Poet Robert Fanning at Flying Bear Books

How do you get a famous poet to share his talents at your local Poetry Night? 
As it turns out, you just ask him!
By Marsha Reeves

Robert Fanning is a Foley Poetry Award recipient and the author of six poetry collections, including four full-length collections. His poems have appeared in Poetry, Ploughshares, Shenandoah, The Atlanta Review, and other journals. Recent work has also appeared on The Writer's Almanac on NPR, and Fanning was interviewed at the Library of Congress for the nationally-syndicated radio program "The Poet and the Poem."  A graduate of the University of Michigan and Sarah Lawrence College, he is also the founder and facilitator of the Wellspring Literary Series in Mt. Pleasant, MI., where he lives with his wife, sculptor Denise Whitebread Fanning, and their two children. 

John Reeves, owner of Flying Bear Books, heard an NPR interview with Mr Fanning last winter and was struck by his love for poetry and his enthusiasm.  John thought about Flying Bear Books’  first Wednesday of the month Poetry Night and  the idea of inviting Mr. Fanning to Poetry Night  started to bloom in his imagination.  He want back and forth, and talked with Gabe (Studio 37 owner and operator) his friend and partner in MC’ing the poetry night thinking it might be a long shot, but wondering if Mr. Fanning  could make time or be interested in our little local Poetry Night.
In  the end he decided ‘What the Heck?  It won’t hurt to ask.’  

By the time John decided to give it a try, he’d lost track of the famous Poet’s name, but he remembered that he was at Central Michigan University. In a flash of inspiration, John called the CMU switchboard and the very kind and patient operator sorted through several possibilities before sending his call over to Fanning.  Howah!  He was the guy!

So Robert Fanning will be sharing his work and listening to the work of our local poets as people share at the Flying Bear Books Poetry Night Wednesday, June 5th, starting at 7 PM. 
Everyone is welcome and you  can read your own poetry , read something that is meaningful to you written by someone else, or just settle in and listen.  

The Poetry Night Motto: “Gash Kozin, Niibawin, Giigidoon”. (English Translation: Wake Up.  Stand Up. Speak Up.)

 Robert Fanning website: https://robertfanning.wordpress.com/

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