Indiana Poet Laureate

Support Your Local Poet

I am moved and honored to be named Indiana Poet Laureate. This is the right time for me to make a contribution to the life of poetry in our state. I wish that my Indiana-loving parents were still alive to savor the unexpected honor.

Since my family and I moved to Indianapolis in 2004, after 34 years in the New York area, many good things have happened to me and my writing: a collaboration with photographer Darryl Jones that became the Invisible Presence coffee-table book from IU Press; a collaboration with IU jazz pianist-composer Monika Herzig that led to the CD Imagine – Indiana in Music and Words from Acme Records; the recent publication by the Indiana Historical Society Pr. of my prose memoir, The Ripest Moments: A Southern Indiana Childhood; and the fall release by IU Press of Bloodroot: Indiana Poems, a selection of 175 poems written 1971-2007. All these projects have deepened my contact with the landscape and the people that figure in so many of my poems.

I knew it was going to be good to be living back in Indiana, but I had no idea it would be this good! For a poet so passionate about exploring his Indiana German origins and searching for home, being named Indiana Poet Laureate is a tremendous affirmation. I hope to make my energies and enthusiasms contagious! As Indiana Poet Laureate, I plan to continue my efforts to reunite poetry and music through performances and a new series I am creating for The American Cabaret Theatre in Indianapolis, Together Again: Music & Poetry; try to bring Indiana poetry to TV and radio; give readings, talks, and jazz and poetry performances with my collaborator Monika Herzig in libraries and other venues; and visit schools to share with students my love of reading and writing poetry and prose memoir.

When I was living on Long Island, I sometimes wore a button I got at the Walt Whitman Birthplace in Huntington Station. What that button says, above the working man’s image of Walt Whitman as seen in the first edition of his Leaves of Grass, is my motto now as I become Indiana Poet laureate: “Support Your Local Poet!”

--Norbert Krapf

Indianapolis

June 17, 2008

Indiana Arts Commission press release

IAC Poet Laureate Bio
Guestbook responses to the Poet Laureate appointment
Indiana Business Journal Blog
Jasper native is named Indiana’s poet laureate
Interview on indy.com - Q&A: Norbert Krapf, poet

