Andrew Schelling & Michael Stirling

Sunday, May 17
7:30 pm

TLC (The Little Church)
5138 NE 23rd (one block north of Alberta, at Sumner)

$5.00 suggested donation


Andrew Schelling is the author, translator, or editor of sixteen books. He has taught at Naropa University's Jack Kerouac School since 1990, and served as its chair from 1993-1996. The preeminent translator into English of classical Indian poetry, among his translations are Dropping the Bow: Poems of Ancient India, which received the Academy of American Poets translation award in 1992, and For Love of the Dark One: Songs of Mirabai. His own poetry is rooted in studies of natural history, mythology, Asian literary traditions, and life in the American West. His most recent title of poetry, Old Tale Road, came out this year. Other titles include the essay collection Wild Form, Savage Grammar, and an anthology, The Wisdom Anthology of North American Buddhist Poetry. Recently he has edited a collection of India's devotional poetry for Oxford University Press, India. At Naropa he teaches poetry, Sanskrit, and wilderness writing. He is also on the arts faculty of Deer Park Institute, Himachal Pradesh, India.

Michael Stirling is a composer, teacher, and vocalist. He began the study of North Indian (Hindustani) classical vocal music with Pandit Pran Nath in 1983, subsequently traveling with him to India and becoming his disciple. After Pran Nath's death in 1996, Michael continued study and practice with Pran Nath's senior American student, renowned composer and performer Terry Riley. Michael has also studied and performed with Ustad Hafizullah Khan, Sri Karunamayee, Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan, Lakshmi Shankar, Steve Gorn, Benjy Wertheimer, Rik Masterson, Gina Sala, Shanti Shivani, Uday Bhalwalker, the Gundecha Brothers, and others. At the urging of his teacher, Michael offers instruction in North Indian classical vocal music to individual students and small groups in Portland, Oregon, and other locations. Michael's compositions for soloists and chamber ensembles have been performed throughout the Pacific Northwest.


 "MAGIC MEDICINE PACKET"
 
Over the course of a hundred stanzas
we pass through love seven times
hence seven thorn points
 
The Sea of Okhotsk
a shell worn smooth by water
here is a thimble
 
a feather from likely the
rufous-sided towhee
 
which bathes in fog
or juniper canyon dew
out where I plan to bury the medicine packet
 
That coyote keeps getting closer
closer & more blue

Andrew Schelling