10-08-12 pp1-16_Layout 1 8/11/10 5:21 PM Page 1 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume EE, Number 16 August 12, 2010 Woman of Few Words: An Interview With Poet Laureate Tina Chang By Jill Dearman ears ago, when Tina Chang was working a random job as an accoun- tant at a Web design firm, her colleagues made up business cards Ythat read, “Tina Chang / Poet Laureate.” “They were half joking,” grams around the country. Chang says. “But they pre- The MFA program led to my dicted my fate.” first book, which then led to Six months ago, Marty editing a Norton anthology, Markowitz rang her up and and the rest is history. said, “Good morning, Brook- lyn Poet Laureate!” She A Room With a View recalls doing “one of those JD: What is it about the craft of silent movie screams,” and poetry that makes it your particu- then thanking him. Below, lar medium? the poet shares her experi- TC: I am interested in telling a ences in her new job, and as a story within the smallest mom, a writer and a Coop space possible. I never knew member. what to do with all the space JD: What has the Poet Laureate gig OF TINA CHANG COURTESY PHOTOGRAPH that fiction afforded me. I been like so far? Tina Chang always loved the look and TC: So far, the job has been and I was nervous because I sound of poetry. When I was BY DIANE MILLER ILLUSTRATION fantastic. This past month I thought I might have done younger, the stanzas of poetry collaborated with a poetry something wrong or perhaps seemed like the windows of a Taking It Local on organization called Poets I had written something house or the cars of a loco- House. I took a pilgrimage hideously offensive to his lit- motive. I was fascinated with The World Wide Web along with 300 other people erary senses. Instead, he told how these little “rooms” con- across the Brooklyn Bridge. me that I had a gift and that nected to one another and By Diane Aronson farming operations, particu- Midway, we stopped to he could envision me as both how meaning could be s Coop members, many of larly large livestock lots, can admire the city and poets a poet and teacher one day. I shaped from so few words. us try to be conscious harm the environment and read selections of New York- was flattered but didn’t know JD: In your first book, Half-Lit about how our food is grown possibly affect the health of inspired poetry. The role of what to do with the informa- Houses, you take the reader on a and who grows it. Through people who live nearby. And Brooklyn Poet Laureate came tion. I spent the next few quiet but epic journey through your our shopping choices, we that intersection of personal to life for me then because of years trying out a long list of family’s story, and give us soulful strive to support small, envi- concerns and awareness of the people, the cityscape, English-major related jobs. It reflections on your father’s death. ronmentally sensitive farm- broader issues is what moved and the sound of poetry was at a particularly unhappy What was your process in writing it? ers. We are aware that large CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 being read out loud. It was a job as an editorial assistant TC: I wrote each individual wonderful moment. at publishing house that I poem in a kind of quick fever. Next General Meeting on August 31 asked myself what made me Years after I graduated (from The General Meeting of the Park Slope Food Coop is held on the Humble Beginnings happy. The answer “poetry” Columbia), I taped all of the last Tuesday of each month.* The next General Meeting will be JD: I understand that a teacher of kept repeating itself. I tried to individual poems to my wall on Tuesday, August 31, at 7:00 p.m. at the Congregation Beth yours at SUNY Binghamton took ignore the impulse because I in my small railroad apart- Elohim Temple House (Garfield Temple), 274 Garfield Place. you aside and told you you could be wondered what financial ment in Park Slope, which I The agenda is in this Gazette and available as a flyer in the entry- a poet. return poetry would bring. I shared with a good friend. It way of the Coop. For more information about the GM and about TC: One day, my poetry pro- got over that pretty quickly as was only when I had those Coop governance, please see the center of this issue. fessor called me to his office I began to apply for MFA pro- CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 * Exceptions for November and December will be posted. IN THIS ISSUE Sat, Aug 21 • Adult Clothing Exchange 2 :00–5:00 p.m. General Meeting Report . 