With Christmas and New Years and the first hope we’ve had in months, I’d almost forgotten about this wonderful edition to my library. You must understand tha at going on 70 I’ve given away many treasures from my past. What remains are several Norton Anthologies, and 100 beloved books take of not to give away just yet. I love my books and some I only now am beginning to understand after being away from college since 1974, and Graduate School since 1990. After beloved Colorado State University where three professors stand out, two forced me to grow up, one became a lifelong friend. Bill Tremblay is still my friend, and he made friends of dozens of graduate and undergraduate students. I’ve continued and will dedicate my current book to Bill and three other outstanding teachers, so you see, many of the book I have kept are books for reference and books I have not read. A writer of my sort buys books without knowing when he or she will read these treasures. I have kept a few meaningful books. A British Poetry from Sir Galway and the Green Night to about 1955. This is the first book I purchased with intent of someday becoming a poet. I was 14-years-old. Money came from a paper rout. I paid $2.75, a hearty sum for I always bought my own necessities at that age including my clothes, and my first shaving tools. I was precious but no one knew. My best friend, who died of AIDS my dear friend Kerry who could not bear the thought of me marring Marjorie went to Hawaii where he could be free. He was persecuted on the mainland. He attended our marriage ad shortly there after moved with every intent of staying, and I loved dear Kerry, just not in the way he loved me.
Shortly after, I took my first teaching position in Nebraska at a community college and I was a dedicated teacher but drank way too much. After I realized my diseases were getting worse, we moved to Colorado where I earned my MFA with intent of becoming a great poet.
At CSU I was forced to give up my TA and nevertheless continued graduate studies. I’ve remained sober since July 22, 1987. I remember the exact time. About 10 AM I sat in my car and made the hardest decision of my life. I decided if I did not quit drinking I would probably die or worse. Shame was the center of my life though I justified all because of my mental illness since 1974, my BA from Grinnell College earned the very same year.
I’d found solace in higher education at U of Iowa where I had earned two advanced degrees, found wonderful support and friendship there.
CSU was different. Only one Professor availed himself of me. Bill took me under his wing. I left with 3.9 GPA but had to take my comprehensive exam three times before passing. This prevented me from graduation with distinction and Bill was extremely disappointed in me.
I lost my second teaching job in a paper mill college in Illinois when I lost my temper at a girl student with the door of my office closed. All kinds of false accusations flew by my excellence in teaching. Ever observation except the last was outstanding but not enoug to grant me tenure. We moved, child of 4, dear Laurel in tow. There our daughter became the center of our life because we saw Colorado with mixed emotions. However, for a time I taught part-time. Then my mental illness and severe arthritis of the spine took me out of teaching. I reverted to fast food clerk and retail, the dregs sometimes motel clerk, and I moved from job to job. At age 58 my dear Marjorie talked seriously. She said she’d take over with outstanding work at the VA where she advanced over 25 years. A total of 30 years made her eligible for retirement. She has taken good care of me. Even now she grants me a hefty portion of my own Social Security. We live a good life because of Marjorie and her dedication to the two of us.
My daughter has won every academic and yesterday I learned she is becoming third generation authority of author of The Snow Country, Japanese author winning the Nobel Prize in Literature his masterpiece a book I purchased immediately after learning tha Laurel’s Fulbright was bestowed because of ground breaking research in Social media and literature and I am ashamed I do not understand our daughter’s research and now she’s stopped in the trip to Japan to finish her PhD. The Fulbright Fellowship may be withdrawn if she cannot fly to Japan soon. She must conduct her work in Japan, she can do nothing in this USA.
