News
Revise Your Life
The scratching out, the erasing, the deleting—the beautiful messy part of the craft. Read Robert Fanning's new article on revision featured in the inaugural issue of HereThere Magazine.
March 13, 2008
Fanning's Second Book Due in September 2008
Marick Press recently announced it will publish American Prophet, Robert Fanning's second full-length collection in September, 2008. Of the book, Vievee Francis, author of the acclaimed collection Blue Tail Fly, says:
American Prophet, through poems that manage to be both irreverent and frighteningly inspiring, dares to address the larger concerns of our day: Faith and Doubt. We follow Robert Fanning's “Prophet” in his dark suit, as he roams the common landscape of dry cleaners, movie theaters, and super-marts, like a mad circuit preacher trapped in a strip-mall. What is salvation in a secular world? In a time of deep divisions between the right and the left, believers and those who believe otherwise. No matter what the reader's background, we find ourselves walking in the Prophet's shoes, feeling his grope toward vision, and his frustration as he loses sight of it. It takes an adept poet to pull this off, but these lyrics work the way poetry is meant to work, they move us past presumption and lax acceptance, past what we think we know, to make us rethink our staid convictions, whatever those might be.
December 5, 2007
Fanning to teach Poetry Courses
This fall, Robert Fanning introduces the Doghouse Poetry Series: two poetry courses—introductory and advanced—sponsored by the Marick Press Authors Workshop Series.
August 20, 2007
Fanning to be Featured on WDET, Metro Times
Check out Detroit's local NPR affiliate WDET, FM 101.9 next Tuesday, August 14 at 11 a.m. to hear Robert Fanning reading a poem from The Seed Thieves. The broadcast will preview his appearance in next week's local authors issue of The Metro Times.
August 9, 2007
The Seed Thieves Named a Finalist for Book Prize
The Seed Thieves was recently named one of "a small number of finalists for the Glasgow Award for Emerging Writers." The Glasgow Award is presented by Washington and Lee University and includes publication in Shenandoah, and a reading at the university. Though the winner has not yet been chosen, Shenandoah has accepted Fanning's recent poem "The Boy Who Taught Me How to Whistle," for publication in an upcoming issue.
April 3, 2007
NPR to Feature Another Poem by Fanning on April 16
Thanks to those who listened to The Writer's Almanac®, hosted by Garrison Keillor, on March 19. If you missed that episode, no problem, check out the archive on the Writer's Almanac site, or tune in again! Yesterday, Mr. Keillor announced that he selected "The List of Good Names," another poem from The Seed Thieves, to read on the April 16, 2007 episode of The Writer's Almanac®. The program audio is streamed, podcast from and archived on the website at Writer's Almanac on Public Radio.
April 3, 2007
Garrison Keillor to Feature Poem by Robert Fanning on NPR
Garrison Keillor, host of A Prairie Home Companion® and The Writer's Almanac®, selected Robert Fanning's poem "Crooked Wisdom" from The Seed Thieves to read on the March 19, 2007 episode of The Writer's Almanac®. In each of these brief daily programs, featured on more than 300 non-commercial public radio stations nationwide, Mr. Keillor begins with literary news and history before finishing with a poem. The program audio is also streamed, podcast from and archived on The Writer's Almanac® section of the publicradio.org website and may be streamed and archived on carrying station websites as well.
March 10, 2007
The Seed Thieves Named One of the Best Reads of 2006
The Emerging Writers Network cited The Seed Thieves as one of the best poetry books of 2006. Dan Wickett, the host of the EWN daily blog, is a tireless advocate for emerging writers.
January 4, 2007
Two Seed Thieves Poems Nominated
Robert Fanning was recently nominated for a Pushcart Prize, for two poems appearing in The Seed Thieves, "One and a Half Miles Away from Dying," and "Interstate 75."
November 7, 2006
Fanning Selected as Judge for Prestigious UM Literary Awards
Robert Fanning was honored to have been invited to be a judge for several of this year's University of Michigan poetry awards, including the esteemed Hopwood Awards. Other awards he'll be judging include the Academy of American Poets Contests (grad and undergrad), the Bain-Swiggett Poetry Contest, the Michael R. Gutterman Poetry Contest, and the Jeffrey Weisberg Poetry Contest.
November 7, 2006
The Seed Thieves in Second Printing Phase
Marick Press announced today that Robert Fanning's The Seed Thieves has run the course of its first printing, and will now enter its second printing. Act fast to purchase remaining copies of the first edition. New books will be hot off the presses beginning today!
October 31, 2006
The Seed Thieves Named Bestseller by SPD in August, September
In its first two months of distribution by Small Press Distributors, The Seed Thieves was placed on the bestseller list for poetry for the months of August and September. Thanks to all who ordered copies via SPD! If you'd like to order copies from SPD—to help The Seed Thieves stay on the list, visit SPD's web site and start your holiday shopping now!
October 10, 2006
Large Turnout at Marick Book Launch
On Saturday, September 2nd, 2006, Marick Press launched The Seed Thieves, along with books by Daniel Padilla, James Hart III, and Alexander Suczek at the Max M. Fisher Music Center. The turnout was double what was expected, with the audience far exceeding 100 people. The response to the readings was enthusiastic, with a long line at the book-signing table afterward. Thank you to all who came out for the launch!
September 3, 2006
Interviews and Reviews
The Seed Thieves Featured in Adirondack Review
Caroline Maun, the author of The Sleeping, reviewed Robert Fanning's The Seed Thieves in the latest issue of the Adirondack Review.
June 11, 2007
Fanning MSU Interview & Reading Archived
In February 2007, Robert Fanning was interviewed and read as part of Michigan State University's "Michigan Writers Series." The night was cold as hell. Missed it? No problem. Listen to it in the warmth of your living room (if your computer has speakers, that is).
June 11, 2007
Poet Analyzes The Messiah Complex
Victoria Bosch-Murray, 2004 Cambridge Poetry Award recipient, and author of two chapbooks: Running A Red, and Not to Scale, reviews Robert Fanning's poem The Messiah Complex. Bosch Murray is the host of Poetribe in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts, and an MFA candidate at Warren Wilson College.
February 13, 2007
Green Stephania unearthed on Scoplaw
In what serves as both a broad introduction to the science of sound in poems and a close reading of Robert Fanning's Green Stephania, poet and lawyer RJ McCaffery examines the roots of this poem about a first kiss-and more. Read all about it here.
December 1, 2006
Review of The Seed Thieves on Scoplaw
A quote from RJ McCaffery review of Robert's new book, The Seed Thieves:
Fanning's poems are some of the most wonderfully lush constructions you could ever hope to vocalize. They transcend clunky rhythm and predictable rhyme; I've heard people new to poetry re-read, aloud, his lines for the sheer pleasure of hearing them spoken. While his poems are musical, they are so in the best sense, which means that their lush chains of sound are at the service of the poetry's deeply informed emotional sensibility.
Read McCaffery's review in full, here.
September 22, 2006
Interview on WCBN's Living Writers program
WCBN, Ann Arbor
Robert was interviewed and read some poems on WCBN's Living Writers program on the September 13, 2006 show. The show is availabe from the Living Writers site as an iTunes podcast.
July 5, 2006
Review in Detroit's Metro Times
Metro Times Detroit, available online
A review and a poem from Robert's Old Bright Wheel.
September 14, 2006
Sample Poems
These poems are taken from Robert's new book,The Seed Thieves. To read them here, follow the links below. To purchase a copy of The Seed Thieves, visit the Books page.