si

•

Poet's
Perspective

"Seyburn's poems are created from
an alluring willingness not to know all
the answers, and thus [she is] able to
interpret the world for us flexibly, in
arty Seyburn has lived in
all its excitement and mystification,"
several states since leaving
Peacock says.
Michigan almost 20 years
Seyburn, 36, now living in Califor-
ago — Illinois, New York,
nia, wrote the book
Texas, California —
while
involved in
but she returns
several
other profes-
emotionally
sional
responsibili-
through her new,
ties — freelance
prize-winning poet-
writing
for
ry book, Diaspo-
teaching
Newsweek,
radic (Helicon
a
correspondence
$9.95).
Nine:
composition course
Images of family,
through Johns Hop-
Judaism and Detroit
kins University and._,
appear through her
conducting an e-
words as she escorts
mail poetry work-
readers into the
shop.
recesses of visions
"When I was
that only recently
growing
up, I was
have become clear
comfortable as a
to her. Reinvention
Jew and as a
of self is a theme
female, and I need-
that recurs along
ed to challenge
many pages.
myself," she says.
"The finished
Those challenges
book presents
became
apparent
underlying themes
after
Seyburn
grad-
I wasn't aware of,"
uated from Roeper
says Seyburn, who
School. She earned
will read passages at
bachelor and master
7:30 p.m. Wednes-
of science degrees in
day, Jan. 20, at
Patty Seyburn: "Poetrhas both the
journalism
from
Borders in Farm-
content and music of language, and
Northwestern
Uni-
ington Hills. "I'm
it's an ideal form to question life."
and
worked
versity
still learning about
as a journalist in
myself from read-
New
York
before
returning
to school
ing the poems."
for a master's degree in poetry at the
The book is the winner of the 1997
University of California, Irvine.
Marianne Moore Poetry Prize, judged
"I took poetry workshops while I
by poet Molly Peacock. The competi-
was
in New York City, and it became
tion is open to all poets residing in the
clear
that poetry makes me happiest,"
United States and is awarded annually
says
Seyburn,
working on her doctoral
to a previously unpublished manu-
degree
in
literature
and creative writ-
script.
ing through the University of Hous-
In addition to the publication of
ton, which she attended for three
the winning manuscript by Helicon
years. "Poetry has both the content
Nine Editions, the prize includes
and music of language, and it's an
$1,000 cash and a reading with Pea-
ideal form to question life."
cock at the Writers Place in Kansas
Subjects questioned by the author
City.

SUZANNE CHESSLER
Special to The Jewish News

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Native Detroiter
Patty Seyburn pays her
hometown a visit with
her award-winning
volume of verse.