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Open Books: Events
March 28, 2008 07:30 PM
SEBASTIAN MATTHEWS
Sebastian Matthews first came to our attention as co-editor of Search
Party, the collected poems of his late father, William Matthews, who taught
at the University of Washington from 1978 to 1983. This evening Sebastian
Matthews will read from his own full-length collection of poetry, We
Generous ($16.95 Red Hen). His work is personal, affably so at times --
"Life's funny / in that hat flying off / in the wind sort of way" -- and at
other times he writes with an unornamented directness -- "Long past
midnight; hard rain." Several of these poems focus on jazz and jazz
musicians. One piece recounts how Sonny Rollins suspended his promising
career to practice saxophone for months alone on a bridge in New York.
Matthews then writes, "that's what I want now: / less stage, more bridge /...
/ the private business of becoming -- / nothing more, not one iota less -- /
who I am meant to be." Billy Collins says of the poet, "[he] has his own
music, which is poised, tuneful and able to shift from major to minor so
nice you hardly notice."
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