Gary Thomas

Gary Thomas's Fundraiser

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My poems can make a difference!

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Poet Bio: Gary Thomas grew up on a peach farm outside Empire, California. A retired teacher who's lived in Turlock, California for thirty-six years, he taught eighth grade language arts for thirty-one years, and junior college English for seven— sharing, reading aloud, and discussing at least one poem every day. Over the years he's presented poetry workshops for a number of statewide organizations, festivals, and conferences. He has had poems published in California English, In the Grove, Time of Singing, The Comstock Review, and in the anthology More Than Soil, More Than Sky: The Modesto Poets. He will have his poems included in the Sugartown Publishing anthology The Biggest Valley: Poems from California's Heartland, forthcoming in Fall 2016. He is the vice president of the Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center, and has also been involved for many years as an actor and director in community theater.

Author Statement: One of my favorite definitions of poetry comes from Robert Penn Warren: "In the end, the poem is not a thing we see—it is rather a light by which we may see, and what we see is life." Since poetry I read and poetry I write invariably present me with fresh light, new ways in which to see, I also agree with Christopher Fry, "Poetry is language in which man explores his own amazement." Or, as the final six words of Mary Oliver's poem "The Fish" declare, "we are nourished/by the mystery." To me, poetry is not only normal or natural; it is essential to making sense of all the lights, all the amazements, all the mysteries we have time to embrace.

Through the past couple decades, I've engaged in several "poem-a-day" adventures, and have relished the peculiar challenges, rhythms, and discoveries during these poetic "endurance runs"—sometimes a panorama, sometimes a face plant, always a mystery. Having seen the wide variety and high quality of the books published by Tupelo Press (and having purchased more than a few), I've wanted to get involved in something like the 30/30 Project to help support the Press and challenge myself as a poet simultaneously. This September, I'd like to "recruit" you by asking you to join me on this poetry journey by both sponsoring me/supporting the Press with your tax-deductible donations, and by suggesting prompts, poem titles, themes, and/or a "wordpool" of five to ten words you'd like to see included in a poem. One possibility: go to the Tupelo Press website, sign on for their regular subscriptions series (ten splendid poetry books for $129); that $129 will count as support for my 30/30 "run." I'd be very grateful, and would be glad to create broadsides of your favorite pieces this September for you. Please help me help this wonderful Press!


Your support gives me vital inspiration as I write for thirty days this month.

Tupelo Press provides the canvas, I bring my words, accompanied by other fine poets, writing thirty poems in thirty days, all ours to edit and submit as we wish. 30/30 poems have been taken by over 90 journals and featured in over 40 published chapbooks, all so Tupelo Press can keep publishing exquisite and diverse voices that might never be heard otherwise.

Every dollar gives me confidence to write more, and helps the press place more poems in gorgeous books. Help me to help this distinguished press. Give today!