Thomas R. Smith introduced me to the poetic form of the Cinquain. At the beginning of the 20th century Adelaide Crapsey, who loved haiku poetry, thought that American English did not suit the haiku form and developed the cinquain as an American alternative for the short poem.

Decades ago I found this story among those collected by William Butler Yeats. I always felt that highly educated men needed to hear it and learn something. In 2012 I told it at the Minnesota Men's Conference Winter gathering, Into the Belly of Ice and Snow. Ten years later I told it to two men's gatherings, the Australian group, The Fifth Direction, and the Minnesota group, The Folktale Gardening Club.

On October 29, 2022 the Como Cottage Salon Series featured a poetry scrum with poets Thomas R. Smith, Michael Moos, James Lenfestey, and Timothy Young. A poetry scrum is our way of describing a poetry reading where the poets take turns choosing a one of their poems to read, inspired by a word, a theme, an action, or rhythm in the poem the previous poet read. One after another the series of poems take on a life of its own and everyone is surprised.

There is a deep yearning for communal feelings in our digital age. There is a deep grief at its loss. In my ruminations on the 2024 presidential election, I see that yearning across all divisions and divides. Individualism as a cultural concept has led to this.

Juan Ramon Jimenez admired Walt Whitman as a truly aristocratic man. At the 40th anniversary of the Minnesota Men's Conference, I present this essay about the type of man I believe should be considered an Aristocrat.

My violinist wife, Dalyce Elliott Young composed and performed five small vignettes to play when she read the Beatrix Potter's tales, Squirrel Nutkin, Benjamin Bunny, Two Bad Mice, Tom Kitten, and Flopsy Bunnies to children at storytelling events near our home.

In 2001 a collection of poets was featured in the book, Poetry Speaks. Three CDs were included, and I have a few here for your listening, Robert Frost, Carl Sandburg, Robinson Jeffers, William Stafford, Etheridge Knight, W.B. Yeats, and Walt Whitman.