April 25, 2021
In the early 1980s, when I was teaching in the California Poets-in-the-Schools program, I was always on the outlook for poems that I could use to inspire my students with. One of my favorites was Al Young’s “Oranges.” Gary Soto’s poem with the same title is probably better known, but Young’s poem has always remained one of my secret favorites of all time. I know most people don’t think of me as shy, but I was too shy to ask him to read that poem when he gave a reading at Beyond Baroque several years ago. I hope there is a recording somewhere of him reading that poem.
Unfortunately, I can’t find a link to the text of the poem, so you’ll have to dig it up for yourself in THE BLUES DON’T CHANGE (1982).
There is solace to be found in his words, but even more solace to be found in the restoration those words carve out. Thank you, Al.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/al-young
“He’s probably one of the most underrated writers in the country. He lived on the West Coast. The people who receive a lot of publicity live in the New York-Washington, D.C. shuttle area. It’s difficult for a writer like Al to achieve prominence with critics who see Northern California as a stepchild of Manhattan.” – Ishmael Reed
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Young
https://www.mindfulscrivener.com/seed-hungry-fields/the-blues-dont-change-by-al-young
THREE POEMS BY AL YOUNG:
http://willowspringsmagazine.org/poetry-2/three-poems-al-young/
https://www.cityofberkeley.info/City_Manager/Civic_Arts/Addison_St__Press_Rel_-_President_s_Award.aspx
NEW YORK TIMES OBITUARY:
About Bill Mohr