A Bernadette Mayer Celebration

Celebratory reading and book launch at St. Mark's Church via The Poetry Project, May 6, 2015
Review written and edited by Peter Buller

The luminous poetry of Bernadette Mayer unfolds one's sensation as a prism opens light into a rainbow. For the same reasons, Mayer's work proves difficult to digest into any interpretive web. At times her work plays with form akin to Gertrude Stein's continuous prose. Elsewhere she weaves mythological references into her work, or writes stream-of-consciousness biographical poems of deceptive simplicity. All her poetry bears her distinct voice, a light touch of humour and sincerity that feels like "[living] forever... in a pastel portrait." How other poets should replicate the whimsy of her style, especially since Mayer does so with such confidence, raises a question for poetry readers everywhere; and it is heartwarming to see The Poetry Project once again offer an answer.

Numerous writers and publishers joined their voices in celebration of Mayer's latest book, Eating the Colors Of A Lineup Of Words: The First Books of Bernadette Mayer (Station Hill Press, 2015). Some appreciated Mayer's work as friends and colleagues of her work, such as Lee Ann Brown and Laynie Browne. Their readings resonated with how "endless thoughts go by" in Mayer's biographical work. Others were fellow writers like Peter Gizzi, who acknowledged the influence of her voice on the form of her work. Before reading "At Half-Inch Intervals," Gizzi remarked that he doesn't "know if she has a broken heart in a fierce world or a fierce heart in a broken world." His comment struck a particular chord with his reading of "The Way to Keep Going in Antarctica," echoing the line of how "nothing outside can cure you, but everything is outside," and that, "if I suffered, what else could I do?" Gizzi identified the vulnerabilities in Mayer's poems, to a stark contrast with readers such as Barbara Epler. President of New Directions Press, Epler's attachment to Mayer's poetry stems from tremendous passion for the lightness of Mayer's work, notably demonstrated in her fantastically-paced reading of "Essay." Epler's tone allowed the humour of Mayer's proclamation that "very few poets can be real farmers" captivate her audience in laughter.

All the readers strongly identified with threads in Mayer's poetry; but can any match her own? No replica will clone the original's work--though in this case, Mayer's poor health may have benefited from her other readers. Although her reading of the interlacing narratives from her 1968 work Stories inspired much to think about, the stride of her piece stumbled as she reread misspoken words and paused to regather her pace. Nevertheless, her perseverance almost carried her reading through the night's entirety. There's no doubting that in better times, she might have read with the same strength and vitality as Alice Notley had several weeks before her. However, in retrospect, Mayer's reading reveals that even after great poets begin to lose their voices, readers will gather in their stead. No physical ailment can prevent a celebration between friends--especially if they're poets too.