPHERD OF TREES by Catherine Young from her poetry collection Geosmin.
PANORAMIC March 24, 2022
PANORAMIC by Catherine Young is from her poetry collection Geosmin. It describes a lifetime as a landscape.
PANORAMIC by Catherine Young is from her poetry collection Geosmin. It describes a lifetime as a landscape.
COMPOST & REVOLUTION March 17, 2022
COMPOST and REVOLUTION by Catherine Young are are two views of the cycle of life on a farm from her poetry collection Geosmin.
COMPOST and REVOLUTION by Catherine Young are are two views of the cycle of life on a farm from her poetry collection Geosmin.
VOLUTE March 10, 2022
VOLUTE by Catherine Young is from her poetry collection Geosmin.
In VOLUTE, a fossil tells people how everything in the world curls – whether we can see it or not.
VOLUTE by Catherine Young is from her poetry collection Geosmin.
In VOLUTE, a fossil tells people how everything in the world curls – whether we can see it or not.
WOMEN TENDING MARCH 3, 2022
WOMEN TENDING by Catherine Young is from her poetry collection Geosmin. The poem moves through time and is told in 3 voices: from women tending house and home; the women making bricks & pottery for home; the women who make art —those women who tend towards what calls us to create. The poem celebrates the gifts women have given to the world throughout history in March-- Women’s History Month.
WOMEN TENDING by Catherine Young is from her poetry collection Geosmin. The poem moves through time and is told in 3 voices: from women tending house and home; the women making bricks & pottery for home; the women who make art —those women who tend towards what calls us to create. The poem celebrates the gifts women have given to the world throughout history in March-- Women’s History Month.
AUBADE FOR THE NEVER-ENDING FLOW OF MILK February 24, 2022
AUBADE FOR THE NEVER-ENDING FLOW OF MILK by Catherine Young from her poetry collection Geosmin.
An aubade is a poem that is written for dawn, a poem that greets the morning, lamenting the end of night when lovers must part. On a farm, aubade can take quite a different meaning after a long night tending the birth of livestock and readying for the day.
AUBADE FOR THE NEVER-ENDING FLOW OF MILK by Catherine Young from her poetry collection Geosmin.
An aubade is a poem that is written for dawn, a poem that greets the morning, lamenting the end of night when lovers must part. On a farm, aubade can take quite a different meaning after a long night tending the birth of livestock and readying for the day.
IN FEBRUARY IT BEGINS & MAPLE SYRUPING February 17, 2022
Two poems for the spring season of change and the sweetness we crave. IN FEBRUARY IT BEGINS and MAPLE SYRUPING by Catherine Young are from her poetry collection Geosmin.
Two poems for the spring season of change and the sweetness we crave. IN FEBRUARY IT BEGINS and MAPLE SYRUPING by Catherine Young are from her poetry collection Geosmin.
LICHEN & LATE WINTER February 10, 2022
LICHEN decorates the bark like a living wrapping on gift, one that’s hard to put in the woodstove.
LATE WINTER in Wisconsin is the difficult time of freeze and thaw; an anxious dance. We want the melt, but not all at once!
LICHEN and LATE WINTER by Catherine Young are from her poetry collection Geosmin.
LICHEN decorates the bark like a living wrapping on gift, one that’s hard to put in the woodstove.
LATE WINTER in Wisconsin is the difficult time of freeze and thaw; an anxious dance. We want the melt, but not all at once!
LICHEN and LATE WINTER by Catherine Young are from her poetry collection Geosmin.
GEOSMIN February 3, 2022
Geosmin by Catherine Young is the title poem from her poetry collection Geosmin. Geosmin is an ode to the scent of soil.
Geosmin by Catherine Young is the title poem from her poetry collection Geosmin. Geosmin is an ode to the scent of soil.
JANUARY BRINK January 27, 2022
There are people who love summer as a time of gathering outdoors, but some love snowy winter even more. January is clean and spare, and the snow and ice catches the most beautiful light. January is an edge; a brink.
JANUARY BRINK by Catherine Young is from her poetry collection Geosmin.
