Poetry for Social Awakening

Joseph Stegner, reminds me of a modern day Alan Ginsberg. Ginsberg wrote the controversial poem Howl. Stegner, no doubt like Ginsberg is hopelessly bound to his duty to write the truth of human experience in prose and to spread it wherever he travels. He hopes to enlighten people to a deeper recognition of our common human spirit.

Sometimes the truth he observes isn't beautiful. He seems sad when he is forced to share the awful scenery behind his poetic expressions. He is an idealist in an angry and often mean spirited society. He seems to hope in the midst of doubtful experiences that someday "we will all just get along!"

Stegner is brave enough to look at life without blinders or rose colored glasses, but he is also mindful enough to see motivators. Although Stegner has observed some of the worst human encounters, he manages to probe the issues through the eyes of our common human soul to bring understanding of perspectives through his work.


If you want to read his poem, look for a copy of the Western Edition! Its somewhere in the Fillmoe!