Rafter Snap: Meet Jerome Gagnon

Poet meets Cranes

Jerome (Jerry) Gagnon

The last Sunday of each month, I take a break from my Staying Power column to feature one of our delightful Rafters. This helps us get better acquainted and also be inspired by their story. If you might like to be the focus of a Rafter Snap, click here! (Don’t be shy!)

This month, I’m happy to introduce Jerome (Jerry) Gagnon from Hayward, California USA. He’s a poet, writing teacher, tutor, and freelance journalist.

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Thanks for the opportunity to share with the Rafter community and engage in some mindfulness, too! I’m happy that I'm here and somehow living my purpose at age 75.

My latest book, Refuge for Cranes: Praise Poems from the Anthropocene, is due out this fall from Wildhouse Poetry. I was able to explore an abiding sense of awe at the natural world, and to look more closely at the effects of human intervention and global warming.

Would you like to tell us a bit more about the book?

I wrote this book of poems at the intersection of inner and outer landscapes, finding refuge in nature, art, and awareness itself. These are poems of wonder and alarm. They range in topic from climate fires and the demise of bees to the “transparency of grace,” “the soul’s deep-down unfathoming,” and the profound elegance of cranes, or “saplings with wings.” I praise the beauty “glinting among the detritus,” but there’s also a call to action, a plea to restore a damaged world.

I’m happy to say that Phyllis Cole-Dai, host of The Raft, provided a blurb—a testimonial—for the book.

Jerry’s latest book

In what way(s) are you a "maker" in this world? Identify the creative skills and gifts through which you express yourself.

Poetry and writing, in general, have always been a way for me to understand self, others, and the world on a deeper level. Poetry, especially, invites me make something beautiful. But that's not quite right . . . because beauty is already there, and poetry just helps me to recognize that.

How do your deepest values (or spirituality) inform your creativity?

This is a wonderful question and deserves a day of meditation, at least, to answer. But I think it would be accurate to say that creativity informs me of what's most valuable, rather than vice versa. Writing poetry offers both a form of introspection and a venue for doubt and praise.

Who was one of the first people who inspired you, and in what way(s)?

There are so many people who inspired me early on! Both my mother and father were makers in their own ways, although neither of them was a professional artist. I remember at a young age seeing my mother lay a dress pattern out on the living room floor, cutting material to fit it, and pinning it up to sew. Amazing! She could sew anything. And my father could build things. He made some of our furniture, desks, and so on.

Any other important sources of inspiration in your life?

So many poets and novelists helped me to see the bigger picture of life. As an adolescent, I was particularly drawn to the work of Carson McCullers—in particular, her first novel, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, published when she was just 23. But also the play and movie The Member of the Wedding made a big impact on me.

I currently live in Northern California, not far from a 15,000-acre park, home to deer, bobcats, foxes, wild turkeys, owls, and other wildlife. That’s a big inspiration. I’m passionate about the preservation and protection of sandhill cranes and other bird species.

Jerry in Garin Regional Park

In what specific ways do literature and/or other arts impact you?

No doubt they help me to connect, or to see that we can connect, on a heart level. This is as important today as it's ever been. To see how a poem, or a novel, or any work of art can endure over the years is also inspiring.

What have been some of the most important rewards or benefits flowing from your creative practice(s)?

Writing invites us to look deeper at ourselves, but it also gives us the opportunity to share with others on an intimate level. To know that a poem has touched someone, for instance, is a reward beyond the act of creativity.

What have been some of your biggest creative challenges?

Just getting my work out there is a challenge. But knowing that I’m deserving of being heard is also a challenge—at least it has been for me.

What do you want to gain from The Raft?

I think The Raft is serving a valuable function as both a refuge for readers and a way to reach out to others. I see it as a way for me to affirm that creativity in its many forms is a worthy pastime.

Do you have a suggestion to improve The Raft?

Perhaps a podcast so we can hear the voices of contributors.

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Thank you so much, Jerry, for letting us feature you in a Rafter Snap!

Hey, Rafters, what about Jerry's creative journey resonates with you? Tell us in the comments below. 👇

🧡 Thanks for reading! As part of The Raft, this newsletter is kept afloat by beautiful readers like you. If you like my work, please support it by becoming a paid subscriber, buying my books, or inviting me to speak. And remember to add your 2¢ by leaving comments!

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The Gentle Nudge

I’m currently out of studio. No regular Raft events this week.