VERSE AND IMPROVISATION When poet Barry Wallenstein gives a reading of his poems, he is usually accompanied by jazz players. He has recorded with John Hicks, Arthur Blythe, Jay Leonhardt, Adam Birnbaum and many other renowned musicians. Provided photo
Manor poet’s latest arrives on time
By Anthony Heusel | Manor Ink
For over 50 years now, poet Barry Wallenstein has been writing poetry, and this year he brings us two new poetry collections, Playing in Overtime and Odd Men Out ... (or in). His poems have appeared in over 100 journals, and he has published twelve poetry collections.
Wallenstein, who divides his time between New York City and his home in Livingston Manor, is a teacher of literature and creative writing. His new book, Playing in Overtime, plays with time from several viewpoints, often with a compelling sense of humor. The poems range from “At Home in a Tree” about a man living in, yes, a tree, to “Lost and Found,” which explores the feeling of being lost in life.
In Playing in Overtime, one poem focusing on time is “The Speed of a Bullet,” where the author writes about how fast time and life go by. One minute you are starting elementary school, and the next you are retiring!
POETRY IN PRINT Wallenstein’s latest books deal with the passage of time and the pairing of verse with photos by Barbara Rosenthal. Manor Ink photo
In this year’s other new book, Odd Men Out ... (or in), Wallenstein worked with professional photographer Barbara Rosenthal to couple each of his 29 poems with one of her pictures. One of my favorite pieces in the book is “The Impatient Man,” in which a man, close to joy, tries to grasp it and, in the process, loses whatever joy he would have gotten in the future.
In an interview with Manor Ink, Wallenstein explained that he tries to reserve time to write each evening, and works on poems over many days. He enjoys the process of writing – again, over time – and he stresses that poets should read their poems and poetry numerous times over many days in order to be able to write.
Wallenstein also reads his poems with jazz musicians playing beside him, both in live poetry recitations and in recordings. He started writing poems for fun in high school, and at some point realized he had enough pieces for a book. And that was many books ago! He is professor emeritus at City College in New York City and now teaches seniors at the Center for Learning and Living.
Unlike the subject of his poem, “The Race,” this is one poet who clearly has not let time pass him by. To quote from his poem “First Responder,” “It’s my job to save the moments and keep them alive.” Barry Wallenstein does his job well.
Both of these books, and Wallenstein’s others volumes as well as his CDs of music and poetry, can be found online at amazon.com.