I worked with Marianne on the Coats for Kids program when she was a department head at Women and Children’s Horizon’s and recently found she had a book of poetry published this June. The title is “Cool Shade and Sweet Water.”
Normally, I’d start and end the interview with the same person, but not this one because I started out interviewing Marianne, but she quickly transposed into Namarine.
Marianne works as an Employment Support Specialist at the Ellsworth Prison in Union Grove, helping the women reintegrate into their communities. Namarine writes wonderful introspective Poetry. As Marianne spoke, Namarine became a powerful draw for me, a little like Kahlil Giban in his book “The Prophet”.
Click the arrow to listen to Nick Demske’s performance
COMMON SENSE
I didn’t think it was loaded. But it was a kn
Ife. So we’re both right. I foresee
Blinding enlightenment. I beat these children like the deadest of horsies.
The people cheer at their victory. Peasants dan
Cing in gutters, commoners singing like so many
Semi-trucks breaking. This is the ultra-vulgarity to those who make
The definitions. This is cops getting shot in abnormally
Broad daylight. I will make me beautiful if it takes
Uglying everything else; a reflect
Ion so unfamiliar you feel impolite confronting it. I am the awestruck lex
Icographers, staring back into a nightingale. I will beat these
Precious children back to life. Fuck me, shit me.
Remind me what it’s like to be offended, Nick Demske.
Ah. Already with thee.
Nick Demske is a poet living in downtown Racine, Wisconsin, above Wilbur’s Barbeque, with his girlfriend, Angela Malone. He is a Creative Writing graduate of Carthage College (May ‘06) and a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School (Nov. ‘06), a program that involved 3 months of living outdoors in the Rocky Mountain wilderness. Currently, Nick is working on two manuscripts: a self-portrait sonnet sequence called “Self-titled” and a manuscript based on a character he created called “Otis Henry.” Or did Otis Henry create him?
Nick works at the Racine Public Library and is working to start several programs through it, including a youth workshop analyzing social justice through poetry and a contemporary poetry discussion group in collaboration with JavaVino, a local wine and coffee shop.
If you see Nick about town, feel free to request an impromtu poetry reading (We did). He typically only responds when called “Nicki-poo.”
Through a collaboration between the Racine Public Library and Racine’s Java Vino wine and coffee shop, the Racine Public Library brings “Poetry Roundtables.” This new program invites the public for discussions of contemporary American poetry at Java Vino, once a month. The events are free and the setting will be conducive to a group of individuals with varied levels of experience with poetry. Each month will focus on a new contemporary American poet. Participants will read excerpts from a poet’s work together, analyze it, and discuss what significance it has in today’s society.
To supplement this program, the Racine Public Library’s internet website is providing a page with links pertaining to each author that include poetry, interviews and criticisms, among other resources.
This month we will focus on the works of Poet Ben Lerner and the event will be taking place on THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH from 7-9pm. Continue reading →
Through a collaboration between the 
