Poet Teacher Eco-Philosopher Naturalist

JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST . . The Color of Mesabi Bones Color The

Book Prize in Poetry and coast-to-coast reading tours. tours. reading and coast-to-coast in Poetry Book Prize The McKnight Foundation The

Chair, Chair,

a poet dedicated to a celebration of the earth a celebration to a poet dedicated

ntroduction Los Angeles Times Los TED STARYK In 1994, everything changed when Caddy survived a crippling stroke. “The strange strange “The a crippling stroke. changed when Caddy survived In 1994, everything Caddy himself was dead.” people think you’re a stroke, “after he says, thing is,” he has reinvented Post-stroke, much alive. be very to surprised and delighted himself as The red dust churned up by the mine got into the blood of Tom Caddy’s great- Caddy’s the blood of Tom got into the mine churned up by dust red The and the town about John wrote in 1937. born in Hibbing John Caddy, grandson of poems, collection in his second Virginia about nearby In the late 1800s, the Cornish miner Tom Caddy came to Hibbing, Minnesota, by Hibbing, Minnesota, by came to Caddy Tom miner 1800s, the Cornish In the late captain who drove the mine was mines of Upper Michigan. He of the iron way mine in the world. open-pit largest Pit, the Hull-Rust Hibbing’s shaft in the first I a Minnesotan, us he has remained for but luckily Range, the Iron Caddy did leave He began writing poetry as and naturalist. one who is equal parts poet, teacher, poem in nature publishing his first of Minnesota, at the University teacher a young including followed, book of poetry in 1986. National recognition 1968 and his first a “Kids who live close to the open pits / mix paint from trackside dust / and for a for / and dust trackside the open pits / mix paint from close to “Kids who live / or smear the whole with their caste, faces game dip a finger / and mark their book in which in the title poem of the collection—a he wrote Dad’s,” like face, the story with intertwines Range mining towns of Iron history the complicated of upbringing in a violent household, his feelings complicated own of Caddy’s the Range behind. of leaving and his dreams being an outsider, Each weekday, Caddy e-mails a photo and poem to more than 1,500 subscribers than 1,500 subscribers more and poem to a photo Caddy e-mails Each weekday, “Healing Image” during a walk the day’s he captures often, Most the world. around It’s Lake. marsh, and ponds at his home near Forest of forest, on the 10 acres truly see it to inspiring all who receive the world, gift of Minnesota to Caddy’s us. that surround the glories of nature and, just as important, dedicated to sharing his poems to dedicated as important, and, just with nature of helping people reconnect as a way JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST ontents C

About the Award Notes from Friends and Colleagues from Notes Life John Caddy: An Artist’s Artists Distinguished Past Learning to See by Marcia McEachron Marcia by See to Learning Bacig Tom by of Caddy In Praise Singer of Earth by Bert Biscoe Bert Biscoe by Singer of Earth Joe Paddock by Shared Joy Kemp Rodger by All Cousins Are We Unheralded Gifts by Emilie Buchwald Emilie Buchwald by Gifts Unheralded Roberts George by An Appreciation Artist’s Statement by John Caddy John by Statement Artist’s Rezmerski John Calvin by Ecology Bard’s The

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JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST

In my late 20s, when I needed such 20s, when I needed late In my “I fear those shadows most / most those shadows “I fear Statement Reading poems when young, we are sometimes knocked out by a line or two that or two a line out by sometimes knocked are we poems when young, Reading feel think and out there alone—that others not in this world are we us know make wrote: Roethke Theodore do. as we

that start from my own feet.” own my from that start a key, his words were an “open sesame” that unlocked me. me. sesame” that unlocked “open an were his words a key, 4 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 5 . “Oh, you “Oh, you ould have trouble trouble ould have Eating the Sting Eating away, thataway, I w . Guernica selecting and sorting what was important. Everything would be interesting and be interesting would important. Everything selecting and sorting what was I said, but not appropriately. see, I would attention. my arrest would In stroke therapy, doctors take pains to point out your neurological deficits; that is, neurological point out your to pains take doctors therapy, In stroke I was A big problem, up in daily life. you screw damage is going to brain your where had been torn filters perceptual that my was told, In 1994 I survived a massive stroke. Almost dying was confusing, but not at first but not at first confusing, was dying Almost stroke. a massive In 1994 I survived that I could or two a week after When I realized a day. waited Terror frightening. not to I decided cute, still and that the nurses were words with play think and still the transformation. accept dying—to finish yet That mouse gave me my essential metaphor for perceiving my life as both teacher as both teacher life my perceiving metaphor for essential me my gave mouse That and of experience, both transformers are and the artist teacher and poet. The asks and change never Change happens, of the artist. is the transformer experience poem I wrote title of the The it or not doesn’t matter. like Whether we permission. book, first the title of my became that mouse teaching from That gift flooded me—the gift of essential transformation, the gift of knowing that the gift of knowing transformation, gift flooded me—the gift of essential That the menu and on do: eating poison when it’s what artists doing the mouse was I think of the blues. I think beauty. and often and power energy it into converting of One summer when I was teaching at an Audubon camp near Spooner, Wisconsin, Wisconsin, camp near Spooner, Audubon an at teaching I was One summer when left. coffee any was see if there to nightfall shack after the cook back to I went a deer instead left it. I saw I’d where cup was see if my the light to on I switched that I saw and killed earlier, I’d her hands a wasp mouse sitting upright, holding in eating the stinger. she was As I look back, I see my life as a long sequence of gifts, mostly from Mother Earth, Mother from mostly of gifts, as a long sequence life see my As I look back, I the Boundary Canoeing woods. in the gift of refuge The given. unsought and freely Earth. of the wounded gift of knowledge Backpacking the Cascades. The Waters. remember— to new too are us—we to is indifferent that nature gifts of learning The fly away. to wise are and that herons mean like having a small child’s eyes.” They agreed. So I So I agreed. They eyes.” a small child’s having mean like deficit: the gift as a neurological a fine gift, cast received eye. of an innocent JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST . I collapsed in laughter at the absurdity of my of my at the absurdity in laughter I collapsed When I arrived home after a small eternity of hospitalization and rehabilitation in rehabilitation of hospitalization and a small eternity home after When I arrived breath. my stole especially, of the land. Colors, the life by astounded I was the city, that it intense so exquisite, was in breeze and treetops of leaves movement The get up the front that I couldn’t so overwhelmed I was painful. Birds! almost was stairs— For years I had been telling kids that to write poems they should strive to see not to should strive they poems write kids that to telling I had been years For little,” were when you did you see like to “Try but what is there. expect, what they acceptance. toward lead you of transformation Some results them. I told My daily practice since 1998 has been to write a brief, clear poem—ego-free or poem—ego-free clear a brief, write 1998 has been to since My daily practice the share and then to received, recently an Earth-gift nearly so—that celebrates up I took memory, short-term my trashed e-mail. Because the stroke poem by The media remind us that near-death survivors learn to celebrate life and quit and quit life celebrate learn to us that near-death survivors media remind The gifts been celebrating years had for I of being alive. the fact granted taking for our of the war painfully aware the stroke, After Mother Earth in poems. from that nature fools Age New hearing from and on nature, has long waged culture decided to I her, and replace quickly improve would dead but technology was on the personal and passing celebrating time to allotted of my the rest commit Earth. from gifts I daily receive condition and the joy of coming home to green home to of coming and the joy condition 6 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 7

, a Japanese form that combines a haiku with visual art. Since then, with visual art. Since a haiku that combines , a Japanese form haiga the daily poems have been accompanied by the photo that captures and evokes evokes and that captures the photo by been accompanied have the daily poems which I wrote. from the experience In his poem “The Waking,” Roethke wrote: Roethke Waking,” In his poem “The slow. waking my and take sleep, to I wake go. to I have going where I learn by I sum up my Earth-centered work of the past 20 years 20 years of the past work Earth-centered I sum up my is the garden Celebration simple propositions: with two grows. joy pain shrinks; shared Shared of hope. photography to record what I saw and found that my newly innocent eye made for made for eye innocent newly my that and found what I saw record to photography as a kind of the daily offerings gift! In 2005, I reconceived Another photos. strong digitized 's

John Calvin Rezmerski

Picture a man with a 10-acre backyard that encompasses a marsh, ponds, and woods. He has a reputation for love of the wild, but his life is also filled with books and art, and his voice echoes across an electronic world where he is esteemed as a teacher and envied as a student of almost everything.

Consider a bard, not just in the sense that he is someone who writes poetry, but as one formally elected a Bard of the Cornish Gorsedh who has chosen the bardic name Kaner an Norvys, “Singer of Earth.” In ancient Celtic times, bards were the storytellers, poets, and singers who acted as the keepers of their nation’s heritage; in modern times, the bard is an interpreter of the world and a builder of community. Like his fellow modern bard Walt Whitman, this bard celebrates and sings the environment he inhabits, accepting the poet’s role as attentive explorer of the connection between observation and consciousness.

His ecology is practical: hosted by the universe, he becomes a host to his fellow inhabitants. He listens for its voice and responds with his own. Earth is life is art; all is connected.

8 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 9 “I decided to “I decided to with one another and their with one another ways creatures interacted , a website that celebrates the confluence of art and ecology of art and ecology the confluence celebrates that , a website Caddy recalled about his inspiration for the site. the site. for about his inspiration Caddy recalled “I found myself filled with a persistent mood of with a persistent filled myself “I found

opening,” environments. Wherever he went, he was alert to what was going on around him. around going on what was alert to he was he went, Wherever environments. jaded, and without becoming in methodology, bogged down becoming Without committed he became in his surroundings, sense of simple joy without losing his heart a creative that has at its stance out an ecological sorting and to ecology to spontaneously and of responding a way world, the natural engagement with the details of its workings. emotionally to Caddy launched stroke, a life-altering from recover to While he worked through an ever-growing collection of poems, photographs, resources, and resources, of poems, photographs, collection an ever-growing through philosophy. That is one of the essential roles of the modern bard: to be a healer of to of the modern bard: roles is one of the essential That the map onto that fit perfectly other roles many Caddy plays consciousness. of the hats I few poet, naturalist—“a teacher, eco-philosopher, territory: of bardic woodworker, add gardener, could you case, In Caddy’s of this list. he says wear,” mix. He is as apt to the haberdasher’s wit to and sardonic music lover, organizer, the taxonomy explain film as he is to a classic in detail to or refer Spinoza quote jelly that is a of the homemade elderberry/sumac a taste a visitor of fungi or offer amazing thing about Caddy is that he so of his poems. The as fine as any creation of endeavor. all of his avenues integrate manages to and seamlessly completely Morning-Earth.org John Caddy was a naturalist from early childhood, eager to observe and to and to observe eager to early childhood, from a naturalist John Caddy was he spent time in the he could, Whenever experiencing. what he was understand the looking for woods, dedicate myself to a celebration of earth life in my art my in life of earth a celebration to myself dedicate is or their hope, poems’ intent, teaching….The and in my of the love with their intuitive people reconnect help to that the wild is these little poems as proofs wild….Take eye the careful to offers us, and still sustain to alive still images that heal.” JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST Caddy has distilled much of his thinking about life much of his thinking about life Caddy has distilled informed of six eco-principles a set and art into and practice. observation, decades of study, by outer the earth’s to refers text the large Opposite, the inner ecology to refers the smaller text ecology; of the individual. The Bard’s Ecology by John Calvin Rezmerski Rezmerski Calvin John by Ecology Bard’s The 10 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 11 ;