Together Again: Music & Poetry Program

Poet Laureate Activity Photos

Click on the thumbnails for larger versions.
	Norbert with Ice-T, after the latter recited Langston Hughes’ poem sequence “Ask Your Mama” with the Ron McCurdy Quartet and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Norbert and Monika, along with Tasha Jones and Carl Hines, performed jazz and poetry in the lobby before the show.
	Monika and Norbert in the lobby before 6/18/08 Ice-T event.
	Carl Hines’ copy of Langston Hughes’ Ask Your Mama.
	Langston Hughes inscription for Carl Hines.
	With David Amram at opening of Kerouac scroll exhibit, Indy Art Museum.
	With bassist per excellence Frank Smith
	Kerouac looks down from above where the On the Road scroll MS is on show.
	Norbert recites “On Hearing Shearing” with David on keys and Kenny Phelps on drums.
	Norbert recites with Frank on bass.
	Bookmamas, in historic Irvington, Indianapolis.
	Norbert ready to read and sign.
	Another great audience.
	WICR, 88.7 FM, The Diamond, Univ. of Indianapolis.
	Cary Allen Fields, host of “Fields of Bluegrass,” at the controls.
	Norbert prepares to read his poems for programs on Women in Bluegrass and Working Men & Women.
	Cary smiles after reuniting poetry and song.
	Back at WICR, to record poems for Cary Allen Fields’ “The Free Zone.”
	Cary and special guest singer-songwriter Greg Ziesemer, founder of The Spud Puppies. Greg now performs and records with singer-songwriter Kriss Luckett .
	Norbert and Greg. Norbert recorded his poems “Full Moon Over Central Indiana,” inspired by Kriss Luckett’s “Sweet Sister Moon,” and “I’m Practically with the Band,” a poem he wrote for The Spud Puppies.
Poet Laureate Party, American Cabaret Theatre, July 27, 2008 On Sunday, July 27 at 5:30 p.m. the American Cabaret Theatre, top floor of The Athenaeum, 401 East Michigan Street, Indianapolis, hosted a Poet Laureate Party, which was open to the public and free of charge. Light refreshments were provided by Jeanette Footman of Zamovar, which hosts the weekly Sunday Kaffeeklatsch at Perk Up, 6536 Cornell Ave., Broad Ripple. Norbert Krapf and Monika Herzig and Friends (Carolyn Dutton on violin, Peter Kienle on bass) performed poetry and jazz from Imagine – Indiana in Music and Words, Mark Kesling, ACT CEO, announced the details of a new series he invited the new Indiana Poet Laureate to create, Together Again: Music & Poetry, and everyone had a chance to mix, talk and celebrate. The next 11 photos were taken by John Groppe
	Mark Kesling, CEO of the American Cabaret Theatre, in the Indy Athenaeum, welcomes everyone to the Indiana Poet Laureate party.
	Sharon Gamble, of WFYI’s “The Art of the Matter,” explains to the audience that she is filming to begin, with Norbert as IPL, a TV project, The Indiana Poetry Corner.
	First IPL, Joyce Brinkman, passes on the poetry torch to Norbert as IPL 2.
	Monika Herzig (piano), Peter Kienle (baritone guitar), and Carolyn Dutton (violin) provide the music.
	Norbert recites poetry.
	We all four go at it.
	Monika smiles.
	Monika, Carolyn, Norbert
	We thank the audience.
	At the book and CD table.
	Norbert signs fellow St. Joseph’s College alum Tim Seiler’s books.
	Norbert visits with an audience member.
	Jeanette Footman of ZamoVar contributed peach crumb cake.
	Poets Jeff Pearson, JL Kato, and Richard Pflum.
	Poet Joe Heithaus, his wife Jenny, and 3 of their 4 children.
Jasper, IN
	With my Aunts Lucy (91) and Rita (85), cousin Mary, and brother Len after my reading at the St. Charles Health Campus, Jasper.
	Aunt Rita looks back through her copy of the memoir, which I’m about to read from.
	Annette Marks, program director, gives the intro.
	Left half of the audience.
	A resident asks a question.
	Café setting, evening reading, Dubois County Museum. Cousin Tony Krapf and wife Elise are seated at the far right.
	Memoir cover theme table setting.
	Reading from the memoir at the DCM.
	Standing in front of photo portraits of Great-aunt & -Uncle Lizzie & Alphonse Krapf
	With cousin & h.s. classmate Marlene Kunkel Bingham.
	With Ruth Newman, of the Newman sisters on the memoir back cover photo, East 15^th St. gang.
	With daughter of Brute Hoffman, hero of “The Night the Game Was Called.”
	With Sandy Sternberg Miller, neighbor at whom the IPL once supposedly threw stones but missed.
	Dave Kluemper & cousin Mike Schmitt, mainstay volunteers at the DCM
	Brenda Hurm, Rosie Stewart, and Stephen Jones behind the Indiana Poet Laureate cake.
	Mayor Bill Schmitt arrives at the DCM signing to read a proclamation.
	The proclamation that Aug. 1, 2008 is Norbert Krapf Day, was not read until Aug. 2, therefore spared the IPL all anxiety.
	The mayor laughed when the IPL read his poem “The Schneebrunzer,” in which the mayor offers a reward for anyone who identifies the culprit.
	With Carolyn Brames Taylor, Len Krapf , Nancy Brelage Teder, and Barbara Tucker Hoffman.
	With Dave Blessinger, hay-hauling buddy
	With cousin Annie Alles, who has bought a dozen copies of The Ripest Moments.
	With Donna Schepers, planning a visit to Jasper schools.
	A hand-made tray as gift from the DCM.
	The IPL’s friends keep him honest and humble by giving him a poet lariat plaque.
	The 5 “Airpoets” (who had poems selected to become part of stained-glass panels at the new Indy Airport) read from their new anthology, Rivers, Rails, and Runway at the Indy Art Center (Writers’ Center): l.r., Joseph Heithaus, Jeannie Deeter Smith, Norbert Krapf, Joyce Brinkman, Ruthelen Burns.
	Ruthelen Burns reads.
	Joe reads.
	Jeannie Deeter Smith signs.
	The IPL signs.
	Joe signs.
	German poet/playwright Helmut Haberkamm speaks with Rohana McCormack after giving talk at the Brick Street Inn, Zionsville, about being a dialect writer in southern Germany. NK introduced.
	Norbert, Monika, and Carolyn Dutton rehearse for the A Call for Peace program at the American Cabaret Theatre, the opening of the series Together Again: Music & Poetry.
	Tom Roznowski rehearses the finale, John Lennon’s “Imagine.”
	Helmut, who collaborates with a Franconian dialect singer-songwriter, observes ACT rehearsal.
	Norbert signs books at the Penrod Arts Festival, Indy Museum of Art.
	NK prepares to sign copies of his childhood memoir at the Great Lakes Book Assoc. conference, Detroit.
	The “feeding frenzy,” as sales rep. Becke Bollinger called it, begins.
	The book bag says it all.
	The frenzy is about to end: 100 freebies signed for indie booksellers in less than 30 minutes!

