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| 04-13-2004 | Previous edition: 04-12-2004 |
        
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Printer-friendly version Poet puts Purdue memories in poetry collection, 'Cake'By Katie LietzStaff Writer Doreen Fitzgerald is true to her words. "It’s possible to take something from one place or time and something from another and put them together in a way that works," she said. And she’s done just that. In her new book, "Cake," Fitzgerald takes a lifetime’s worth of love, laughter, sorrow and reflection and puts them to verse in a collection that chronicles several decades. The book’s title poem is about, as the author described it, "diving into life to get the good out of it." Born a Midwesterner, she has lived in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois and now resides in Alaska. The experiences of those places are the foundation for much of the book’s 67 poems. "I write about the people, places and things that in one way or another move me to come to terms with them through poetry, so the poems are about those places and people I have experienced," Fitzgerald said. Sue Pyne, to whom the final poem in the book is dedicated, remembers many of the events that inspired the material in "Cake." "‘Speed’ is about a dear friend of ours who died when we were in college," she said. The poem reflects on the women’s feelings as they listened to the priest’s words. Pyne met Fitzgerald through Girl Scouts when both were in third grade. She said poetry has been a kind of therapy for the author throughout her interesting and sometimes tough life. After a difficult freshman year of college, Fitzgerald took time off before completing her degree. "I solved my confusion by getting married and having two children right away," she said. In the early ‘70s, she came to West Lafayette and began work to finish her undergraduate degree in sociology. At the same time, she began to write poetry more extensively. "At Purdue I renewed my interest in poetry, which I’d first tried to write in my early 20s when my children were little," she said. The poem "Cincinnati Blue" comes from the writer’s Purdue years. "When someone was losing it, we’d say they were ‘gone to Cincinnati,’" she said. Since her days at Purdue, Fitzgerald has worked as a news editor, public information officer and science writer and has earned master’s degrees in journalism and English. She also has earned several awards for her nonfiction writing. "It took me 17 years to get my B.A.!" she said. "This is not a career path I’d recommend." Pyne, a therapist who lives in Beulah, Mich., knew of her friend’s talents long ago. The two became best friends in high school and spent time together working on writing assignments for their 11th-grade English class. "She was always an outstanding writer," Pyne said. "She would help me finish things and make them sound good." Pyne described Fitzgerald as adventurous, an excellent student who has a different view on life. "She asks the hard questions and she always has an interesting slant on things." A different take on the ordinary is what drives Fitzgerald’s work. "A strong poem for me is one that marries image and sound in a way that creates a meaningful experience for the reader, a new way of looking at human experience." In "Cake," the reader encounters a mix of rhythm, sound and emotion that is somehow familiar. Fitzgerald captures the human ties between friends and family and illustrates some of life’s most interesting yet overlooked moments. "Cake" is available through the Ester Republic Press and will soon be available in bookstores in the lower 48 states. Printer-friendly version |
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