She’s using our small study for all the work she can do without actually being in Tokyo and she’s earning money translating I’m not sure what. Perhaps with vaccine she’ll be able to leave soon for Japan. She’s lived and worked of and on for 7 years so is fluent in the language and so she is anxious to return. She has worked in a private grammar school worked for Jet, earned a BA in Japanese studies, MFA in Asian translation and both with all honors, runner up in the Penn Award, now establishing her reputation and so you see it’s important that COVID 19 be damned she must return to Japan soon
Well you have a bit of my history. I only hope this third book is better than the last two. Though both were good, I’m hopping for an outstanding book. I look at Shonen’s beautiful art and Zen poetry, I dare say there are many good and great poets and writers among us in our Treeleaf Sangha. “All the world is our Temple” the fourt of the great teachers with dedication in my new book. I’ve taken hiatus from my writing and editing since December 12th; soon, I hope, to return to my work. Thank you for listening.
Gsssho
sat/ lah
Tai Shi
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Shortly after, I took my first teaching position in Nebraska at a community college and I was a dedicated teacher but drank way too much. After I realized my diseases were getting worse, we moved to Colorado where I earned my MFA with intent of becoming a great poet.
At CSU I was forced to give up my TA and nevertheless continued graduate studies. I’ve remained sober since July 22, 1987. I remember the exact time. About 10 AM I sat in my car and made the hardest decision of my life. I decided if I did not quit drinking I would probably die or worse. Shame was the center of my life though I justified all because of my mental illness since 1974, my BA from Grinnell College earned the very same year.
I’d found solace in higher education at U of Iowa where I had earned two advanced degrees, found wonderful support and friendship there.
CSU was different. Only one Professor availed himself of me. Bill took me under his wing. I left with 3.9 GPA but had to take my comprehensive exam three times before passing. This prevented me from graduation with distinction and Bill was extremely disappointed in me.
I lost my second teaching job in a paper mill college in Illinois when I lost my temper at a girl student with the door of my office closed. All kinds of false accusations flew by my excellence in teaching. Ever observation except the last was outstanding but not enoug to grant me tenure. We moved, child of 4, dear Laurel in tow. There our daughter became the center of our life because we saw Colorado with mixed emotions. However, for a time I taught part-time. Then my mental illness and severe arthritis of the spine took me out of teaching. I reverted to fast food clerk and retail, the dregs sometimes motel clerk, and I moved from job to job. At age 58 my dear Marjorie talked seriously. She said she’d take over with outstanding work at the VA where she advanced over 25 years. A total of 30 years made her eligible for retirement. She has taken good care of me. Even now she grants me a hefty portion of my own Social Security. We live a good life because of Marjorie and her dedication to the two of us.
My daughter has won every academic and yesterday I learned she is becoming third generation authority of author of The Snow Country, Japanese author winning the Nobel Prize in Literature his masterpiece a book I purchased immediately after learning tha Laurel’s Fulbright was bestowed because of ground breaking research in Social media and literature and I am ashamed I do not understand our daughter’s research and now she’s stopped in the trip to Japan to finish her PhD. The Fulbright Fellowship may be withdrawn if she cannot fly to Japan soon. She must conduct her work in Japan, she can do nothing in this USA.
She’s using our small study for all the work she can do without actually being in Tokyo and she’s earning money translating I’m not sure what. Perhaps with vaccine she’ll be able to leave soon for Japan. She’s lived and worked of and on for 7 years so is fluent in the language and so she is anxious to return. She has worked in a private grammar school worked for Jet, earned a BA in Japanese studies, MFA in Asian translation and both with all honors, runner up in the Penn Award, now establishing her reputation and so you see it’s important that COVID 19 be damned she must return to Japan soon
Well you have a bit of my history. I only hope this third book is better than the last two. Though both were good, I’m hopping for an outstanding book. I look at Shonen’s beautiful art and Zen poetry, I dare say there are many good and great poets and writers among us in our Treeleaf Sangha. “All the world is our Temple” the fourt of the great teachers with dedication in my new book. I’ve taken hiatus from my writing and editing since December 12th; soon, I hope, to return to my work. Thank you for listening.
Gsssho
sat/ lah
Tai Shi
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
I do not that Kokuu says 5-7-5 is not necessary though. 
Gassho, J
STLah
for positive poetry 優婆塞 台 婆
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