Claire Keyes' Reading At The Writers' Series
October 5, 2015 By: Jonathan Mihaich

At last Tuesday’s Writers’ Series, Claire Keyes read from her new book, What Diamonds Can Do. This work is divided into three different sections of poetry- Lose Something Every Day, The Labyrinth, and Beyond Ruin. Each section dealt with different themes concerning loss and the discovery that comes from it.
The first poem Keyes read, “Poem in which Many Plates are Broken”, was centered on the author's trip to Greece shortly after the beginning of the Iraq War. She did an amazing job capturing both her own personal perspective as well as embodying the broader, larger state of mind that many had during this time. She represented the feelings of loss and disbelief that everyone was feeling about the world in the wake of September 11th. She did this through a lens that filterated a feeling of disillusionment that I think everyone, even myself who was quite young, felt at the time.
The titular poem, “What Diamonds Can Do”, was about the idea of finding your way after being lost. This work illustrated Keye’s reflections on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s wife, Sophia, and the words she scratched into the windows of her home. Maybe it was to relieve boredom, or to describe the beautiful view she had, but whatever the reason, she used this act to help her through a dark time in her life. Keyes also read her poem “Wellington Station” from the same section of the book. Unlike “What Diamonds Can Do”, which reflected on a more metaphysical labyrinth, “Wellington Station” dealt with literally finding your way through a strange place as you followed Keyes through a search for her car.
Other poems she read included “Blame the Birches”, a portrait of insects devouring leaves; “After Giselle”, which was about the loss of an old love in a fairly comedic fashion; and “The Sounds Loneliness Makes”, a reflection on the passing of a close relative through the eyes of a child. Even though Keyes’ works featured an array of perspectives, there was deep reflection in all of them.
Though Keyes did not read many poems from the third section of her book, Beyond Ruin, the theme of rebuilding was also popular in her works. One of the poems she read, “Mozart at Seventeen”, dealt with an incident when she locked herself out of a car. By contemplating about Mozart, she was able to regain her bearings and find a certain amount of serenity in the unexpected scenario.
Keyes has a wonderful command of language and pacing. Her descriptive lines drown readers in sensory detail and pull them into her piece. Ideas of loss, finding, and rebuilding permeate through each poem, and the variety within the book come at these themes from every direction, relating to every person in some way.
Keyes was a professor emeritus here at Salem State University for 30 years, serving as a longtime editor for Soundings East, the school’s national literary magazine. Keyes has received multiple awards for her works in poetry including a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and from the Wurlitzer Foundation. Recently she was also featured on the NPR show Writers Almanac featuring Garrison Keillor. As soon Claire Keyes stepped up to the microphone Tuesday night, you could tell she was much respected here. The command she had over the room was mirrored by the intense silence that filled it as she began the reading.
This was the first of several events that are part of the Salem State English Department’s Writer’s Series. These events feature writers from all over the area and readings of both poetry and fiction. Claire Keyes, being a former Salem State professor, was an excellent kick off for what looks to be a great line up of Writer’s Series events.
Contributor's Note: Jonathan Mihaich is an English major with a concentration in Creative Writing.