There are people who love summer as a time of gathering outdoors, but some love snowy winter even more. January is clean and spare, and the snow and ice catches the most beautiful light. January is an edge; a brink.
JANUARY BRINK by Catherine Young is from her poetry collection Geosmin.
MAPPING THE EMPTY LOT January 20, 2022
The narrator in this poem visits a childhood house after many years and finds it a gap in the city block where it had stood.
MAPPING THE EMPTY LOT by Catherine Young is from her poetry collection Geosmin.
The narrator in this poem visits a childhood house after many years and finds it a gap in the city block where it had stood.
MAPPING THE EMPTY LOT by Catherine Young is from her poetry collection Geosmin.
STONE CIRCLE January 13, 2022
From the perspective of geologic time, stone is always in motion. Glass is a slow liquid that pools at the bottoms of cathedral windows. STONE CIRCLE was inspired by a lively and colorful painting of Castlerigg Stone Circle in Cumbria U.K. where time becomes relative.
STONE CIRCLE by Catherine Young from her poetry collection Geosmin.
From the perspective of geologic time, stone is always in motion. Glass is a slow liquid that pools at the bottoms of cathedral windows. STONE CIRCLE was inspired by a lively and colorful painting of Castlerigg Stone Circle in Cumbria U.K. where time becomes relative.
STONE CIRCLE by Catherine Young from her poetry collection Geosmin.
MINUS FORTY January 6, 2022
In deep cold weather there is a garden of growing things made of ice.
Catherine reads MINUS FORTY from her poetry collection Geosmin.
In deep cold weather there is a garden of growing things made of ice.
Catherine reads MINUS FORTY from her poetry collection Geosmin.
CHICKADEES & SYLVAN December 30, 2021
Catherine reads 2 poems of season: CHICKADEES by Minnesota Poet Laureate, Joyce Sutphen, from her collection Carrying Water to the Field: New and Selected poems and SYLVAN (L’HOMME VERT) from poet, Donna Carnes, portraying each of the four seasons through the eyes of a tree in the imagist style.
Catherine reads 2 poems of season: CHICKADEES by Minnesota Poet Laureate, Joyce Sutphen, from her collection Carrying Water to the Field: New and Selected poems and SYLVAN (L’HOMME VERT) from poet, Donna Carnes, portraying each of the four seasons through the eyes of a tree in the imagist style.
A PARALLELOGRAM December 23, 2021
A PARALLELOGRAM is based on the photo “Met” of a many-storied, many-paned atrium with reflections and echoes of parallelograms through which could be seen snow-covered trees. The poem is an ekphrastic response to imaginary divisions of latitude and longitude lines as all lines are imaginary.
A PARALLELOGRAM by Catherine Young is from her poetry collection Geosmin.
A PARALLELOGRAM is based on the photo “Met” of a many-storied, many-paned atrium with reflections and echoes of parallelograms through which could be seen snow-covered trees. The poem is an ekphrastic response to imaginary divisions of latitude and longitude lines as all lines are imaginary.
A PARALLELOGRAM by Catherine Young is from her poetry collection Geosmin.
LOST AT SEA & AT A LOSS December 16, 2021
LOST AT SEA considers how coal has given us light, heat, electricity, clothing, medicines—but it is fossil fuel, sunshine stored in carbon, and it has been the major contributor to climate change—which in turn leads to glacial melt and sea level rise.
AT A LOSS refers to “at a loss for words” for the amazement of the living land here in Southwest Wisconsin and concern for what we could lose. The word Migizi – at the end of the poemis the Anishinaabemowin word for bald eagle. Migizi flies at dawn to see if humans remember to greet the day so that the world may continue. And canon refers to a song round that wraps round and round.
LOST AT SEA and AT A LOSS by Catherine Young are from her poetry collection Geosmin.
LOST AT SEA considers how coal has given us light, heat, electricity, clothing, medicines—but it is fossil fuel, sunshine stored in carbon, and it has been the major contributor to climate change—which in turn leads to glacial melt and sea level rise.
