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Unread 06-23-2011, 07:27 AM
Jennifer Reeser's Avatar
Jennifer Reeser Jennifer Reeser is offline
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Default West Chester Panel, Davis's Mills poem on YouTube

I mentioned in an earlier post about the poem for Mr. Wilbur, my friend, the poet Wilmer Mills is fighting cancer of the liver. This news has affected me deeply. A panel was held for him at the West Chester conference, as he has been a regular from the very first, and he is much loved and respected among us. I wanted to get it all on video, so that Wil could see and know how much. Somehow, I did manage to do so, and the videos are now on the Web. Here you can see Dana Gioia, Catherine Tufariello, Dick Davis, Timothy Steele, Leslie Monsour, Michael Peich, Kim Bridgford, and even Mr. Wilbur himself, who was in attendance. You can hear the reading of Wil's favorite psalm, 139, hear a few anecdotes about him, excerpts from his writing, and hear his song "Independently Poor," which he performed for us a few years ago at the conference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY5RnyaqcwM

It had to be broken into three parts, as YouTube only allows ten minutes per video, and the panel ran for half an hour.

In addition, I recorded Dick Davis's prefatory poem in Wil's honor, which Dick delivered at the beginning of his Thursday night reading. You can see that here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLEob...eature=related

I gave these links to Wil, and spoke with him by phone a few days ago. These outpourings from his friends have flabbergasted him, and I want to say a public thanks. For those of you who are not familiar with him -- if you have ever seen a film with the actor Cillian Murphy, you have an inkling of what it is like to be with Wil! And for any who are interested in following his progress, his family is maintaining a blog, at this adddress:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/wilmills1

Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. As I said to him a few weeks ago -- I believe in miracles.
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Unread 06-25-2011, 03:15 AM
Andrew Frisardi Andrew Frisardi is offline
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I've never met the man, but his story and the journal I've seen online--as well as his poetry--have made quite an impression. Thanks for posting the links to this moving tribute. And it's good to see you here again, Jennifer.
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Unread 06-30-2011, 09:34 PM
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Jennifer Reeser Jennifer Reeser is offline
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It's good to see all of you again, too, Andrew.
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Unread 07-01-2011, 08:18 AM
Tim Murphy Tim Murphy is offline
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Jenny, he flew to Louisiana via ambulance plane two days ago. If you go up to see him, tell him how impressed I've been with his work the last fifteen years. Never told him so myself (gulp).
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Unread 07-03-2011, 02:04 PM
Meredith Bergmann Meredith Bergmann is offline
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Jennifer, It was good to see you and to meet your husband at West Chester. I found the readings in honor of Wil, and your reading of his poem for Richard Wilbur, very moving and terribly sad. I've been in touch with him for the last year and a half, and will be publishing one of his new sonnets in the American Arts Quarterly fall issue, and in the meantime there is a wonderfully detailed, complex ekphrastic poem by him on our website at www.nccsc.net/poetry on Breughel's Harvesters. The painting itself can be poured over inch by inch at: http://www.googleartproject.com/muse...the-harvesters
He's a lovely poet. Thanks for keeping us all connected to him.
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Unread 07-04-2011, 04:43 PM
William Thompson William Thompson is offline
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That is a great poem. Thanks for the link!
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Unread 07-04-2011, 05:45 PM
Tim Murphy Tim Murphy is offline
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Wow, that really is great ekphrasis!
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