5 Coop Thur, Sep 2 • Food Class: The Secret of the Sea Vegetable Puzzle . 6 7:30 p.m. Coordinators’ Corner . 7 Event Sat, Sep 11 • Food Drive 9 :00–7:00 p.m. Coop Hours . 8 Coop Calendar, Workslot Needs Highlights Sun, Sep 12 • Food Drive 9 :00–7:00 p.m. Governance Information, Mission Statement . 9 Calendar of Events, GM Agenda . 10 Look for additional information about these and other events in this issue. Letters to the Editor . 13 Classified Ads . 14 10-08-12 pp1-16_Layout 1 8/11/10 5:21 PM Page 2 2 August 12, 2010 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY when I could give and when I baby food, hesitantly, and a that committee because it is Tina Chang could not. I have pockets of mash of what we eat. He low key; I can work at my CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 time before my son wakes up seems to like what we eat own pace, the people are and after my son goes to much better, understandably. always interesting and we poems on the wall, fluttering sleep. I try as hard as I can to He can’t be fooled. I’ve tasted all get our work done. In every time my door opened write within that time. I also the jarred food and I’m afraid addition, I pack the raisins. and closed, did I begin to acknowledge, as with every- the adult food is much tasti- No one likes to pack the envision an actual book. I thing, that things change, er. Much of the time my part- raisins! They stick to one think of that first book as a and as he grows up my time ner cooks. He’s the chef. I’m another and they rip your book of listening. I listened commitments will shift and the eater and I’m very good at plastic gloves, but someone to my mother’s stories, my evolve too. appreciating. has to do it. ■ grandmother’s stories, for so much of my life. I thought that I had stopped listening Memories Infused With Flavor but the stories did eventually embed themselves in my “Powder rises 2%452.0/,)#9 imagination. I]Z 8dde hig^kZh id 2%15)2%$&/2!.92%452. `ZZeeg^XZhadl[dgdjg from a compact, platters &#I]ZEV^Y">c";jaagZXZ^eiBJHI bZbWZgh]^e# B^c^" WZegZhZciZY# Mother Stands b^o^c\ i]Z Vbdjci d[ '#GZijgchbjhiWZ]VcYaZY full of peppermints, a bowl of gZijgcZY bZgX]VcY^hZ For Comfort l^i]^c(%YVnhd[ejgX]VhZ# JD: Has the recent major event in ^h dcZ lVn lZ Yd i]^h# sour pudding. >[ ndj cZZY id bV`Z V your life—the birth of your son— gZijgc! eaZVhZ \d id i]Z #!.)%8#(!.'%-9)4%- found its way into your poetry? A cup of milk before me 'cY;addgHZgk^XZ9Zh`# Cd!lZYdcdiÆZmX]Vc\ZÇ^iZbh# And how do you find time to write NdjbjhigZijgci]ZbZgX]VcY^hZ as a new mother? tastes of melted almonds.” VcYgZ"ejgX]VhZl]VindjcZZY# TC: I wrote about my son a great deal when I was preg- —From “Origins & Ash” by Tina Chang #!.)2%452.-9)4%- nant. Back then, I had a lot of [This stanza opens her book Half-Lit Houses (Four-Way Books, 2004).] EgdYjXZ 7ja`^cXa#8dde"WV\\ZYWja` time. When I was pregnant 8]ZZhZ HZVhdcVa=da^YVn>iZbh with my son, I traveled to 7dd`h HeZX^VaDgYZgh .%6%2 China on my own. I also trav- 8VaZcYVgh GZ[g^\ZgViZYHjeeaZbZcih 2%452.!",% ?j^XZgh D^ah eled to Costa Rica on my own JD: How long have you been a Don’t Ever Hjh]^ 6WjnZg^hVkV^aVWaZYjg^c\i]ZlZZ`" when I was almost eight Coop member and what’s the cook- Call Her Cheesy YVnhidY^hXjhhndjgXdcXZgch# months along. I wanted, still, ing style in your household? You JD: What shifts have you worked 2%452.!",% to feel the spirit of adventure. are Chinese, your partner is Hait- at the Coop and what have they GZ[g^\ZgViZY<ddYhcdia^hiZYVWdkZ /.,9)&30/),%$ I wanted to feel the freedom ian (and a foodie) and your baby been like? ;gdoZc<ddYh "%&/2% of being a mother. I wrote is, well…a baby! What kind of TC: I have primarily worked BZVi;^h] %80)2!4)/.$!4% 7gZVY EVX`V\^c\$aVWZa poem after poem about what mash-ups do you guys come up in the Food Processing com- bjhiWZegZhZci" it was like to house his soul with at mealtime? mittee since I became a ZY[dggZ[jcY# within me.