CHASS commemorates local poet May Swenson
Local writers honored May Swenson, a Cache Valley poet who has been praised as one of the most influential poets of the 20th century, by going on a “poetry walkabout” on May 28 to the site of the old Swenson childhood home.
The group walk began near the Ray B. West building at Utah State University, then made its way down to the old amphitheater to read some of Swenson’s work aloud. The walk ended at 691 E 500 N, the site of the old Swenson home, where group members wrote their own poetry with inspiration from Swenson’s work.
The event was organized by Star Coulbrooke, Logan’s first-ever poet laureate, in an effort to bring awareness of Swenson’s poetry to the community.
May Swenson Day is celebrated statewide on May 28, Swenson’s day of birth in 1913. She graduated from both Logan High School and Utah State University.
Swenson published several poetry collections, including “A Cage of Spines,” “Half Sun Half Sleep” and “In Other Words.” Many of her poems were inspired by the Cache Valley area.
Swenson died in 1989 and was buried in the Logan cemetary.
To many local writers, Swenson is more than just a historical figure – she is an inspiration.
“Her poetry is really inspiring,” Coulbrooke said. “She was able to bring the local into the national and global sort of perspective.”
In 1958, Swenson began experimenting with riddle poems and talking about topics rarely discussed in poetry, Coulbrooke said.
“She was one of those poets that came along and sort of blew everything up that poetry was doing before,” she said. “There are so many contemporary poets who really admire her work and realize what kind of innovations she started. Her voice is really prominent in changing the way we think about poetry.”
Swenson’s work influences local writers because she gained inspiration for many of her poems from her view of Cache Valley and its culture, said Millie Tullis, a creative writing and philosophy major at USU.
“Something cool about her being from Logan is that she came out of the culture that we have,” Tullis said. “Her background was so similar to ours. That’s inspiring. It’s so exciting to read (work from) somebody who is from your school and is amazing at what you love to do.”
Tina Sitton, an adjunct English instructor at USU, said Swenson’s success gives her hope for her own success.
“She came from this school; I came from this school. If she can make it, I can make it,” she said.
Coulbrooke plans to host poetry walkabouts to different locations every fourth Thursday of each month this summer. She may take the groups to see Swenson’s grave site in the Logan Cemetary or to stargaze on Old Main Hill.
Coulbrooke will, in a sense, follow in May Swenson’s footsteps as she writes poetry about Cache Valley.
“This is the place I love, this valley. This is where almost all of my poems are based,” she said. “I think it’s really smart to be able to write from the heart and place poetry in your life where you live. I think people aren’t as much interested in how to make poetry contemporary and how to make it smart as they are in making it sound real, true to life and from the heart.”
—melmo12@gmail.com