	Reading with “Airpoets Joyce Brinkman and Joe Heithaus in the Gothic Chapel, Crown Hill Cemetery, Indy.
	Looking out from within the Gothic Chapel.
	The work of James Whitcomb Riley, buried on the highest hill in the cemetery.
	Some contemporary poetry in the foyer.
	Tom Davis, who introduced and led the author grave site tour in the cemetery, explains to the IPL’s wife.
	Joyce and Joe relax before the reading.
	The IPL practices as preacher poet.
	IPL opens his pipes.
	Joe Heithaus reads.
	Joyce Brinkman reads.
	Two on one: reading a poem for two voices.
	Sarah Bolton, Indiana’s first female poet, “the first singer in the new land,” author of “Paddle Your Own Tomb.”
	Dan Paine, early poet, former soldier
	James Whitcomb Riley monument.
	Children were avid readers of Riley’s poetry.
	James Whitcomb Riley plaque.
	View of downtown Indy from the Riley monument.
	Booth Tarkington mausoleum.
	Meredith Nicholson.
	Clemens Vonnegut, novelist Kurt’s great-grandfather.
	Katharina Blank Vonnegut, Kurt’s great-grandmother
	Bernard Vonnegut, Kurt’s grandfather.
	Kurt Vonnegut Sr.
	Edith Lieber Vonnegut, Kurt’s mother.

	Norbert and Katherine at the new Indy airport, on the way to the evening artists’ reception.
	Norbert’s poem in stained-glass panel by English artist Martin Donlin.
	The word section of Norbert’s panel.
	The name corner, bottom right.
	Norbert and artist Martin Donlin.
	Rob Dixon and Cynthia Lane in jazz performance at artists’ reception. Drummer Kenny Phelps is behind Rob.
	Alpha Blackburn, CEO of Blackburn Architectural Associates, introduces the airport artists.
	Norbert with beloved former Indiana First Lady Judy O’Bannon, a lover of poetry and great supporter of the arts.
	Norbert with son Daniel during sunlit open house for the public, in front of the “Back Home” panel.
	At the BookTalk conference at Lawrence North High School , as guest speaker with writer friends Dark Rain and James Alexander Thom.
	Lunch with conference participants at the BookTalk conference organized by Andy Murphy of WriteStuff.
	Tim Grimm and wife Jan Lucas in the Home Fields Advantage House Concert series hosted by Cyndi Wagner.
	Tim Grimm singing solo.
	Norbert seen from back of the room as he reads after the break.
	Norbert reads some Bloodroot poems relevant to Tim and Jan’s songs.
	Barb & Chuck Stevenson’s grandchild listens to Tim’s guitar.
	The left side of the audience at a Wabash College reading.
	Norbert from the front of the Wabash room.
	Norbert seen from the side, while reading from his childhood memoir.