Meet the Poet: Michael Dean

Coming January 28, I'll be starting my monthly co-hosting with Laura Hedlund and Karen Olson Johnson at AM 950.  The program is Books, Brews, and News.  8 a.m. can't possibly be too early to tune in!  I hope you'll join me.  Each program will feature a guest author (or musician), and a guest from the world of craft brewing.  

I'm already lining up some interesting people I know from the worlds of writing and music.  The first program--did I mention it's on January 28 at 8 a.m. on 950 AM--will feature Michael Agnew, Minnesota's first Cicerone (that's a beer expert) and Michael Dean, poet.

The observant reader will note it's going to be a room full of Michaels and Lauras!  This should be fun!

There's an old joke in the world of writers that a publisher would rather see a burglar in his office than a poet.  It seems that for decades, it's been a bit of a dying form.  Very few people can claim Poet as a full-time job, and very few have had any great success as published poets.  However, in recent years, I personally have met a number of poets, in my writers' group, Night Writers, online (All Poetry is a great place for sharing and meeting other poets, and The Poet's Garret is a good resource), and with some forays to a poetry group and out to open mics at Southern Theater (Ball's Cabaret) and the Underground Music Cafe, which features Barbaric Yawp the fourth Sunday of every month.

Somewhere along the line, I met Michael Dean, poet.  Michael currently lives pretty much as one imagines a poet should--out in the woods near Martin Lake with his dog Finn.  Sort of a colder and snowier Walden Pond.

Mike has a fascinating background, having spent much of his childhood and youth on Okinawa, where his father was an airplane mechanic for Air America--the CIA planes.  On returning to the United States, he graduated from St. John's University in Collegeville, MN and went on to hold a number of interesting jobs.  

Several years ago, he began writing poetry more seriously.  However, life can never be too serious, so in our recent pre-program discussion, we talked about the question of how beer and poetry relate.  It prompted us to look up poems about beer--and yes, there are plenty of them!  Mike will be reading at least one of them.  Believe me, there will never be a better chance than 8 a.m. January 28, 2017 on 950 AM radio, to hear a poem about beer read by a real poet!  I left him with the job of choosing, so I look forward not only to hearing what he chose--I knew of a few already from my research for Food and Feast--but also to hearing it rendered rather than merely read.  I'm sure it will be fun!

Mike writes what he calls index finger poetry which are typically rather short poems.  Tune in on January 28 to hear more of his journey from house paint and city planner to published poet, with his first book, Seashells, being released just this past summer.

Night is not shadow Day not between two suns 

They are shift workers 

One works for other 

Each saying hello good night 

Lips never touching

~ by Michael G. Dean

  

• January 28: I will co-host Food Freedom on AM 950 with Laura Hedlund and Karen Olson Johnson.  Guests: Michael Agnew, craft beer expert, Michael G. Dean, poet.
• I'll be reading and signing books February 10, 2017 at Magers and Quinn with Genny Kieley

CURRENTLY:

• There is currently a giveaway going on at my facebook page for a 252 piece puzzle of misty Glenmirril (aka Grant Tower at Urquhart Castle on the shores of Loch Ness.)

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