. intertwine; of energy energy of . transform

Making art rounds Making art rounds the and integrates of self. circle and healing. and healing. Art-making is communal. balance whole

circles flows Making art provides us the images we need. us the images we Making art provides

Art-making is powered by flows flows by is powered Art-making and the conscious of images from a and by minds, the unconscious self and other. between of energy flow from the sun. the sun. from being is becoming. being is becoming.

symbiotically Life lives in lives Life

cooperation is basic to life. life. is basic to cooperation

The mind’s creative wellspring is wellspring creative mind’s The of our memories. the cycling

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Living entities seek Living entities seek

All lives All lives

We all belong to the We Life is powered by by is powered Life Other. us into Art-making transforms continuously All lives 1 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST he was a revelation that reconnected that reconnected a revelation was Listening Point Listening “Opportunities came along that seemed interesting,” “Opportunities came Summers at the lake helped him find out by providing the beginnings of his nature his nature the beginnings of providing helped him find out by Summers at the lake Seton, Thompson such as Ernest of writers the work by augmented later study, a book of Caddy discovered and Rachel Carson. When as a teen Hornaday, William himself scuba gear and he bought Beebe, William explorer deep-water by essays Olson’s Sigurd dive. learned to Many of those opportunities involved education, which for Caddy was self-directed self-directed Caddy was education, which for of those opportunities involved Many up in Hibbing and grew a mining family born into beginning. He was the very from Leander. in a cabin on Lake Minnesota, spending summers 20 miles north in Virginia, John to young dynamic prompted his family’s that characterized hostility cold The his that, he has said, saved engagement with nature direct a the woods, into retreat for. were you partly finding out what was he knew, up, Growing life. Caddy to the Boundary Waters, where he had canoed for a week in eighth grade. in eighth grade. week a he had canoed for where the Boundary Waters, Caddy to of Bacig of the University with Tom collaborated Caddy (In the early 1970s, wilderness a multiday teach Olson to old Sigurd Minnesota–Duluth and a very Olson, it turned out, had Sigurd in the Boundary Waters. writing workshop in the 1920s. in Nashwauk teacher science high school parents’ been Caddy’s in circles.) lives 2: life No. See Eco-Principle For Caddy himself, that sense of connection has been hard-won. By most people’s people’s most By has been hard-won. that sense of connection himself, Caddy For childhood has survived or orderly—he has not been easy life John Caddy’s criteria, it and a stroke—but lack of money, education, interrupted surgeries, injury, abuse, coherent. is marvelously These six principles operate simultaneously and continuously, not separately or not separately continuously, and simultaneously operate principles six These and artist, as a naturalist, work Caddy’s for a framework provide They sequentially. in community a creative developing to his commitment animate and they teacher, of of the possibility aware as artists, themselves members can discover which all culture. and interconnected harmonious, hospitable, more living in a simply. says 12 The Bard’s Ecology by John Calvin Rezmerski Rezmerski Calvin John by Ecology Bard’s The JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 13 Inspired by the deep connection he felt to these poems that treated childhood these poems that treated to he felt the deep connection by Inspired with writing poems of his own—part experiment began to Caddy emotion seriously, that He recalls express. and healing” that his eco-principles balance of the “seeking (“the the words said that he liked people; one a few some poems to he showed a Caddy wrote morality. thighs”) but not the your / open in mud isn’t cold comfort of Minnesota the University he attended while years few the next over pieces few ROTC of his Naval South America courtesy to and traveled zoology study to a long hospitalization After the Navy.) Chile but did not love (He loved scholarship. he years a few For out of college. Caddy married and dropped back surgery, for high appreciate he “learned to he says, where, stores, managed Musicland record Forty.” the Top buses, playing between the store school kids who hung around and by John Berryman’s “The Ball Poem”: “The John Berryman’s and by his ball, who has lost now, What is the boy it go I saw do? What, what is he to and then the street, Merrily bouncing, down is in the water! it Merrily over—there other balls’: are ‘O there say No use to the boy fixes shaking grief An ultimate down staring rigid, trembling, As he stands the harbour where into days All his young His ball went…. Speak to me. Take my hand. What are you now? you What are hand. my Take me. to Speak nothing. all. I will conceal you I will tell about a rabbit story a little child read a three, When I was : under a chair crawled and I the story, who died, in a candle and birthday, my : it was a pink rabbit be happy. to told and I was finger, spot on my burnt a sore Poets made their way onto Caddy’s reading list when he was in high school in the in the school in high he was when list reading Caddy’s onto their way made Poets modern American anthology of Untermeyer’s him Louis gave his sister and mid-1950s at Speech Between “Effort Rukeyser’s Muriel by stunned He was poetry. and British People”: Two The Bard’s Ecology by John Calvin Rezmerski

In 1962, Caddy returned to the university to study English and education. At 25, he felt comparatively ancient among his younger peers. After serving as a teaching assistant in the English department, he taught for eight years at the University High School (where he connected with those kids whom he’d learned to appreciate while working at Musicland) and in the College of Education, where he also served as the advisor for English and speech/theater majors.

Caddy says that creating things and being helpful to people kept him sane, so he became a poet and teacher. He began writing poetry again, encouraged by his professor, the poet Sarah Youngblood, who invited him to be a visiting poet at a summer writing workshop she taught. He began to hang out with other poets on the university scene: Michael Kincaid organized an open-mic poetry forum at a Minneapolis Unitarian church, where writers such as Charles Baxter, Michael Tjepkes, Roy McBride, Keith Gunderson, Gerald Vizenor, and Caddy shared their work. Another aspiring poet was Franklin Brainard, an English teacher at Mounds View High School, who invited Caddy, Tjepkes, and Kincaid to visit his classroom.

Caddy was chosen to teach poetry at the Twin City Institute for Talented Youth (TCITY), a summer program for gifted high school students. And he was one of the first Twin Cities poets selected in 1967 to participate in the Poets in the Schools program sponsored by the St. Paul Arts Council, the Minneapolis School District, and the National Endowment for the Arts. When Poets in the Schools began to emphasize student writing rather than readings by visiting poets, Caddy welcomed the chance to teach creatively, despite some social difficulties. “I had hair on my face and long head hair, so I was not welcome in some schools,” he remembers. “One time I was teaching an after-school in-service class for Minneapolis teachers at West High. The principal saw me walking down the hall and, fearing hippie invasion, threw me out.”

But Caddy persisted, and his approach to teaching by nurturing students’ creativity resonated deeply with his students as well as with many of his fellow artists and teachers. In Caddy’s classroom, there were no intellectual borders: reading, writing, performing, creation, observation, analysis, craft, feeling,

14 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 15 ways Then we would write. write. would we Then This kind of exercise might have been common in drama classes, but it was new to to new but it was classes, in drama been common might have kind of exercise This end of a the rear myself bemused, I found then Confused, me in a writing workshop. poem that the resulting It didn’t matter a hunter. elephant scaring away six-legged had al exercises My own unforgettable. was the process not memorable; was been based on verbal or visual prompts, and I had never considered writing from writing from considered and I had never or visual prompts, been based on verbal that the senses I intuited the body as a medium. Now, imagined through experience part of the process be essentially in poems, but to be referenced to not merely were John Without orientation changed abruptly. My writing and teaching of creation. a head-poet, full of attitude and paralyzed remained I might have influence, Caddy’s but the act of not the poems that mattered without learning that it was feeling, and spontaneity. feeling, experience, to in response them producing understanding, work, and play all came together in shared experience. For example, example, For experience. in shared all came together and play work, understanding, peel slowly very them to ask orange, a navel each student give he would sometimes He had them write. having before their sensory experience then ask about and eat it, was that poetry experience from learned They each other. to their poems them read widely each other that learned from and also of the body, in the mind, but not just a simple and by be generated of them legitimate—could responses—all different required and being creative born of experience, Spontaneity was activity. immediate being observant. first Caddy’s with experience first-hand I have because here, a personal aside I can’t resist several together read Caddy and I had after In the early ’70s, techniques. teaching at a suburban school invited things, a teacher many about times and had conversed to all of us in the room asked Caddy joint Poets in the Schools residency. a us for and the other the sculptor was on each team One person of three. teams into break some exhibiting mold an imaginary animal to was each group the clay; were two behavior. characteristic JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST . “I try to open up the open “I try to he said. influencing all of them one by one by influencing all of them

“They’re so involved in the hormone storm, so mixed so mixed storm, in the hormone so involved “They’re . Even then, it was clear that Caddy did not settle for the did not settle for clear that Caddy then, it was . Even In his days at the University of Minnesota, Caddy built a small audience around around of Minnesota, Caddy built a small audience at the University In his days poets fellow by placing poems in magazines produced Cities, occasionally the Twin his first In 1968, he submitted small presses. and in anthologies published by the and published by accepted was of Toad” publication; “Eye poem for nature Beloit Poetry Journal easy conversational verse and fashionably oracular rhetoric popular at the time. popular at the time. rhetoric oracular and fashionably verse conversational easy language simultaneously original and his poems packed dense, Image-laden, even in the language of Old and Middle English verse. rooted Over the course of more than 40 years in the classroom, Caddy taught in some in the classroom, than 40 years of more the course Over summer workshops weeklong including many 800 Minnesota schools and programs, students’ stimulate to use nature to learn how and artists that helped teachers in Hamline University’s teachers he began teaching the mid-1980s, In creativity. for courses staff-development school, and he taught numerous graduate students with 75,000 worked that he’s He estimates suburban school districts. the years, over teachers and 1,000 For Caddy, teaching is not a matter of instruction, but a way of finding a way but of instruction, is not a matter teaching Caddy, For us to all of for way and connect—a and create learn to and motives opportunities high in Mankato, at a junior residency During one the whole. part of are that we feel choosing an object as by lives about their own write to the students Caddy asked themselves. a metaphor for up emotionally, that they love to get things on paper,” to love that they up emotionally, turf, to let them know they can write about anything….They write with such facility, such facility, with write about anything….They can write they let them know to turf, be shared. to day, their poems the next type and distribute He would so little fear.” he explains. that same way,’” felt I’ve ‘Yeah, tune in and say, find that others “They them successful.” “It makes one to see, feel, and express the gifts of the earth and express feel, see, one to 16 The Bard’s Ecology by John Calvin Rezmerski Rezmerski Calvin John by Ecology Bard’s The JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 17

Color of Mesabi Color Dacotah Territory Dacotah , a four-year-old journal , a four-year-old “smitten immediately immediately “smitten