AT A LOSS refers to “at a loss for words” for the amazement of the living land here in Southwest Wisconsin and concern for what we could lose. The word Migizi – at the end of the poemis the Anishinaabemowin word for bald eagle. Migizi flies at dawn to see if humans remember to greet the day so that the world may continue. And canon refers to a song round that wraps round and round.
LOST AT SEA and AT A LOSS by Catherine Young are from her poetry collection Geosmin.
IN DARK TIMES WE GATHER LIGHT December 9, 2021
The poem is a hybrid about bees and nuns, darkness and light, and the ceremonial procession of St. Lucia Day, December 13th as well as spring’s promise of renewal.
IN DARK TIMES WE GATHER LIGHT by Catherine Young is from her poetry collection Geosmin.
The poem is a hybrid about bees and nuns, darkness and light, and the ceremonial procession of St. Lucia Day, December 13th as well as spring’s promise of renewal.
IN DARK TIMES WE GATHER LIGHT by Catherine Young is from her poetry collection Geosmin.
LIGHTING THE MENORAH December 2, 2021
LIGHTING THE MENORAH honors Hanukkah, one of many celebrations of creating light in the darkness.
As the sun sets across the world, people light up the darkness. In each hour the menorah candles are lit, prayers are sung, and light steadily progresses in homes across the globe as the sun leaves them behind.
LIGHTING THE MENORAH by Catherine Young is from Cricket Magazine.
LIGHTING THE MENORAH honors Hanukkah, one of many celebrations of creating light in the darkness.
As the sun sets across the world, people light up the darkness. In each hour the menorah candles are lit, prayers are sung, and light steadily progresses in homes across the globe as the sun leaves them behind.
LIGHTING THE MENORAH by Catherine Young is from Cricket Magazine.
IN THE ANTIQUE MALL & ART GOES UNBIDDEN November 25, 2021
Perhaps you’ve have the experience of walking into an antique store to find objects and tools that you’ve grown up with are now antiques. That’s where IN THE ANTIQUE MALL started.
The second poem, ART GOES UNBIDDEN is an observation of my rural neighborhood in southwest Wisconsin, where, it is said, we harbor creative, eccentric people.
IN THE ANTIQUE MALL and ART GOES UNBIDDEN by Catherine Young are from her poetry collection Geosmin.
Perhaps you’ve have the experience of walking into an antique store to find objects and tools that you’ve grown up with are now antiques. That’s where IN THE ANTIQUE MALL started.
The second poem, ART GOES UNBIDDEN is an observation of my rural neighborhood in southwest Wisconsin, where, it is said, we harbor creative, eccentric people.
IN THE ANTIQUE MALL and ART GOES UNBIDDEN by Catherine Young are from her poetry collection Geosmin.
Smoke, Part II November 18, 2021
A continuation of the essay “Smoke” by Catherine Young.
It is reaction to and experience of the wildfire ash that began to cover our Midwestern skies in the fall of 2020 against the background of having grown up in the smoke of the largest coal mining valley in the world.
A continuation of the essay “Smoke” by Catherine Young.
It is reaction to and experience of the wildfire ash that began to cover our Midwestern skies in the fall of 2020 against the background of having grown up in the smoke of the largest coal mining valley in the world.
Smoke, Part I November 11, 2021
The essay “Smoke” by Catherine Young is reaction to and experience of the wildfire ash that began to cover our Midwestern skies in the fall of 2020 against the background of having grown up in the smoke of the largest coal mining valley in the world.
The essay “Smoke” by Catherine Young is reaction to and experience of the wildfire ash that began to cover our Midwestern skies in the fall of 2020 against the background of having grown up in the smoke of the largest coal mining valley in the world.
FARMER / JANUS & BARN ELEGIAC November 4, 2021
Catherine reads 2 poems from her poetry collection Geosmin that address the loss of farming in Wisconsin’s Driftless Region.
The Janus in FARMER / JANUS refers to the two-faced Roman god of beginnings, doorways, passages and endings. The farmer looks forward and back while letting go.
BARN ELEGIAC focuses on the empty barn and all it once held.
