An interview with Richard Lyons, poet and professor of English at North Dakota State University, about his recent work of poetry and photography which offers a unique view of North Dakota.
Feature also includes excerpt of Lyons reading poetry.
This recording was made available through a grant from the National Historical Publications & Records Commission.
[MUSIC PLAYING] RICHARD LYONS: Pan dancer, Gypsy Rose, it's called, the biggest stripper in the West. She scoops aside her grass fan to bear the alluring layers of black rock that make men come running in fantasies of profitable love.
Will they in the morning wake to the cold gray of spent energies and hungers on the hard bedrock of a ravaged life? The grass gone, the stripper gone, the dream gone. The dust on the window. The dry wind blowing.
BILL SIEMERING: One of the poems Richard Lyons wrote to accompany a series of slides he took of North Dakota, presenting a poet's view of the land. The series was underwritten by the North Dakota Committee for the Humanities and Public Issues. And Lyons, who is also Professor of English at North Dakota State university, tells us about the relation of the humanist to issues like core development.
RICHARD LYONS: Poetry does not get involved in debates and arguments and that kind of thing. But I think it can work in finding ways to identify emotional responses, what it feels more than what it means, whatever the it might be, whatever the public issue might be.
And obviously, of course, one poet can't hit all of the various kinds of emotional responses. But I think just getting a few out into the open and getting them exposed hopefully to other people might stimulate the individual citizen in one way or another.
If nothing else, then anger. If he doesn't like the kind of attitude that might be expressed, he might at least begin to think then now, what kind of attitude does he like? And whatever techniques get people to think, to feel, to respond in an active, I think, in positive way, presumably it's supposed to be hopeful. And that's the end of it anyhow.
When what happens to one's heating bill is dependent upon what somebody does halfway around the world. It's very difficult to put this into a local situation. And how do you feel about it?
BILL SIEMERING: Poet Richard Lyons and Professor of English at North Dakota State University. He's written poems to accompany photographs he took of North Dakota, offering a poet's view of the state. I'm Bill Siemering.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
RICHARD LYONS: Writing poems. That's kind of an upbeat poem for North Dakota, I guess, on the land and the significance of the land called Flag. Stripes of color ripple in the contour wind like a flag of abundance, stripes of ocher, wheat, and gray, violet earth, compliments of life without stars of illusion.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Digitization made possible by the National Historical Publications & Records Commission.
Views and opinions expressed in the content do not represent the opinions of APMG. APMG is not responsible for objectionable content and language represented on the site. Please use the "Contact Us" button if you'd like to report a piece of content. Thank you.
Transcriptions provided are machine generated, and while APMG makes the best effort for accuracy, mistakes will happen. Please excuse these errors and use the "Contact Us" button if you'd like to report an error. Thank you.