Milkweed Chronicle Milkweed , which I kept dropping and coming back to. The subject matter required that required subject matter The back to. and coming dropping , which I kept by the lyricism that John brought to talking about the to the lyricism that John brought by based in Minneapolis. Editor Emilie Buchwald was Emilie Buchwald based in Minneapolis. Editor In 1984, Caddy sent a few poems to poems to In 1984, Caddy sent a few editor Mark Vinz and American political poet Tom McGrath. In conversation In conversation McGrath. and American political poet Tom Mark Vinz editor of the mining life the working from write me to encouraged “McGrath afterward, became The poems eventually “Those Caddy recalls. I’m from,” town Bones which made the writing childhood experience, own my to inward the poems bore back the book. Meanwhile, complete to years him many It took perilous and slow.” composer and jazz Susan Delattre with choreographer he collaborated in the city, based on watching a poem cycle Heronry,” “The stage to win a grant to Moriarty Pat with the piece Caddy performed colony. with a heron interact high school students and a jazz trio. dancers five While at Sundog, Caddy did a reading in Moorhead with poet and While at Sundog, Caddy did a reading In the early 1970s, Caddy gave up writing for a while, retreating again to the woods the woods again to retreating a while, for up writing Caddy gave In the early 1970s, in Vietnam. the war by discouraged childhood. He was in his life that had saved America then, lost I lost died there. knew “Students I he says. broken,” “My heart was He and some friends quit the university up with.” I had grown myths all the happy kids Itasca, where near Lake Center Learning Sundog Environmental and started doing He kept learn about nature. neighborhoods came to and urban nearby from he did their thing,” “But the woods years. four poems for few but wrote residencies, life in Caddy’s pace set a deliberate Sundog years The helped me heal.” “and says, years culminate that would outreach and broader study deeper ecological toward of the Morning Earth website. in the creation later He enjoyed revelations earned by contemplating nature, and sought language and sought nature, contemplating by earned revelations He enjoyed to poets, he refused nature self-styled many them. Unlike to appropriate without clichés of nature about the human experience and wrote sentimentalize, emotions. or stereotypical Eyes of wet gold netted in sable, gold netted of wet Eyes in dream. lessons intuitive these eyes.) he saw when wept (Cellini The mouth is wide, habit of hunger, habit is wide, mouth The and alive, trembles, drum throat stretched its sleep. in finger quivers the fourth The Bard’s Ecology by John Calvin Rezmerski

natural world,” she recently told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The following year, Caddy won Milkweed’s new Lakes and Prairies book competition, and in 1986 the fledgling Milkweed Editions book-publishing program brought out Caddy’s first collection, Eating the Sting, Including The Heronry. Upon reading the manuscript, poet and novelist Jim Harrison said, “John Caddy is a piper at the gates of dawn, which is what a poet is supposed to be.” Other compliments came from Mark Vinz, who had published some of Caddy’s work in Dacotah Territory, and from Caddy’s former intern George Roberts, now widely respected as a poet and teacher, who praised him for combining “the eye and grace of a true naturalist” with “the heart and wisdom of a true humanist.”

In the collection’s title poem, a deer mouse eats a dead wasp, making food of the venom in its stinger. The poet wonders how he can learn to find nourishment in poison and have it fuel a sense of grace and joy. Before pain can be transformed into song, it must be felt, and these poems try to undo the anesthesia of civilized life. The book’s final third is devoted to “The Heronry,” which immerses us in the double consciousness of a girl who chooses not to be named and a disembodied natural historian, conveying their overlapping experiences of a colony of herons. At the conclusion, there is no distinction between the mysteries of nature and the mysteries of humanity.

The whole of Eating the Sting shows us wilderness carefully blundered into, predators adapted to city life, whales revivified by imagination in the dark, all presented without nostalgia, pop sublimity, melodramatic realizations, or exclusive fascination with totemic animals—we encounter not only bears and hawks but also voles, kingfishers, and stray dogs. Like a stretch of forest, Caddy’s language in Eating the Sting demands attention to unexpected detail. Odd compound words— pawbeats, creekstone, snowwind—spring up like weeds splitting rock, or echo the cry of an animal laying open our own animal insides. “We cannot name this cry,” Caddy tells us in “Sharing the Cry,” in which he names it in a dozen ways. To name is to discover nature, and to discover ourselves.

In the late 1980s, in quick succession, Caddy received a Loft/McKnight Award, a Minnesota State Arts Board grant, a Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award (which included a national reading tour) from the nonprofit Poets & Writers, and a Bush Foundation Individual Artist Fellowship. He finally completed the mining-town manuscript and submitted it to Milkweed, which published it in 1989.

Advancing beyond the work in Eating the Sting, The Color of Mesabi Bones revealed a symphonic depth and breadth of feeling and speaking. It is a book with intricately

18 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 19 : Poetry Flash Book Prize in Poetry and Book Prize and eventually to his being to and eventually Photo courtesy of George Roberts of George courtesy Photo Los Angeles Times Los won the 1990 won (Presences the Blood Learns Again) Again) the Blood Learns (Presences Then he had the stroke that rendered him paralyzed on his left side. on his left side. him paralyzed that rendered he had the stroke Then In early 1994, Caddy had what he calls “a writing epiphany; poems flowed out of me poems flowed writing epiphany; In early 1994, Caddy had what he calls “a life.” my time of the best months. It was or three two for a faucet from water like the 1991 Minnesota Book Award. Caddy was finally able to build the house he had finally able to Caddy was the 1991 Minnesota Book Award. and to before, years that he had purchased Lake designed on the land near Forest a chapbook of that led to an experience the home of his ancestors, visit Cornwall, poems and essays literature. Cornish to his contributions Gorsedh for of the Cornish a Bard elected The Color of Mesabi Bones Color The “Caddy shares with you the process of being made and of process the with you “Caddy shares and taking power.” being powerless yourself, then making interwoven themes, tempos, countermelodies, solos, and orchestral crescendos. It crescendos. orchestral solos, and countermelodies, themes, tempos, interwoven catalogs, mini-dramas, observations, natural histories, childhood memories, layers include themes recurrent Its many self-dialogues. and profiles, character dreams, and physical masks, models and myths, for searching and escape, punishment his father’s against rebellion of a boy’s the trap and play, work emotional abuse, religion. from injuries, and flight father,” your like just “You’re told abuse while being Old English mode. elegy in the ending the book, is a magnificent title poem, The in writing Bock-Pallant, Layeh up by is summed tenor book’s The The Bard’s Ecology by John Calvin Rezmerski

When Caddy returned home to his beloved land after stroke rehabilitation, everything had changed—a vivid illustration of his own eco-principle about the continual transformation of life. “Being so close to death opens your eyes wide to everything else,” he later told the Pioneer Press. “It opened me to joy in a way I hadn’t experienced since I was a child. I’d always loved nature, but when I got home in a wheelchair, after a month of rehabilitation, I realized everything was more intense and interesting. Green had learned a thousand new names while I was gone.”

After months of recovery, he was delighted to find he could still write poems and read them aloud. “My speech is not what it was,” he says, “and it was with fear that I began public poetry readings again. But people have been wonderfully generous.”

Post-stroke, Caddy transformed himself and his art. He saw everything afresh—and he took a new approach to sharing the gifts he received from the earth. He felt moved to dedicate himself to helping people reconnect with their love of the wild in a world where growing disconnection had become the norm.

His first major project was to strengthen young people’s connection with nature by helping schools integrate their arts programs with science and environmental education. In 1995, Caddy launched the Self Expressing Earth (SEE) environmental- education program at Community Programs in the Arts & Sciences (COMPAS); later, it moved to Hamline University’s Center for Global Environmental Education. The goal of SEE was to introduce teachers to methods of teaching science and ecology by immersing students simultaneously in nature and in making art. The Perpich Center for Arts Education funded weeklong live-in workshops for teachers, artists, and interpretive naturalists. At environmental learning centers across Minnesota, SEE’s teaching artists facilitated workshops that included poetry, dance, painting, puppetry, and music-making.

20 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 21 . In Morning Earth: Field Notes in Poetry Morning Earth: Field Notes In 1998, Caddy began to e-mail his daily poems to SEE-subscribing classrooms, classrooms, SEE-subscribing e-mail his daily poems to In 1998, Caddy began to in 2001 SEE folded After begin the school day. used them to often teachers where what he called the Earth into the mailing list lack of funding, Caddy transformed for published a selection of poems Editions Milkweed In 2003, Journal subscription list. of the Earth Journal: years five the first from The swathe of light swathe The each morning duck draws with its breast quiet water. through While he worked on SEE, Caddy also began to explore his longtime interest in longtime interest his explore began to on SEE, Caddy also While he worked a of taking He began a practice of spontaneous poetry. the Japanese tradition brief it. These spontaneous lines about then writing a few morning and every walk laughter, a gift of beauty, moments of receiving based in were poems of celebration One early example: the living biosphere. or learning from surprise, SEE was also an e-mail–based distance learning program to which elementary-school which elementary-school to learning program distance also an e-mail–based SEE was a into the SEE website Caddy developed subscribed. states several in classrooms pages ecology, that introduced essays including literacy, ecological for site resource teaching activities for learning classroom-tested and artist/naturalists, honoring making art. through principles ecological 2004, Caddy incorporated the nonprofit educational charity that he named Morning the nonprofit 2004, Caddy incorporated year. online the following went Earth, and Morning-Earth.org JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST “nature “nature “Morning Earth and says that and says ©John Caddy demonstrate how much we lose when we eliminate nature nature eliminate lose when we much we how demonstrate “healing images,” is an antidote to eco-despair.” to is an antidote Over the last several years, studies about modern syndromes like syndromes about modern studies years, several the last Over The Morning Earth website averages more than 2,000 visitors each day, attracting attracting each day, visitors than 2,000 more averages Morning Earth website The than And more online. it went since 120 countries from than a million visitors more 2006 which since daily e-mailed earth-meditation, Caddy’s 1,500 people receive photographs arresting These on his daily walk. he takes has included a photograph art has changed: to in which Caddy’s of one way evidence of small moments are uses he now his stroke, memory damage caused by the short-term for compensate only one poem. With a until he can formulate images fresh natural keep to a camera taking close-up and for image stabilization on his camera’s hand, he relies working that he is Caddy confesses suspicious of technology, Naturally pictures. telephoto it. to also a cheerful slave The site now contains some 500 pages, including archives of Caddy’s earth of Caddy’s some 500 pages, including archives contains now site The that teachers six eco-principles, on Caddy’s poems and learning activities, based Journey “The A sample activity, eco-literacy. develop help their students can use to and of the the principles of cycling/recycling reflect designed to was of My Atoms,” part of their bodies, is now that select one atom students of all life: transformation that illustrate and/or then write and space, time through imagine its travels story. atom’s experiences from our daily lives. Caddy now presents his daily poem/photo his daily poem/photo presents Caddy now lives. our daily from experiences as combinations deficit disorder” 22 The Bard’s Ecology by John Calvin Rezmerski Rezmerski Calvin John by Ecology Bard’s The JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 23 seen himself as ways BREAKING THE RULES: With Mouths Open Wide: New and New Open Wide: Mouths With he says. he says. , FROM RED DRAGONFLY PRESS. , FROM RED DRAGONFLY “Many aging people realize aging people realize “Many ties together all of Caddy’s many major themes and many all of Caddy’s ties together STARTING WITH GHAZALS STARTING , published by Milkweed in 2008. The poem “With Mouths Open Mouths Open poem “With in 2008. The Milkweed by , published HE TAUGHT FOR 35 YEARS AT GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS COLLEGE, THE LAST SIX AS THE SIX AS THE LAST ADOLPHUS COLLEGE, GUSTAVUS 35 YEARS AT FOR HE TAUGHT COLLEGE’S WRITER IN RESIDENCE. HIS MOST RECENT BOOK IS WRITER IN RESIDENCE. HIS MOST COLLEGE’S IN THE SCHOOLS, AND AN ORGANIZER OF THE CAMBRIA EISTEDDFOD CELEBRATION OF POETRY. OF POETRY. CELEBRATION IN THE SCHOOLS, AND AN ORGANIZER OF THE CAMBRIA EISTEDDFOD JOHN CALVIN REZMERSKI IS A POET AND EDITOR WHO LIVES IN MANKATO, A VETERAN OF POETS A VETERAN OF POETS WHO LIVES IN MANKATO, REZMERSKI IS A POET AND EDITOR JOHN CALVIN For this modern bard, teaching is not about filling empty vessels, but about giving but about is not about filling empty vessels, teaching bard, this modern For what is al- release people to for ways important, about offering most back—and, with the earth and with making connections all about itself, work The inside. ready his delicacy reflect heft and combined His poetry’s stage. center others, occupies and readers’ touches teaching, to and along with his dedication nature, learning from the world to our attention awakening and all one, It is all hard-won lives. students’ can be arrayed. artistry distinguished in which with all the vital modesty It has amazed me that one who has accomplished so much has been so little so me that one who has accomplished It has amazed all belong to that we his eco-principles to True with self-promotion. concerned Caddy has al life, is basic to the whole and that cooperation documents his evolving ecological perspective. perspective. ecological documents his evolving Many of Caddy’s Morning Earth poems appear in Earth poems Morning of Caddy’s Many the with his early work the rigor of poems combines language in his new Caddy’s diverse, are poems. His topics of the Morning Earth and accessibility transparency [of pitch “the lowered example, echoes—for full of synesthetic and the images are poems, and rich in new with old favorites Packed smell.” can almost you male voices] Wide Mouths Open With Selected Poems Selected as waves of his craft: mastery Caddy’s demonstrates brilliantly in the Wave” Wide light, light, rhythm, images of light, rhythm, seasonal setting, recurring a the topic, of gentle account within an unexpectedly light, and the seasons, all rhythm, chaos, a unity of which and beautiful blend of order at sunset, a and prey hunters and rhythmic rhyme, internal alliteration, with copious a part, presented are we and “the swoop feeding: easy motion of the birds the complex capturing phrases, flies.” invisible take all the wide mouths and catch; drift and quickbeat a collaborator rather than as a master. rather a collaborator ever more strongly that all they have achieved has been achieved have that all they strongly more ever and communal,” collaborative

JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST

) 1986 (

the Eating Sting 24 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 25 , here I’ve come too loud: She drops the husk, loud: She drops too come I’ve here kicks with her paws, whiskers fusses whispers and of wing aside, a scrap the corn thanks for but never sure, I ask her softly how sure, but never turning she does it, if I can learn this eyes, in her as startles such food into of sting sense every suck pain into learn to poison seeds, force up spitting and come lips my between held fierce a tear to which sings, but tongue and whirl it into off the table backward steps she is with wasp) (and so potent light and through flips a circle feet. lands running on her leaf-toed She cocks a fawn ear now, trembling poisonchanger, trembling ear now, a fawn She cocks of light caught in the circle in at times, thought myself I’ve beyond herself, a mouse stung herself, beyond cartoons from far an edge as onto food. into chewed she’s as the venom She stares, belly resonating, round above round belly resonating, She stares, of brittle wing, bits, a carapace— a scatter the stinger— eaten she has already still, at me, stares in her eyes something thrumming Caught in the snapped circle of light circle in the snapped Caught oilcloth, cookshack on the holding yellow deermouse an upright fingers in her fine corn, an ear of black-striped like slapped dead earlier. I’d a wasp JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST

, the Los Angeles Times Los Milkweed Chronicle Milkweed a second group of poems, describing group a second , published in 1989. The book brings to violent life violent life book brings to The , published in 1989.

in 1986. I remember that we sparred during these meetings during these meetings sparred that we in 1986. I remember Milkweed Chronicle Milkweed

Eating the Sting Eating The Color of Mesabi Bones Color The

Gifts Unheralded BY EMILIE BUCHWALD BY journal of literature and visual arts I cofounded with artist R.W. Scholes in the winter in the winter Scholes R.W. with artist arts I cofounded and visual journal of literature and than 500 writers of more work had published the we that time, By of 1980. publishing program. book Editions’ Milkweed started and had just artists personal, heart-deep from poems—drawn love I recognized them, When I read is integrity Each creature’s youth. of John’s the woods life bring to knowledge—that imperfect a transient, evoke they in delicious, meticulous detail. Together captured in language that is little short of ecstatic. magical world yet back, poems. I wrote with these original, beautifully realized smitten I was the poems that would discuss met to We asking John if he had a manuscript. become about which and how many of his poems should go into the book. John vigorously the book. John vigorously of his poems should go into many about which and how learned that I hadn’t yet of being included. one of them as worthy every supported negotiated. We challenge. any for him than prepared childhood had more John’s John sent later, A year Many of the best gifts come unheralded. I hadn’t read John Caddy’s poetry until John Caddy’s hadn’t read I unheralded. gifts come best of the Many in 1984 to publication for of poems a group he submitted another universe entirely: a childhood where there was no escape from beatings, no escape from was there a childhood where entirely: another universe and immediacy poems’ emotional force The terror. darkness, relentless bleakness, to I didn’t want calling up an existence unforgettable, the experiences make second became part of John’s poems These endure. to compelled absorb but was book, Range Iron in Minnesota’s rooted of life and a way a history, a childhood, a culture, the book mesmerizing. This found Reviewers up. growing at the time that John was that became traditions by and blood, constricted dust, ore, of iron world red fierce the awarded and was a Minnesota Book Award chains, received Book Prize in Poetry, the first and only book of poems by a small press to win this to a small press and only book of poems by the first in Poetry, Book Prize national award. have He could use the left side of his body. ability to John’s stole In 1994, a stroke escape that to he strove Instead, writing, and traveling. teaching, from retreated with but half a tongue, his work reading resume to walk, to move, to dark cocoon, himself. see for to whose plants and animals he wanted countries distant to travel to the regaining again, renewed, once he was, that as an outcome, Indeed, he writes of upon: among hundreds it gazes that delights in whatever eye child’s unprejudiced of ice, escaping the thrall in flight, water oak gall, a raptor such sights, dragonflies, 26 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 27

, published by Milkweed in 2008, Milkweed , published by (Milkweed Editions, 2003), a collection of a collection 2003), Editions, (Milkweed OF THE GRYPHON PRESS. SHE WAS THE 2002 MCKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST. MCKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED THE 2002 SHE WAS PRESS. OF THE GRYPHON EMILIE BUCHWALD IS PUBLISHER EMERITUS OF MILKWEED EDITIONS AND PUBLISHER IS PUBLISHER EMERITUS OF MILKWEED EMILIE BUCHWALD By chronicling the experience of his stroke and its aftermath in the section called and its aftermath of his stroke the experience chronicling By health who are gift. I hope that readers and generous up a rare John offers “Stroke,” what an insight into poems. Having one of these aloud every read will professionals to state—unable a perilously altered into be plunged without warning to like it’s treated humiliatingly, and, most simple, was do what once to helpless communicate, perceptions. compassionate more lead to invisible—might as if one were himself reborn. has found John Caddy he chronicles, the creatures of many Like though metaphor is truth much as metaphor, is truth as This than once. More of in the course and translucence power, depth, enough. His poetry has gathered of its own. a country become his metamorphoses to and John as breathing, to as natural that writing poems has become I am convinced the the living earth and for passion of them. His powerful more to I look forward He points out readers. epiphanies for it creates of beings who share community as he calls it. content,” “post-consumer dust, again, become that all of us will, once in celebration. him, John Caddy will live for Until that moment comes Caddy has the empath’s gift of bringing the reader along reader gift of bringing the Caddy has the empath’s he feels. what see what he sees, feel to on his journeys The benefit of these new eyes and language persuasively direct is obvious in is obvious direct persuasively and language eyes these new benefit of The in Poetry Notes Morning Earth: Field daily observations in the form of a poem and a commentary that John calls “earth that John calls “earth of a poem and a commentary in the form daily observations of his readers to (and a photograph) sends out a poem of the day John journaling.” gem, is a concise than not, the product often Morning Earth. More online service, to a writer For a keepsake. become to later, and, day one’s enliven a vision to daring. ether is breathtakingly the not-so-gentle Internet into his poems broadcast his this poet trusts might say, reviewers about what concerned Rather than being their create to readers to an invitation is designed as the process indeed, readers; others the way show his subject enough to loves teacher morning earth. This own is poetry with ego left behind. This his bliss. to Poems and Selected New Mouths Open Wide: With poems. new of marvelous books and a variety previous John’s together brought the wild to into out of the city is brought the reader again poems, once In the new fish observe to walls, in a cabin’s hear bats squealing to on the trail, meet predators of birds—ruffed the lives into enter to exhilarating, fish, and oh, most greeting gained conviction the newly and cranes—with cormorants, snipe, ravens, grouse, overlooked. previously relatives gifted that these are BY GEOORRGE RROOBERTTS

Somewhere along the way on his own passage, a good teacher, a master teacher, has realized that any path is a tightrope. And thereafter this is the first lesson: the capricious expectations of the crowd inhibit balance. All those upturned faces present distractions. To deflect distraction, to return the focus where it must be—inward—one needs a model. Someone who reveals the choices, then stands quietly to the side and observes.

A good teacher, a master teacher, knows how to keep his mouth shut, knows when not to help, knows how to leave the student alone with himself. John Caddy was born with his back to the North Woods. One of his first paths was into those woods. He was able early on to leave town for an afternoon amble, to experience, without comment from anyone, a red-tailed hawk protecting her nest. Able to notice what water does as it passes over stones. No surprise, then, that earth poetry results.

One could not be a young English teacher in the 1970s and not have heard John Caddy mentioned as a thoughtful, innovative, and insightful University of Minnesota professor and trainer of new teachers. Nor could one be an aspiring poet in the 1970s and not come across John Caddy as an observant, passionate, and challenging mentor.

I was fortunate at that time to be both a newly hired English teacher in the Minneapolis Public Schools and a beginning poet. And I was even more fortunate before long to work with and befriend John. He was the poetry teacher at the Twin City Institute for Talented Youth that convened each summer at Macalester College. I was an intern in his class in the summer of 1974.

Those seven weeks of daily classes were a revelation. That there was as much to learn about building human relationships as there was about being passionate and competent in one’s subject matter created a sea change in the way I thought about teaching. Poetry was what we, John and I, loved. But it was the lives of young people we were being entrusted with, and I learned it was incumbent upon me, if I were going to become a good teacher, to enter those lives and to love them as much as I loved poetry.