Catherine reads 2 poems from her poetry collection Geosmin that address the loss of farming in Wisconsin’s Driftless Region.
The Janus in FARMER / JANUS refers to the two-faced Roman god of beginnings, doorways, passages and endings. The farmer looks forward and back while letting go.
BARN ELEGIAC focuses on the empty barn and all it once held.
GATHERING ACORNS, HOARDING WORDS October 28, 2021
In his piece, “The Word Hoard” British writer-naturalist Robert MacFarlane noted the proposed removal of words about the natural world in the children’s Oxford Dictionary—and this led to an outcry across the English-speaking world. GATHERING ACORNS, HOARDING WORDS asks if children do not know the words describing land, how will they know land?
Catherine reads GATHERING ACORNS, HOARDING WORDS from her poetry collection Geosmin.
In his piece, “The Word Hoard” British writer-naturalist Robert MacFarlane noted the proposed removal of words about the natural world in the children’s Oxford Dictionary—and this led to an outcry across the English-speaking world. GATHERING ACORNS, HOARDING WORDS asks if children do not know the words describing land, how will they know land?
Catherine reads GATHERING ACORNS, HOARDING WORDS from her poetry collection Geosmin.
AND NOW IT’S OCTOBER & THE VAST HOUR October 21, 2021
Catherine reads 2 poems to celebrate October:
Barbara Crooker’s AND NOW IT’S OCTOBER and Genevieve Taggart’s THE VAST HOUR.
Catherine reads 2 poems to celebrate October:
Barbara Crooker’s AND NOW IT’S OCTOBER and Genevieve Taggart’s THE VAST HOUR.
The Crystalline Bed of St. Peter, Part II October 14, 2021
"The Crystalline Bed of St. Peter," Part II, by Catherine Young
Smitten with the layers of limestone and sandstone that line these Wisconsin hills, these loveliest of golden layer cakes, how does one person dwelling in the Driftless Area protect the land and waters?
"The Crystalline Bed of St. Peter," Part II, by Catherine Young
Smitten with the layers of limestone and sandstone that line these Wisconsin hills, these loveliest of golden layer cakes, how does one person dwelling in the Driftless Area protect the land and waters?
The Crystalline Bed of St. Peter, Part I October 7, 2021
"The Crystalline Bed of St. Peter, "Part I, by Catherine Young
Smitten with the layers of limestone and sandstone that line these Wisconsin hills, these loveliest of golden layer cakes, how does one person dwelling in the Driftless Area protect the land and waters?
"The Crystalline Bed of St. Peter, "Part I, by Catherine Young
Smitten with the layers of limestone and sandstone that line these Wisconsin hills, these loveliest of golden layer cakes, how does one person dwelling in the Driftless Area protect the land and waters?
INVOCATION: CALL IT HOME September 30, 2021
INVOCATION: CALL IT HOME by Catherine Young is from the poetry collection Geosmin.
Begun in 2007 in response to the first wave of devastating floods in our Driftless region, the poem is a way to speak what is beloved and why we stay. INVOCATION was published as a poster with artwork by Stephanie Motz to celebrate and uplift the place where we dwell, and to ask everyone who reads it to respond with art and poetry.
INVOCATION: CALL IT HOME by Catherine Young is from the poetry collection Geosmin.
Begun in 2007 in response to the first wave of devastating floods in our Driftless region, the poem is a way to speak what is beloved and why we stay. INVOCATION was published as a poster with artwork by Stephanie Motz to celebrate and uplift the place where we dwell, and to ask everyone who reads it to respond with art and poetry.
STIPPLED PASSING September 23, 2021
The poem is response to the Gerard Manley Hopkins’s poem PIED BEAUTY and its “rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim” as well as the trout in a farm’s creek and the change of season slipping into autumn.
STIPPLED PASSING by Catherine Young is from the poetry collection Geosmin.
The poem is response to the Gerard Manley Hopkins’s poem PIED BEAUTY and its “rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim” as well as the trout in a farm’s creek and the change of season slipping into autumn.
STIPPLED PASSING by Catherine Young is from the poetry collection Geosmin.