Place Poetry: My Montana State of Mind

Program Description

Mark Gibbons is a poet and lifelong resident of Montana. If there is such a thing as a Montana “Place Poet,” he must be one since this is the only place he has ever resided. Married young, he and his wife have lived and worked a variety of jobs on both sides of the Continental Divide, raising their sons in Augusta, Pablo, Ronan, and Missoula. Mark believes “place” is that state of mind we wake up to each morning and walk through till we go to sleep, including the dream time. His presentation will explore how poetry plays an important role in celebrating what it’s like to be alive, here, and how it can nurture our emotional life we often neglect. Poetry can act as a powerful tool for communication and help to develop empathy. Every person is a poet whether they know it or not. Everyone thinks, imagines, feels, and dreams. Mark will share his and others’ poetry to enliven a discussion about place, poetry, and living in Montana.

Presenter Bio

Mark Gibbons is the author of nine books and two chapbooks of poetry, most recently In the Weeds and mostly cloudy. He’s edited two poetry collections for Drumlummon Institute and is the current editor of the Montana Poets Series for FootHills Publishing. For four decades, Gibbons has taught poetry to a variety of citizens in Montana from one-room schools to colleges to the Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs. He lives in Missoula with his wife and continues to teach with the Missoula Writing Collaborative.

Mark Gibbons is a poet and lifelong resident of Montana. If there is such a thing as a Montana “Place Poet,” he must be one since this is the only place he has ever resided. Married young, he and his wife have lived and worked a variety of jobs on both sides of the Continental Divide, raising their sons in Augusta, Pablo, Ronan, and Missoula. Mark believes “place” is that state of mind we wake up to each morning and walk through till we go to sleep, including the dream time. His presentation will explore how poetry plays an important role in celebrating what it’s like to be alive, here, and how it can nurture our emotional life we often neglect. Poetry can act as a powerful tool for communication and help to develop empathy. Every person is a poet whether they know it or not. Everyone thinks, imagines, feels, and dreams. Mark will share his and others’ poetry to enliven a discussion about place, poetry, and living in Montana.