There have been other lessons, of course, about the art of poetry and about the art of teaching: learn how to lend support at the right moment, to ask difficult questions when they will do the most good; learn to see what you are looking at, not what you are looking for; understand that imagery is the language of the senses; accept difficult criticism as a gift. But the tightrope lesson, that early and necessary one, remains for me the most salutary.

And all these years later, through all the roles John has assumed, no surprise that this is still the first lesson he offers—whether to novice literature and writing teachers, poets, or naturalists.

GEORGE ROBERTS IS A TEACHER, POET, AND LETTERPRESS PRINTER WHO OWNS HOMEWOOD STUDIOS, AN ARTISTS’ WORK SPACE, GALLERY, AND COMMUNITY MEETING SPACE IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS.

28 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 29 (Singer of the hurly-burly the hurly-burly Presences the Blood the Presences away from Kaner an Norvys Kaner OOOE C SC I BB T HIS BARDIC NAME IS VYAGER GANS GERYOW (TRAVELS WITH WORDS). (TRAVELS GANS GERYOW HIS BARDIC NAME IS VYAGER R He turned the unturnable well and truly on! As He turned the unturnable well EER . Later, he returned and read from it to appreciative audiences. One night, when audiences. appreciative it to from and read he returned . Later, BBB YY BB BERT BISCOE OF TRURO, CORNWALL, IS A POET, SONGWRITER, AND MEMBER OF CORNWALL COUNCIL. COUNCIL. AND MEMBER OF CORNWALL SONGWRITER, IS A POET, CORNWALL, OF TRURO, BISCOE BERT Earth), he was subsequently elected to the College of Bards of Cornwall, Gorsedh Kernow. of Cornwall, of Bards the College to subsequently elected Earth), he was a poetic work: great Morning Earth, his unveiled he slowly him in Kernow know to grew As we that love as pure with the deep sense of nature people as possible imbue as many to mission place a small but important to us, each day, him and takes drives eyes. our waking into poetic spring water dash a little cold onslaught to and the material Bud- with science, imbued work a Miltonic For,” Fought is “Paradise Morning Earth grows—it which planet the unadulterated for and a passion wry Minnesotan humour, dha, woodcraft, clarity, the essence, with language, clearly, see all, leads us to admonishes, and, above inspires, world. and beauty of the natural This is a poet of stature—respected by his peers, loved by the birds. by loved his peers, by is a poet of stature—respected This Learns Again Learns word had spread and many dignitaries were arrayed in rows to hear this new poet of the hear this new to in rows arrayed dignitaries were and many had spread word stuff! of some “horny” do a set time to decided that it was he diaspora, Cornish Caddy’s charm, wit, and delivery had the widows and wives and wives had the widows charm, wit, and delivery Caddy’s as he gently ridiculed laughter with less-than-sedate rocking and acutely poems richly wrought himself and our gender with observed. When John Caddy first came home in 1992 to Cornwall (Kernow), from whence his ancestors his ancestors whence from (Kernow), Cornwall to in 1992 came home first When John Caddy his book for inspiration he found America, as miners for had embarked JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST fine all of that was, his greatness didn’t fully didn’t fully greatness his fine all of that was, K CCK owever DDO DD rings of pee in Minnesotan snow— Minnesotan of pee in rings eye— paternal round ketchup rings of blood the Come-to-Grass— salute stones rings of Cornish words, children’s in rings of wonder arc’d, pond-pebbles from rings of love wings migrant to rings clipped journeys poetic track to of rocks, this smallest across around that runs its ring this rock star— fading our slowly rings within rings nature— meaning, to shackle poets to rings fashions but the smith who hammer and anvil— between poet is compass— the smith is poet and circumference— center, the ring— it is his song shines I hear sing? voice is that Caddy’s AA P E OOOOE J YY BBB

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oooo MMMM (Bert Biscoe, 2012) (Bert Biscoe, It wasn’t until the mid–1990s that I really got to know John. Before, I was mostly aware of his aware mostly I was John. Before, know got to really that I until the mid–1990s It wasn’t as and of his elegance Poets in the Schools program, the COMPAS establish in helping to role H of poetry. a person, a poet, and a reader what wondered often I’ve since. ever life As I see it, that upside has been at the heart of John’s in a limiting body, be trapped to and intelligence so much intensity for been like have it must be sloughed off— to have of necessity would that irrelevancies me as well to occurred but it’s what John has written important. I love what is most discover one to forcing or even allowing that time: about a decision he made around John once told me about something that happened shortly after his leaving the hospital. As his leaving me about something that happened shortly after told John once at him in shock, then said: looked a colleague at Hamline University, a room entering he was the upside?” “What’s then asked, at him thoughtfully, man looked The you?” “What the hell happened to “I had a stroke.” emerge until after he had a stroke in 1994. It left him hemiplegic, paralyzed on his left side, and on his left side, in 1994. It left him hemiplegic, paralyzed he had a stroke until after emerge itself. if not on life up on a career, easily imagine him giving serious enough that one could was 30 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 31 r i ei ee yy hh

k t ,, nn g ook mmm r r e nng tt i vvve ee n hh in ti li ways ve s ; rri aaa r oo WW y er [W f co tty ww . l t .. . ft u e . rre e aa sse s A .A e mme .. ms . bbe ttti pppl mmmy ss e y oe d dd eeo bb e pp n mme tte pp fi d eturning to the importance the importance eturning to ot na ed ng o ll ng ki t az w a pi ways r ed ne el ma am my

ff aat dd h yy ff oo el hl an o nd s le st a es us ab fr wa re .” on ho p i h ss ee t dd ti th a th c ra aar a aan wwa ll , I d E ti , eb ed ke s th el en rn nd ro c a a wwi nnd ssp la ea st s of l a o e a s t e, oon tth aad dd m bl ti ed o h em re si t ec id n ffe een e ppo en ec nn uf re me g s d s g in co at ho I I h ee, ee aar 4 yy, e wh 94 iv nc sh ap 9 it e 1 r aam se d mme er tu c n Five days a week thousands of us discover via e-mail a small, insightful poem by John, paired John, paired via e-mail a small, insightful poem by thousands of us discover a week days Five he so how wondered often I’ve in nature. of something with and illuminating a photograph with him that may conversations past do this, but I do remember manages to unfailingly within us, abhors a as nature the unconscious, how discussed we’ve an answer: suggest mind will al conscious support, the “empty” such is open to and if a writer vacuum, That poem, “John Caddy at First Light,” can be found on John’s Morning Earth website, which Earth website, Morning on John’s can be found Light,” Caddy at First poem, “John That and al Ever despair. environmental to he calls an antidote complex an incredible, it’s world, the natural and understanding to of the arts in connecting it Go to and teachers. both students to guidance of arts and insights, offering compendium of collections important environmental be one of the most just in what may and lose yourself our time. his or her need. to be filled according All of this sounds awfully serious, and indeed it is, but it belies the playful humor with which humor the playful serious, and indeed it is, but it belies All of this sounds awfully built around assignment used a poetry-writing he has long In fact, the world. to John relates Antic Spirit is the irrepressible “The defines this way: what he calls the Antic Spirit, which he that puts the eye, then puts a gleam in your and that now inside us, that part of you trickster spirit doesn’t emerge, with John in which his antic a conversation I seldom have in you.” ‘devil’ so he months older than he, I’m two before. than ever in him now alive and I suspect it is more a poem in which I characterized, a while back I wrote And delights in calling me “the old guy.” and e-mails signed letters often he’s then since as a lurch; walk his post-stroke accurately, fairly me as “Lurch.” to John walks his talk, and what he decided to do back then he has done. And then some. His And then some. do back then he has done. what he decided to his talk, and John walks to than doing his best no less one, and far-reaching is a truly ambitious this work vision for the of and caring for love can to as he possibly of human consciousness as wide a swath wake as poet, and that this English major that John is as much teacher be understood earth. It must a into merged of him have aspects varied These and eco-philosopher. is a truly fine naturalist of all to way be the best his belief that the arts may by focus and given inspired single flow, the earth. caring for them to commit and to people about the environment teach I] ab th “I so an in JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST “is , that he concentrated , that he concentrated shrinks John’s Morning Earth poems reach out Morning Earth poems reach John’s The Color of Mesabi Bones Color The

“When we take our pain out of ourselves,” our pain out of ourselves,” take “When we and

Eating the Sting Eating JOE PADDOCK IS A POET, ORAL HISTORIAN, ENVIRONMENTAL WRITER, BIOGRAPHER, AND ARTS WRITER, BIOGRAPHER, AND ARTS ENVIRONMENTAL ORAL HISTORIAN, IS A POET, JOE PADDOCK ADVOCATE WHO LIVES IN LITCHFIELD, MINNESOTA, IN THE SAME HOUSE IN WHICH HE GREW UP. HOUSE IN WHICH HE GREW UP. IN THE SAME MINNESOTA, WHO LIVES IN LITCHFIELD, ADVOCATE celebration, for the poems [are] all in response to brief gifts from earth. brief gifts from to all in response the poems [are] for celebration, and sometimes intricacy, laughter, surprise, gifts of beauty, gifts are The delayed.” a joy which are painful lessons, on the mostly focuses his stroke on since that John has taken perhaps, the work Strangely he writes, practice,” this new to key “The joy. about shared the one assertion, second

It was in his earlier work, in his earlier work, It was beyond himself to those “gifts from earth.” In a time when so much of contemporary poetry a time when so much of contemporary In earth.” from those “gifts himself to beyond of the gifts as an observer in this work John can only be discovered self-involved, is terribly he celebrates. I’m pretty certain that the following is John’s most famous quote: famous most is John’s the following that certain I’m pretty Beginning in the mid-’90s, I worked with John in his Self Expressing Earth program. The goal The program. Earth Expressing with John in his Self I worked Beginning in the mid-’90s, help kids learn the nature to naturalists and interpretive artists, teaching teachers, train to was settings. They in natural retreats weeklong were making art. These through on earth of life immersions in both. They but deep experiential about art and the environment, not just were to participants continue many how by been struck I’ve and experiences, life-changing were with John. maintain a connection most on the first of these two assertions. of these two first on the most he writes, “and transform it into a poem, a song, a painting, a dance, it a dance, a poem, a song, a painting, it into transform “and he writes, we deal with it in a way outside of us, which enables us to becomes inside.” locked when it was couldn’t Shared Joy by Joe Paddock Joe by Joy Shared 32 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 33 I see him in mind, struggling yet in mind, struggling I see him lurching of stroke, the clutch against dark the pre-dawn out into drag-foot rim the sedgey to down of his yard, listening he stands, where of the pond leaves, dark of air through a breath to edge, at water’s peeping and croaking of wings, whistling the overhead quack.... and splash, guttural flutter now Sounds he translates years sixty easily after knowing Standing there, of such listening. labyrinth green so much of the intricate knowing within which he searches, and edges, knowing its circles little he knows, how at the edge best that it’s simply stand to of ignorance perhaps sing praise, breathe in awe, a little. Enough light now startled sight, and a muskrat, faint for on a cane, leaning silent presence this by and dives, slashes its tail savagely floats down blue heron and a great its stand take to sky gray from silent, too, shore, on the opposite at the brink waiting and fully sensate, of day. fill his need, Enough absorbed to that edge the man turns from and laboriously returns of awe of birdfeeders under an array his back door. to light, first to the computer he touches Inside, beak heron’s as the great and perhaps just his finger strikes hungrily hits water, and a small poem begins a key, brimming fill the screen, with little hesitation to wings, and whistling with peep and croak then sent translated, dawn, of the new stuff be caught in a net where, suddenly out to friends and, later, half-awake in an hour, unknowing in classrooms, children clear-eyed it, will discover bring it there, to all it took and wise. and struggling alive tt sss rr ii FFF

tt aaa (Joe Paddock, 2002) Paddock, (Joe BY ROODDGER KKEMMPP

John Caddy and I have been friends for some 50 years. Although we live far apart now—he in Minnesota and I in California—we’ve made it a point to do road trips each of the last 10 years or so in California, Oregon, New Mexico, and Utah. Those trips have given me the chance to see John do his fieldwork.

