BY SUSAN DIMOS
Staff Writer
Poet in residence, Karen Swenson, is a
dynamic woman in her own right.
Swenson traveled the world and explored
places where women rarely ventured
alone.
Even though Swenson has traveled to
many wonderful places, she believes
"You only have to walk out the door, or
in the door to get inspiration for writing."
"I am hoping to bring to the reader an
articulation of certain emotions, an articulate investigation of certain kinds of situations in hopes that I am lucid enough
that the reader can identify, and can say
oh yes and recognize they have been
there. Ideally I think poetry communi
cates to people that they are not alone in
their sorrow, difficulty or their anger.
That other people are experiencing this
to."
Megan Nolan, who was in the audience as Swenson gavq a reading of her
poetry at PCC this month, said, "She
came across so strqpg."
"If you are a poet, you are a writer,"
Swenson said. Swenson has published
several books of poetry over the years;
the most recent "A Daughter's Latitude"
is a book of new and selected poems
chronicling Swenson's life and travels.
Other books by Swenson, include The
Landlady in Bangkok for which she was
awarded the 1993 National Poetry Series
and a chapbook, East-West published in
1980. Swenson's first book of poetry, An
Attic of Ideals, published in 1974 is
available in the Stafford library.
She has been published in The New
Yorker and Paris Review. Her writings
on travel have appeared in the New York
Times, The Wall Street Journal and The
New Leader.
Swenson is a tireless traveler who has
been around the globe and taught at universities and colleges across the country
including the City College of New York,
where she taught for 15 years.
She also believes that it is OK to have
laughter in poetry and has written a poem
"Ice cream sandwich" about unrequited
love and a melting ice cream sandwich a
young girl has placed in a young boy's
lunch box that vividly shows the mushi-
ness of the situation.
