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QUILLS & QUEUES Quills & Queues: Turning the eyes of poetry towards aging Comment By Angela Decker For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Angela Decker For the Tidings Posted Jul. 16, 2015 at 6:36 PM By Angela Decker For the Tidings Posted Jul. 16, 2015 at 6:36 PM » Social News There is great beauty, creativity and power in aging, says local poet, author and activist Gaea Yudron, who believes that poetry is a strong medium to get that message across to people of all ages. Yudron will perform a selection of poetry by a variety of poets, both well-known and less-known, on the theme of aging from 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday, July 19, at the Ashland Library. “I’m a woman on a mission,” said Yudron. “As we get older, we are rounding up. We’re resolving issues and letting go. I want to affirm and support people in the aging process. The incredibly high level of ageism in our society really has an effect on the health and well-being of older people,” she added. Yudron is director of Sage’s Play, an organization that supports creative and conscious aging. “Sage’s Play is about embracing the positive, creative, invigorating aspects of being older, focusing on art, wellness and personal growth,” said Yudron. She also facilitates conversational salons on aging, is producing an online seminar on aging and has developed a musical revue on that theme called “A New Wrinkle.” Yudron says her poetry performance is a chance to share and celebrate our many perspectives on aging. “The poems run the gamut of experiences,” said Yudron. “They are reflections by different poets on growing older, being old, remembering the past and watching loved ones grow old,” she said. The event will be an hour-long performance of poems interspersed with brief commentary. “I don’t like to barrage people with poetry. Poetry is so immense, you can’t take in too much at once. It’s like eating a banquet.” The reading will include poems by William Butler Yeats, Dylan Thomas, May Sarton, Billy Collins, and many other favorite poets. One example she offers is a poem by Stanley Kunitz, titled “Touch Me,” about a man recalling the desire of his youth and wanting to feel that intimacy in his old age. Kunitz is a prime example of creative vigor in old age; he was named Poet Laureate at the age of 95 and wrote poetry until his death in 2006 at age 100. Yudron’s initial search for poems on aging was sparked by anger over an article she read a few years ago. “The article insisted that the capability of the poet was no longer fertile after age 40. I got pretty irritated,” she said. “I thought that is completely inane and incorrect, like many beliefs people have about aging are completely unfounded and incorrect, so I started collecting poetry about aging, and poems by older poets,” she added. Her efforts have led to both a celebration of aging and a celebration of poetry. Yudron decided to use poetry to reflect thoughts on aging because of the genre’s immediacy and intensity. “The language of poetry allows us to experience things that we don’t ordinarily experience in everyday language. It presents a heightened awareness to life and applying poetry to aging is delightful and full of insight,” she said. The Ashland Library is at 410 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland. For more information, please call the library at 541-774-6996. For information about Sage’s Play and Yudron’s other projects, visit www.SagesPlay.org . Reach Ashland freelance writer Angela Decker at [email protected]. By Angela Decker For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Angela Decker For the Tidings Posted Jul. 16, 2015 at 6:36 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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