As an example of what we do on the road, let me mention a day in the White Mountains, the range immediately east of the Sierra Nevada in California. Those mountains are home to the westernmost bristlecone pine community on the continent. The bristlecones are the oldest trees on earth; the oldest of them, called the Ancient Ones, make a living at elevations of 10,000 feet or higher in a growing season of 45 days or so. Predictably, old men identify with them.

When we drove into a visitors’ center and found it packed with cars and people, we turned around and drove up higher, going along a good dirt road to a quiet spot where we walked for three hours through a bristlecone grove. We pointed out a few things to each other as we moved, but mostly went our own ways in a type of parallel play. John talked about many of the things he paid attention to, including cones, rocks, birds, insects, duff, and sometimes me. He took photo after photo, often kneeling to focus his attention and his camera on what had caught his eye. By early evening we were back in our motel rooms and John spent a couple of hours reviewing and culling photos before we met for a quick supper and some conversation before bed.

Photography is crucial to his work. As he has explained in conversations and interviews, after his stroke John turned to photography as a tool for writing, using photos the way others might use notes or a voice recorder. But he also started using photos as teaching tools at Morning Earth, his website that started out—and continues—as a service for teachers who want to encourage students to write.

For thousands of people Morning Earth is also a life-celebrating message they get nearly every day via e-mail. John recently added “Invite to Write,” wherein he posts a photograph for both adults and children to respond to in writing. The website is also a storehouse of teacher resources, work by other artist/naturalists, and kids’ art and writing. All of this reflects what many students and fellow artists know: John is an extraordinary teacher and a generous collaborator.

34 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 35 . The Color Color The , Eating the Sting Eating With Mouths Open Wide Mouths Open With , and ©John Caddy Presences the Blood Learns Again the Blood Learns Presences , AND AUDIOVISUAL PRODUCTION; HIS LATEST CAREER IS IN GRANDCHILD CARE. CAREER IS IN GRANDCHILD PRODUCTION; HIS LATEST AND AUDIOVISUAL RODGER KEMP LIVES IN LOS ANGELES AND IS RETIRED FROM CAREERS IN TEACHING, WRITING, AND IS RETIRED FROM CAREERS IN TEACHING, ANGELES RODGER KEMP LIVES IN LOS As I explore the bristlecone grove, the bristlecone As I explore in a midden of cones, glows a bit of green feet, finds sun at 11,000 Methuselahs of a pine seedling in the midst on the mountain. time-wracked a child the promise, wide by I am torn and stretch open who could and abide dry mountain winds thousands of years. for live. ancestors The of this child parent The Cheops needles as the Pharaoh green grew climb the sky. his tomb watched Morning Earth Healing Images 13, 2008 November John started making his art available to others well before the Internet arrived, of course. of course. arrived, the Internet before others well to making his art available John started in Morning Earth subscribers are what he sends out to beyond read yet not who have Those including work his printed look into when they treat a major for Morning Earth has made John’s art available to more people than he might otherwise reach, otherwise reach, than he might people more to art available made John’s Morning Earth has He has special gifts for writer. as a nature his reputation added to has and it certainly a word us all as cousins, to things, as when he refers of living the connectedness expressing of portrayals in his I find special pleasure and scientific fact. feeling that rings with both and dozing. scratching, such as yawning, with our animal cousins share we behaviors of Mesabi Bones Thanks for what you do, John. Many thanks. Many John. do, you what for Thanks BY MAARCCIA MMccEAACHRROON

I met John Caddy around 1981 while I served as a visiting artist in the Minneapolis Artists in the Schools program. Poems often inspired my sculptures and paintings, so I was happy in the company of poets and attentive to their ideas. John invited me to teach in his Self Expressing Earth (SEE) workshops, which he created to show teachers how to teach ecology through the arts.

SEE taught an understanding of the natural world through art experiences, so John planned each day to include sessions in poetry, watercolor, dance, and music. We artists might have been invited there to teach our respective media, but we all became learners under John’s leadership. He taught all of us to look deeper into the natural world for its metaphors, which shape and animate our imaginations.

One SEE workshop at Wilder Forest was an epiphany for me in my understanding of the word “transformation.” John sent all of us on a hunt through the woods and around ponds to witness and find evidence of transformation. Just as I was about to give up, I discovered a damselfly devouring a moth at the edge of a marsh. Suddenly, the thin needle profile of the damselfly devouring a large moth made me realize that the damselfly was transforming mass into energy to fuel its life! I had found transformation in action! What I had previously taken for granted took on a new significance in my life.

John’s style of teaching writing puts the joy of writing a poem into one’s heart. Writing is hard work, and John knew how to challenge us to love that. I participated in John’s summer writing workshops in Grand Marais and on Mallard Island, where he presented the work of many poets and gave us a strong base for understanding and respecting the power of words to reveal the human heart and mind.

What an inspiration John Caddy’s work as a poet and teacher has been in my life. He has the unique gift of being able to challenge his students with humor and compassion. Knowing the terror in the heart of someone reading a poem for the first time to a maybe-indifferent audience, John dispelled the fear with this wisdom: to introduce your poem, say, “This is a bad poem. Don’t kill me,” then read the poem. And he was right. The poem was never as bad as we feared.

MARCIA McEACHRON IS A METAL SCULPTOR WHO LIVES AND WORKS IN MINNEAPOLIS. HER WORK IS HELD IN PRIVATE COLLECTIONS AND IS ON VIEW IN PUBLIC INSTALLATIONS THAT RANGE FROM THE ROOFTOP GALLERY AT THE MINNESOTA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM TO THE CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS OF JOHN DEERE.

36 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 37 (2008) Blood Winter, Warm A greyblue blur so fast it stutters the eye the eye it stutters so fast blur A greyblue branch a finch right off the thronged strikes feet and blurs a hundred as if still it stops an oak where to and folds, a wing sweeps still—but always a clenched foot. the goldfinch dangles from edge at the pond’s snow to Flaps down toss. feathers and tears, say, going to I was sharp-shinned hawk, small hawk, “A back.” greyblue the fieldmark red, adult: eye Do that. Pull back. goldfinches was whole birch The seed. sunflower for waiting on white. white it is Now say, I could leaves for golden birds with reborn birch Autumn “…the Do that. bones on white…” quiet winter but is now and elegy grey and But the finch is yellowdrab I can’t pull back. not hunger. is distance, a low from “…staring say, Could tree, on a distant branch then hurling flat…” I didn’t see that. of death. Only the velocity yet. breathed I haven’t “…God.” say, going to Was BY TOOMM BACCIGG

John Caddy is a name giver and has been for all the 50 years I have known, heard, and read him. He makes me see, hear, and feel the garden again and fills me again with wonder.

The seeing and naming of the flora and fauna of our place and time are for John a lifetime calling. Thirty years ago I stood with him creekside near Lake LaSalle and wondered at the sphere of bullhead fry, being herded by their mother, that he showed me. Seeing long and through time is what makes the word true and names the nameless. Having looked deeper and waited for the nameless, John saw two such spheres meet and gave it word. ....what a wild order our eyes meet in this creek, and what caring back-fence mothers, as the shadows of the spheres mingle with those of ripples cast on sand like old half-memories, dancing light bounced to our human eyes which know little, but open at any age, see so much, our eyes that do remember light, and do enter when we see it, the dance. (from “Bullheads in LaSalle Creek, Passing Strange,” 2008)

Thus the nameless is named—preferring the knowledge of good and evil to wondrous ignorance, but longing to remember light and enter the dance.

In deed and word my friend sees and hears the here and now with precision and wonder, and takes his friends and readers with him.

When John was named the McKnight Distinguished Artist, I sent him the following note:

Bard, This note gives me a chance to celebrate your McKnighting, Sir John. I take great joy in the public celebration of your work. I knew before they did. You enlightened my life. You taught me to see the jewelry in coruscate eye of toad, feel redemption in mouse eating pain, laugh at being the mummies we are become, recognize the bones of the range, see signatures written in snow by a boy using his tool….Thanks and congratulations for singing man song, my brother.

This is the way I seek to name the nameless and word the love I bear for one who is my friend, and whose poetry, photographs, and woodworkings made me see, hear, and feel wonder.

TOM BACIG IS THE MORSE ALUMNI DISTINGUISHED TEACHING PROFESSOR OF CULTURAL STUDIES EMERITUS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA–DULUTH.

38 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 39 (1989) Barcarolle Tales , tears leap into him leap into , tears The of Hoffmann When the gondola crosses the screen the screen crosses When the gondola poised in the bow with the courtesan hears Offenbach’s first and the boy Barcarolle Granada he sits in the darkened where with a friend, and remain. Theatre so much. heard He has never expelled are they the movie After lights, where the downtown into time concealing, he has a hard but so does Willy. do not look at each other or They in walk until they anyone streetlights. the dark between of snowbanks In the reflections hum, still begin to they not looking at the other’s face. Sixth Street reach the time they But by glancing at each other’s eyes are they sing the wordlessly as they over and over, and they sing it and they and over, over kicking holes under the streetlight, until their ears snowbank a packed into sing it and they the cold, with crack their houses turn toward as they and hear of Seventh, ends on opposite a block, each other singing it for of elms. ringing it off the long arch meet in the hall When they shy. are at school, they the next JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST

So I came late to John Caddy. But the John Caddy. to So I came late friends colleagues

