When I emailed asking Jan for her photo she suggested I use her latest book cover. Last year I wrote about Jan’s book in the Poems in the Waiting Room blog so I’ve decided to reprint it here.
One of the joys of working down my end of Dunedin is the proximity to the University Book Shop. During my lunch break yesterday I wandered along to catch up on the latest arrivals, and discovered Jan Hutchison’s poetry book, The Happiness of Rain. Jan’s wonderful poem, Another letter to Hone, appeared in the Spring 2011 edition of PitWR. The Happiness of Rain is another superb collection from Jan. With a price tag of $19.99 it’s about the same price as a movie ticket and a box of popcorn. Great value when you consider the smell of a book is superior to popcorn and unlike a movie, the book is yours forever!
Another Letter to Hone has been a real favourite of our readers. Jan allowed me to print it in our Poems in the Waiting Room blog some time ago. If you’d like to read it click here. Lew Walsh has chosen Another Letter to Hone for one of his two exhibition artworks. Having seen Lew’s other artworks I know this one is going to be ‘a stunner.’
And an email hot off my pc from Jan
I like writing about what is happening in the moment.
At Darfield
It could be like this when we start again
it’s early morning
a beetle runs along the shingle
or there are seeds of grass in the paddock
there is wheat
soon it will be the colour of the sun
listen
the leaf stalks are rising from their bindings
across the plains
wheat glitters on a long tail of wind
and the words we surrendered in the dark
forget to look back
(from The Happiness of Rain
published by Steele Roberts)
Bellamys at Five 