HAPPY HOLIDAYS

that story in today’s Times, with the line Tom references, begins with a mention of Lucinda’s father as only one of the four Presidential inaugural poets:

“Miller Williams seemed to get it about right. His inaugural poem, “Of History and Hope,” was dignified, with a weather-beaten resonance. It began:

We have memorized America,
how it was born and who we have been and where.
In ceremonies and silence we say the words,
telling the stories, singing the old songs.

(Music fans could not have heard that last line without recalling that Mr. Williams is the father of Lucinda Williams, the venerated singer and songwriter.)

“To have great poetry there must be great audiences, too,” Walt Whitman said. He was talking about the quality of a poet’s readers. “

(“venerated” — how about that for an adjective for Lucinda?!!)

Good story. Good to see poetry take center stage. Good to be a part of the audience.

Thanks for a year of great music — and for letting us be a part of it. Looking forward to the shows in the new year.

Happy christmas/hanukkah/kwanzaa/druid rituals/and new year to all! (May the Pagans and Christians enjoy the holiday table together.)

…and all best wishes of the season to Lucinda, Tom, and all the regulars on this forum (cheerleaders and keeping-it-realists alike!) This has been my first full calendar year as a LW fan – a special thanks to the incredible woman that introduced me to her and proved to me that there was more worth listening to in the country canon than just the odd Johnny Cash number. (I still have a contract out on Billy-Ray Cyrus though!)

Here’s to a great new year, with – dare I say – a little more exposure for LW over the pond in England?