Introduction

“You think your pains and heartbreaks are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, or who have ever been alive.”

–James Baldwin

Nearly every Thursday for the past 14 years, the creative writing workshop at AIDS Service Center NYC has shared in the gratifying truth of James Baldwin’s observation about the timeless power of reading and writing to connect our seemingly isolated experiences with the lives of others, past and present. During our Thursday gatherings, we read and discuss a published poem, using our exploration as the fuel for the participants’ own creative writing. And, as each participant sets his or her own perspective to paper, a poetic message comes forth that has meaning for us all. As you read the work of the 25 poets represented in this issue of Situations, you’ll find a spectrum of creative styles and viewpoints. First, try flipping through the pages without reading a word just to see how different each poem looks on the page. Next, scan the poems’ titles to get a sense of the varied topics covered here, from kindness, passion, solitude, and personal reinvention to drums, bees, family, survival—and everything in between. Some of the titles will entice you to travel more deeply into the hidden world of these poems. (Who could resist a poem called “Don’t Be A Grasshopper!” or “A Merry Blackberry Morning”?) There, you’ll see how each piece of writing, like a fingerprint, is distinctive and unique. Yet I suspect you’ll also find that deep power of connection James Baldwin has so memorably described. As you explore these poems, I hope you’ll find valuable resonances with your own life story, struggles and victories—and that the words you find here inspire you. Gerry Gomez Pearlberg Workshop Leader