Washington River, | Gray’s and writer | Lepidopterist MICHAEL PYLE ROBERT I have only read about John’s legendary contributions in the schools, ministering to poets, to in the schools, ministering contributions legendary about John’s only read I have carried anything If those encounters else. everyone and apparently interpreters, naturalists, with the be bored to had a chance never of the spontaneity of Morning Earth, his students is that John Caddy me so right about this recognition What seems to or with words. world, world with the actual physical connection such a deep and frequent achieves so thoroughly no one I know. like of nature, of people and the rest One thing I took away from that happy conjunction was a subscription to Morning Earth. a subscription to was conjunction that happy from away One thing I took poet on overdrive, a young for Even immersion in the poetics of the immediate! What a joyful to impossible difficult if not downright be would the discipline of such a daily deposit and high winds, should do so with blows by struck years, a man of mature maintain. That one of these Every is a Minnesota miracle. freshness, and breeze-in-your-face verve faithful from bursting in spring or mushrooms tadpoles popping tumbles out like wonders weekday the permanent the curl of leaf and tendril, carry the purl of meltwater, They the autumn moss. of a wild curiosity. surge I came late to John Caddy. After a reading I’d given in Denver, a former student of his sug- student a former in Denver, given I’d a reading After John Caddy. to I came late meet- get from you of recognition poems. I did so with the pleasure John’s I look into gested in another reading at winter, following The long ago. known should have ing someone you he said, “I’m John Caddy.” “Hello,” me. man approached Minneapolis, a gentle and soft-spoken back again after- drive and would attend, to gathering blizzard a miles through He had driven like had that meeting, have to I felt lucky How impassable. were the roads day next The ward. good manners. uncommonly or a southering lynx with wraith, a winter some visitation from him. to come is that I have me, important thing, for 40 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 41 . I have told John he’d have to write some pretty some pretty write to have John he’d told . I have FRITZ REEKER | Attorney | Edina REEKER | Attorney FRITZ thinking he was unsmiling, maybe a little too tough. I think he was just just I think he was tough. a little too unsmiling, maybe thinking he was away so I’m not going to break my vow my break so I’m not going to When I was 15 I received extra advantages from John’s teaching ability when he helped me— teaching John’s from advantages extra 15 I received When I was scripts some horrid television been his breaks—with school or during what should have after tell to never John made me promise word. said a discouraging But he never I had written. some adamant about that for quite was He writing style. that he helped with my anyone reason, But freshman English that year didn’t start so well. John spoke quietly the first day and day quietly the first John spoke so well. didn’t start that year English But freshman came we their establish to who came over teachers supervise a number of the student John had to teach to assigned who were had two than others. We better some of them were credentials; Early on, with John who that was. kind of knew section, and I think they a Shakespeare persistently of ringing a bell made the mistake they the back of the room, observing from did never as we those two, what happened to got out of hand. I don’t know when the class lightning, or in rain. meet again in thunder, But help was on the way. On May 16, 1951, ground was broken for Peik Hall across from from Peik Hall across for broken was 16, 1951, ground On May on the way. But help was best the university’s of Minnesota, and some of on the campus of the University Dinkytown taught of six grades school us. Imagine a tiny teach up to began showing students graduate could and you one of those teachers, 1965, John Caddy was scholars. By energetic young, by held him in high esteem. teachers that the other tell was that there tell could students we week, the end of that first By authority. establishing plenty of talent there. that. done he’s now and I guess as a teacher, the heights he reached surpass good poetry to We were a sad and dismal lot: undisciplined, poorly prepared, itinerant. If Alice Mott, our first Mott, our first If Alice itinerant. poorly prepared, a sad and dismal lot: undisciplined, were We our imminent demise. hopefully, even predicted, she might have principal, had been asked, had renamed 1916 we the Model School. By called, ironically, were our opening in 1908 we At of class desirable a more the purpose of attracting High” and had, for “University ourselves were 1917 there By be admitted. be under the age of 21 to to students required student, by our lack of academic accomplishment supplemented and we 9–12, in grades 84 students Ponies in the Stillwater by 1921 in instance, for blasted, were We also being athletic failures. game. a football Wisconsin | Superior, JOHN HORRIGAN More recently, for a month in 2011, I accompanied John to LaPaz in the state of Baja California of Baja California in the state LaPaz to John a month in 2011, I accompanied for recently, More became a part of that family Owen’s car back after his son Owen’s help drive to Mexico, Sur, came that I really during this trip in small boats. It was the world travel band of people who as Morning Earth. Morning Earth know what we in putting together effort John’s appreciate to surroundings. John and with our natural both with us all a unique connection poetry gives a damselfly. us through for the world He can capture I recently sent John some black-and-white photos of a log-cabin construction project we we project construction of a log-cabin photos black-and-white sent John some I recently He Minnesota. of Virginia, outside our hometown Mine just in near Prindle involved were from stolen 2 x 16 sideboards carried as we tracks nights on the railroad fall cold remembers a canoe took two 1954, we of our cabin. In the floor provide rink, which would the hockey an by passed days, two for Lake and ended up windbound on David Lake trip out of Crane than we. and competent confident more obviously in a canoe who was woman old Ojibwe in that it was feeling after the night at Lilac Lake of our not staying John has a memory haunted. some way John and I have been connected for a long time: we were school classmates, our fathers were were our fathers school classmates, were we a long time: for connected been and I have John church the same to linked were we and company, mining now-extinct the same by employed our parents. by community

from friends and

From his earliest poems, which are often set in the North Woods where he grew up, to the more recent daily nature koans that emanate from Forest Lake to an international audience, John’s work is always lucid, emotionally honest, possessed of rich archaic resonance, and animated essentially by a fierce reverence for the intricacies and enormity of the creaturely. But what I find perhaps most compelling about John’s poetic vision is the sense, underlying it all, that poetry belongs in active dialogue with the urgent issues of the day. Indeed, if there is, as I hope and believe, a growing sense that our contemporary human civilization is no longer sustainable, and that the ecological crises we are experiencing now have their root causes in human culture, John Caddy—poet, naturalist, educator—has played an immeasurably prominent role in cultivating this sense.

DANIEL SLAGER | Publisher and CEO, Milkweed Editions | Minneapolis

It is as though John Caddy has gone through a fire that burned up the other distractions in his body, leaving only the pure artist cells. This Artist Being is busy seeing, recording, and reporting to the rest of us who struggle to stay focused. And he reports to us every week- day. Every one.

John sees like breath, without trying, but completely and utterly committed to the lifesaving act. Selfishly, I am happy he is here, right now, spinning on the Earth. Peeking over his shoulder has helped me be a better artist. His gift is the great one: John Caddy’s seeing is contagious.

DEBRA FRASIER | Author and illustrator | Minneapolis

As a friend and poetry student of John Caddy’s, I enjoy his wicked sense of humor, honor his comprehensive knowledge of natural habitats, and appreciate his inspiring lessons. However, I’m most amazed by his poems and photographs. Every weekday, I turn to Morning Earth to immerse myself in his latest communication from the world. Often I’m dumbfounded at the unity of a day’s poem-photo combination, for this combination is not an illustrated poem, not an explained photo, but a balanced work of art.

Despite and possibly because of the challenges in his life, John has taught himself to really notice the many natural gifts surrounding us. His eye and voice are discerning and honest: every pebble, every leaf, every animal he encounters might find a place in one of his poems, one of his photographs, or both. He embraces the individual parts and the whole—up close and far away—and then melds them into impressive images that clarify his vision for all of us. Most of us hope that we can be a positive force for the planet, and in my estimation, John Caddy is just that. We are lucky to share his sights and insights.

I’ve been sharing his insights since 1998, when I joined John’s adult poetry group. I had been writing poetry in my head for years, while I raised four children and taught sixth grade, but hadn’t put metaphor to paper. At 66 years old, I was hoping to avoid fellow poets who would merely listen and offer bland appreciation—crumbs for the little old lady—and the Scandia Poets group fit my desires. At my third meeting, John heard my poem and asked, “And why should I care?” My heart was his forever. I’d found the honesty I craved, which helps explain why, at 80 years old, I’m still a member of this group.

BEVERLY BONN JONNES | Retired teacher | Stillwater 42 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 43 Right now, as you are are as you Right now, …. …. …. JOE ALFANO | K–5 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics technology, science, | K–5 JOE ALFANO

all the universal frame all the universal

John Caddy, the Bard of the Cornish Gorsedh, poet, teacher, and friend, leads a modern and friend, leads a Gorsedh, poet, teacher, of the Cornish the Bard John Caddy, e-mail. in my year-round out each weekday, that ring with variations chorus of this hymn See, see the gladdening dawn appear see the gladdening dawn See, Surprising scenes sea proclaim and earth and heaven Let …. There’s an old religious hymn that is still sung in Cornwall: is still that hymn an old religious There’s of joy instruments Sound, sound your “Notice and note.” Class started and John’s directions had us writing immediately—we were were us writing immediately—we had directions and John’s started Class and note.” “Notice and noting a sometime-singing noticing 15 minutes hand, and I spent pens in sent outside, for I had registered with John. encounter first my was This a tree. partially hidden in cardinal, a friend that by and had been warned at Hamline University class a Morning Earth journaling be life-changing. to potential had the and that his classes typical teacher not your John was between In our simple assignment. with world a new me to opened a door for class That grew, writing practice my transformed, Harriet were Lake around morning walks my sessions My 50 years. in my time the first for daily details unfolding spring’s and noted and I noticed and he stopped began, As class class. at a Loft later a year was with John encounter next John watched, class The outside our window. a tall structure circling eagles two to pointed sent via e-mail. was on that event Morning Earth poem focused a day, next and the noticed, City of Minneapolis administrator, | Public arts ALTMAN MARY reading this, because of John Caddy, someone is likely sharing a poem with a student, a student, sharing a poem with someone is likely this, because of John Caddy, reading or friend. lover, neighbor, Now, through Morning Earth, I wake up each weekday to a poem by John or someone he John or someone he a poem by to up each weekday Morning Earth, I wake through Now, to the wealth he spreads of poetry, in the power As an undying believer has encouraged. on poems. pass too of us, and in turn we and hundreds hundreds Later, when John and I were working together on a project that involved much research much research that involved on a project together working and I were when John Later, poems. I felt a handful of student reading by our morning meetings start writing, he would of in the offices times before though I had seen him do this many special, even extremely of those poems, he gently In the context and other arts administrators. principals, teachers, of them and began many doing. I collected were we thinking about the writing my elevated others myself. out loud to reading One of my first encounters with John Caddy was a morning visit to his residency in a his residency a morning visit to with John Caddy was encounters first One of my poems that he had the students’ reading He began by suburban elementary classroom. gem, reflecting a glittering each poem as if it were He recited before. the day collected taking By work. within their own and sometimes pain beauty, the power, students back to people—and these young move able to John was so seriously, their beginning attempts of their sense of the magical world and into themselves, thousands of others—deeper into poetic language. Minneapolis Public Schools coordinator,

from friends and

I’d like to praise John Caddy’s legendary generosity—his open spirit, the way he’s wel- comed so many new writers into the life of poetry. Through his inventive Morning Earth, his decades teaching as a poet in the schools, and his own strong, courageous poetry, John has inspired many. I thank John for teaching me to trust the truth of children, to take student writers seriously, to write my own work with a brave and steady heart. And more, I thank him for the gift of perseverance given by example; John has taught me to remain a working writer, regardless of the obstacles, to stay loyal to the page because the work we have is here.

SHEILA O’CONNOR | Writer | Minneapolis

I met John in 2001 when I joined the faculty of the Natural Science and Environmental Education program at Hamline University, where he taught for more than 20 years—but like many other people, I had heard of John long before I met him. I was eager to meet him because of his Self Expressing Earth (SEE) program, which shared John’s deep understanding of how science and the arts can be integrated to enhance students’ capacity to wonder and imagine.

