Spring Break
Visiting poets share stories of friendships, romance, hip-hop
Lisa McGunigal
Issue date: 10/11/07 Section: Campus
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Limon's first poetry book, "Lucky Wreck," won the 2005 Autumn House Poetry Prize. Her second poetry book, "This Big Fake World," won the 2005 Pearl Poetry Prize.
In Limon's poem, "A little distantly, as one should," she recalls her childhood visits to Lake Tahoe, where her friend, Jake, died in a car accident.
"You really can't stop going places because you're frightened," Limon read.
"This Big Fake World" centers around four main characters: the hero, the hero's wife, the woman who works at the hardware store, and Lewis. Limon read the prologue poem to the book during the program.
"Let the man in the gray suit be our hero for once," she read.
In the book, Lewis writes poetry to Ronald Reagan, commiserating how pretty girls will be the death of him and probably Reagan as well.
Limon said she writes everyday.
"It's an obsession. But it's a healthy obsession," she said.
Another of Limon's poems she wrote while thinking of her deceased friend, Jessica.
"It's hard to admit we're alive sometimes," she read.
Another poem Limon read was inspired by a friend's challenge to write something sexy. Titled, "The City of Skin," Limon read, "This brilliant mess. Yes. Let's."
Cirelli said he prefers keeping his poetry short, once limiting himself to write poems that had just 14 lines or less. Much of his work attempts to connect the world of hip-hop to the world of academia. He also has background experience in slam poetry and was an individual finalist at the National Poetry Slam.
One poem of Cirelli's developed from his experiences in attempting to get published.
"The money that sea-sawed like tides," he writes in "Beat to Print."
Several of Cirelli's new poems focus on rap stars engaging in simple pleasures, such as eating out at a seafood restaurant, or other activities that are part of rap stars' private personas. The collection, titled "Lobster with Old Dirty Bastard," includes poetry about legendary rap artist Notorious B.I.G.
