October 8, 2014, Wednesday - Approaching the Gate: Lynette Reini-Grandell at The Loft

Time: 7:00pm

Location: The Loft at Open Book (Performance Hall), 1011 Washington Ave S

Approaching the Gate: Lynette Reini-Grandell

Lynette Reini-Grandell’s long-anticipated debut collection of poetry quickens with forward movement, be it in a car that pushes towards the stars—or with a horse that suddenly spooks, leaving the speaker “knocked down, / breathless, / turning to the sight of a thousand-pound horse/ rushing the gate / and leaping over my head.” Several of the poems probe the experience of her grandparents who emigrated from Finland and settled on a farm in northern Minnesota in the early 20th century. The urge to move forward is matched with a deep love and reverence for creatures living in their natural world, for the buzz of the city, for unmet ancestors and kindred spirits, and most especially for her transgender husband.