I remember the students in one Hamline summer course commenting that they could hardly wait for school to start again so they could implement what they had just learned from John. He was an inspirational leader to his students, encouraging them to transform their thinking about who they were as teachers, as writers, and as individuals. In his courses, teachers learned how to encourage their students’ creativity by getting them to think about nature and learn about ecology...and he succeeded in replicating children’s natural sense of wonder in his students. It might sound a bit dramatic to say that John has changed people’s lives, but that’s what many of his former students—now teaching students of their own—have said to me.

RENEE L. WONSER | Assistant professor, Center for Global Environmental Education, Hamline University | St. Paul

44 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 45 1939 An Artist’s Life Artist’s JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 1942 1951 1937 1948 1937 in Hibbing Born 1943–56 Minnesota school in Virginia, Attends

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JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 47 1967 1957 1957 Cruises the Caribbean, Panama, and Chile as a midshipman 1962–64 of the University to Returns as a Minnesota and works in assistant teaching graduate the English department; begins poetry on an old L.C. write to Smith manual typewriter 1968 record stores stores record Musicland 1954 1965–67 of College of Minnesota in the University Teaches High School; cofounds and at University Education Minnesota Poets in the Schools. Publishes protest poetry in small journals. Bonds with other young Roy Gunderson, Keith Baxter, (Charles writers at open- Tjepkes) Michael Vizenor, Gerald McBride, poet Michael Kincaid by organized mic readings 1956–57 of the University Attends Minnesota in Minneapolis on scholarship ROTC a Naval 1959–61 Manages in Minneapolis and St. Paul 1957 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST . Wins . Wins Eating the Eating Milkweed Chronicle Milkweed Including The Heronry Including The , 1984 a Minnesota Independent Receives Alliance/Jerome Choreographers’ “The stage to grant Foundation Susan with choreographer Heronry” Pat and jazz composer Delattre with performed is Moriarty; piece Begins and jazz trio. dancers five publishing in Loft/McKnight Award in Poetry and Award Loft/McKnight Grant Arts Board a Minnesota State in Poetry 1985–88 and Lakes Editions’ Milkweed Wins publishes Award; Prairies Sting North . Takes . Takes The Color Color The and

nn and “The Heronry” and “The AAAn eee fff . Begins writing ii LL Beloit Poetry Journal Dacotah Territory Territory Dacotah

Artist’s Artist’s 1980–83 Cities and earns the Twin to Returns residencies teaching a living through and woodworking Country Anvil Country 1973–79 of at the University Quits teaching Center Sundog Minnesota and cofounds near Lake Education Environmental for Minnesota the first Itasca; directs for camp there Corps Conservation teach Begins to high school students. art-making. through eco-principles magazines Publishes poetry in regional such as part in Vietnam War protests and in protests War part in Vietnam reading the “Chicago Eight” protest Kinnell, Galway Bly, with Robert tour and other poets. Creeley, Robert Teaches major depression. for Treated City Institute at Twin the poetry class Youth Talented for of Mesabi Bones 1968–69 of poem, “Eye nature Publishes first in Toad,”

48 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 49 The Heronry The The Color of Mesabi Color The 1988 Prop from 1984 performance of 1984 performance from Prop . Finishes building self-designed home near Forest Lake home near Forest Bones 1989 Egen Writers the Maureen Receives Poets & Writers; from Award Exchange West and on the East readings gives Bush Foundation Receives coasts. Milkweed Fellowship. Individual Artist publishes Editions , 2003 St. Paul Pioneer Press St. Paul

© An Artist’s Life

1990–93 Wins Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Poetry and Minnesota Book Award for The Color of Mesabi Bones. Visits Cornwall for the first time. With Carol Sirrine, creates and conducts a summer arts/ecology workshop for teachers at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center

1994 Catastrophic stroke results in permanent left-side hemiplegia Sally Ordway Irvine Award winners, 1997

On the Cornwall coast, 1992 SEE summer workshop, 1999

1995 1996–99 Startled at being alive and able to Tours Cornwall, giving readings; self- write, begins developing Self Expressing publishes Presences the Blood Learns Earth (SEE) environmental-education Again. Receives Sally Ordway Irvine program at Community Programs in Award for Arts Education. Conducts the Arts & Sciences (COMPAS) and later five ecology-through-arts workshops moves it to Hamline University’s Center for teachers, teaching artists and for Global Environmental Education. interpretive naturalists. Begins writing Returns to teaching residencies and a daily eco-poem sent to classrooms starts the Scandia Poets writing group that subscribe to SEE. Spends a week in residence in Ojai, California’s Topa Topa School, where his daily poem opens the school day for the entire year 2001 SEE closes down due to loss of funding; website remains up at Hamline as resource site. Continues e-mailing daily eco-poem to a few hundred friends and subscribers

50 JOHN CADDY 2012 McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST 51 , 2003 With With St. Paul Pioneer Press St. Paul © 2002 © John Caddy, 2007 © John Caddy, 2010–2011 readings Cities–area Twin numerous Gives by of Morning Earth poems accompanied daily poems slides. Renames projected research reflect “Healing Images” to health improves that people’s showing nature. to exposed are they the more its one records Morning Earth website millionth unique visitor 2012 Lake; Forest near on 10 acres Lives of photography daily practice continues with Healing Images e-mailed and poetry, than 1,500 subscribers daily more to 2008 publishes Editions Milkweed and Selected New Mouths Open Wide: Poems . Kaner an Kaner (Singer of Earth) Incorporates Morning Earth as an Incorporates SEE and develops educational nonprofit focusing site much larger into website celebrations ecoliteracy, on ecology, and archived of artist/naturalists, launches Morning Earth poems (site daily in 2005; begins incorporating in 2006). Subscription list photos steadily grows Milkweed Editions publishes publishes Editions Milkweed in Poetry Morning Earth: Field Notes 2003–06 2002 of the a Bard elected In Cornwall, Cornish- Gorsedh; takes Cornish name language Bardic Norvys PAST DISTINGUISHED ARTISTS

Dominick Argento 1998 Warren MacKenzie 1999 Robert Bly 2000 Dale Warland 2001 Emilie Buchwald 2002 Mike Lynch 2003 Stanislaw Skrowaczewski 2004 Judy Onofrio 2005 Lou Bellamy 2006 Kinji Akagawa 2007 Bill Holm 2008 Bain Boehlke 2009 Siah Armajani 2010 Ranee Ramaswamy 2011 52

About the Award

The Distinguished Artist Award recognizes artists who, like John Caddy, have chosen to make their lives and careers in Minnesota, thereby making our state a more culturally vibrant place. Although they have the talent and the opportunity to pursue their work elsewhere, these artists have chosen to stay—and by staying, they have made a difference. They have founded and strengthened arts organizations, inspired younger artists, and attracted audiences and patrons. Best of all, they have made wonderful, thought-provoking art.

The McKnight Foundation is committed to fostering an environment in which all artists are valued leaders in our community, with access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed. John’s inseparable roles as poet, teacher, and naturalist could not be a more perfect illustration of the impact an artist can have on our state: over more than four decades, not only has he produced thousands of indelible poems, but he has also worked with tens of thousands of Minnesota schoolchildren and teachers to help nurture their creativity and their connection with the natural world.

This award, which comes with $50,000, goes to one Minnesota artist each year. Nominations are open to everyone, and those received by March 31 are considered the same year. The panel that selects the recipient is made up of five people who have longtime familiarity with the Minnesota arts community.

Our thanks go to panelists Philip Bither, Walker Art Center’s senior curator of performing arts; Graydon Royce, theater critic at the Minneapolis Star Tribune; Stewart Turnquist, former coordinator of the Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts; 2001 McKnight Distinguished Artist Dale Warland, founder of the Dale Warland Singers; and 2002 McKnight Distinguished Artist Emilie Buchwald, founder of Milkweed Editions. Their high standards and thoughtful consideration make this award a truly meaningful tribute to Minnesota’s most influential artists.

Vickie Benson Arts Program Director, The McKnight Foundation

53 Acknowledgments

Excerpt from “Effort at Speech Between Two People” from The Collected Poems of Muriel Rukeyser © (2006) by Muriel Rukeyser. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Excerpt from “The Ball Poem” from Collected Poems: 1937-1971 by John Berryman. Copyright © 1989 by Kate Donahue Berryman. Reprinted by permission of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC.

“Eating the Sting” by John Caddy in Eating the Sting, Including The Heronry (Minneapolis: Milkweed Editions, 1986). Copyright © 1986 by John Caddy. Reprinted with permission from Milkweed Editions (milkweed.org).

“Morning Earth,” copyright © 2012 by Bert Biscoe. Used with the permission of Bert Biscoe.

“John Caddy at First Light,” copyright © 2002 by Joe Paddock. Used with the permission of Joe Paddock.

“Morning Earth Healing Images: November 13, 2008” © 2012 by John Caddy. Reprinted with permission.

“Winter, Warm Blood” by John Caddy in With Mouths Open Wide: New and Selected Poems (Minneapolis: Milkweed Editions, 2008). Copyright © 2008 by John Caddy. Reprinted with permission from Milkweed Editions.

Excerpt from “Bullheads in LaSalle Creek, Passing Strange” by John Caddy in With Mouths Open Wide: New and Selected Poems (Minneapolis: Milkweed Editions, 2008). Copyright © 2008 by John Caddy. Reprinted with permission from Milkweed Editions.

“The Tales of Hoffmann” by John Caddy in The Color of Mesabi Bones (Minneapolis: Milkweed Editions, 1989). Copyright © 1989 by John Caddy. Reprinted with permission from Milkweed Editions.

“Morning Earth Healing Images: November 13, 2008” © 2008 by John Caddy. Reprinted with permission. Board of Directors Anne Binger Patricia S. Binger Meghan Binger Brown Robert Bruininks David Crosby Bill Gregg Debby Landesman Richard D. McFarland Perry Moriearty Noa Staryk Ted Staryk Robert J. Struyk

OFFICERS Ted Staryk, Board Chair Kate Wolford, President Richard D. McFarland, Treasurer Bill Gregg, Assistant Treasurer Rick Scott, Vice President of Finance and Compliance, and Secretary

ABOUT The McKnight Foundation The McKnight Foundation, a Minnesota-based family foundation, seeks to improve the quality of life for present and future generations. Through grantmaking, collaboration, and encouragement of strategic policy reform, the Foundation uses its resources to attend, unite, and empower those it serves. Founded in 1953 and independently endowed by William and Maude McKnight, the Foundation had assets of approximately $1.9 billion and granted about $91 million in 2011, of which about 10% was directed to support an environment in which artists are valued leaders in our community, with access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed.

The McKnight Foundation is committed to the protection of our environment, a philosophy that underlies our practice of using paper with postconsumer waste content and, wherever possible, environmentally friendly inks. Additionally, we partner with printers who participate in the PIM Great Printer Environmental Initiative. This book was printed with soy-based inks on recycled paper.

Credits velvetpeel, Joanne Grobe, Design + Art Direction frankhart, ink., Colleen Frankhart, Editing Josh Kohanek Photography, Photography Uncredited vintage photos are courtesy of John Caddy Shapco Printing, Inc., Printing, Certified PIM Great Printer Environmental Initiative

© 2012 The McKnight Foundation. All rights reserved. 710 South Second Street Suite 400 Minneapolis, MN 55401 www.mcknight.org P 612 333 4220