Celebrated poet and OSU professor Ai Ogawa dies

Ai Niece

Fri Apr 2 2010 14:00

Thank you all, for this has been so hard on us, but we have returned knowing such wonderful and compassionate people that will be always consider our new friends and family. That for years to come will be a joyous time to remember such a strong minded person and poet, and such an amazing woman that was not to be reckoned with. But your words will continue on. For you are and always will be remembered. Love you Ai and you will be missed.

Carolyne Wright

Sun Mar 28 2010 18:24

Interesting exchanges here, and my condolences to you, Ai's niece, for the loss of your Aunt.

Poet Ai and I were colleagues at Oklahoma State in 1999-2000, the year she won the National Book Award for Vice. The department had hired two poets, "Ai and I"--that was the silly homophonic joke I made that year. It was enjoyable to hang out with her and Lisa Lewis--we were the three poets on the faculty, and we tried out every old and new restaurant in Stillwater that year. I liked hearing Ai's anecdotes about poets she had known, some of them quite hard-hitting, and the intricate history of her family. We occasionally visited thrift stores as well, but I was traveling light for that visiting year, so she did more of the purchasing. She joked about her "thrifting," as she called it--it was one of her endearing quirks. She lived quite modestly, in fact, with her cats, her books, her thrifty purchases, her writing and teaching--all the wildness was in the poetry.

Her work was fearless about exploring the darker regions of the human psyche, in the persona poems in the voices of historical figures and celebrities as well as the obscure rural women, outlaws, and renegades of her early books, "Killing Floor" and "Cruelty" especially. These voices gave her great freedom to express emotions that would be constrained in more autobiographical work; but she had been working on a memoir that had her visiting her mother (still living then) and other family members in central Texas and elsewhere in the Southwest. Her work inspired me to be less circumspect about speaking truth to power, and to allow poems to tell their stories, in whatever voice the dramatic situation calls for. There is power in bluntness and directness, another kind of power in understatement . . .

The turquoise necklace she's wearing in the photo on the faculty web page--she bought that at Red Earth, the Native American festival in Oklahoma City that June. We went together that year (2000), and I also bought a few items, consulting with Ai, because she had very discerning taste in Navajo jewelery. Whenever I wear those pieces, I think of her.

A lot of people out in the wider world of poetry seemed to dislike her, as I learned when I mentioned that she was one of my colleagues that year. Some based their dislike on hearsay, it seems; others had their anecdotes (as does "ArchieBadDog" whose resentment seems quite raw). But as many have attested here, she was also loved and greatly admired especially by her students. Ai inspired strong responses in people--and as with all of us, her poet’s personality interacted with those of other poets and was a factor in her own poetic sensibility. Would a less forceful person manage to summon up the forcefulness we admire in her poetry?

A forum like this may not be a good place to recriminate, but I think she would not have minded the harsh comments--she would have returned the compliment in kind. ("F**king A," that was her term. I heard her deliver it with gusto and an ironic laugh, in a bantering conversation one night in the parking lot after a dinner at one of Stillwater's eateries . . .)

She was controversial, yes, but she was generous to friends. She was a poet friend for that year in Stillwater, and I have mostly memories of good times--eating out, shopping, exchanges of gifts, conversations on everything from politics to po-biz, and moments when bits of conversation would inspire lines of poetry.

My most recent contact with her was after a stay at the Vermont Studio Center in 2003, where her former teacher, poet Norman Dubie, told me that Ai's mother had died. I sent her a card of condolence, and she sent an email to thank me for that. Now it's time for condolences again--this time for Ai herself.

Thanks for this chance to write a few words.

Anonymous

Thu Mar 25 2010 11:57

Not a semester goes by when I don't offer the poetry of Ai as an exemplary inspiration to my students who are gaining a foothold as poets. She was the author of many powerful poems interrogating the violence, racism, and political stupidity of our country, and her voice was a valuable, striking, clear one. Her work seems as valuable and timely as ever in this moment of the resurgence of political and racial hatreds whipped up by persons who lack clear minds and open hearts.

Gregory Donovan
Virginia Commonwealth University
Senior Editor, Blackbird: an online journal of literature and the arts

Anonymous

Thu Mar 25 2010 08:59

I discovered Ai's work in high school, and right around that time decided I wanted to be a poet. I never met her, but her poems are brave, challenging, tough and necessary in this time. We need poets and lucky for us, we have a few like Ai, whose work continues to join the river of words available to us. It's incredible that there hasn't been a better obit written here, or in the New York Times-- Ai's work should be celebrated. Let us challenge ourselves to explore it.

Respectfully,

Anonymous

Wed Mar 24 2010 20:56

Thank you, Anonymous. You said it best.

Anonymous

Wed Mar 24 2010 19:47

Mr. Not Bitter Because He Has Several Books Out (not sure how this is connected) must be referencing the University of Dayton LitFest where Ai was hired to read and then UD tried to pull something weird with the payment. Who knows whether or not this is true? Who cares? Were you so stupid and out of touch with the creative writing universe you claim to be involved in that you hadn't heard anything about Ai's reputation as a bad ass who sometimes didn't act right for the white folk? Or did you just want to bring some politically correct color to your sad little poetry festival in your depressing, segregated town? Everyone has an Ai story. Everyone has an everyone story. People aren't perfect--poets perhaps least of all. Actually, most poets have become far too genteel in America. It's embarrassing. But to try and say that she wasn't so talented is, to quote Rahm Emanuel, "retarded". When someone writes her biography the truth of her complicated life and personality will come out but, damn, on the page, she was a miracle with guts that few poets ever have. I bet you're a friggin' nature poet or a LANGUAGE poet or something, Mr. Not Bitter. Writers mess up. Teachers mess up. Weak-minded dingleberries sometimes write into places like this thinking they're going to set the record straight with their piss-ant up-close gossip about manners. Ai died and, deny it or not, you died a little when she left. Now get off the internet and go write your rhododendron poems. That's what I'm going to do--except my rhododendron might have jackhammer in it. And I'm staying Anonymous because I go that far back. I am that old. I AM ANONYMOUS.

Anonymous

Wed Mar 24 2010 19:03

Dear Ai's Niece,

My deepest condolences to you and your family for your loss. I went to the funeral home to say goodbye to your aunt today, and I am sorry that I was not able to offer my condolences to you in person. I left my contact information through the website of the funeral home. Please don't hesitate to contact me if I could help you or your family in any way.

You were right about hating ... greatness never fails to stir jealousy and hatred in some. Fortunately, you can see that such reaction to your aunt is a very small minority. Poetry is a subjective matter. There are poets who consider themselves great but are only appreciated by their close friends and relatives. There are others like your aunt Ai, whose greatness in poetry is recognized by almost all, and won national book awards. It cannot be denied that the politics of poetry can make some poets ugly. Ai always seemed to rise above the mud of the politics. She was a great role model for you, and for me too.

ai niece

Wed Mar 24 2010 17:51

well.. i thank everyone that love or even hated my aunt Ai... because hating her just makes her even more famous... and yes she was a hard women... but if she was hard on you.. means she cared enough to mold anyone that was willing to learn... Im her niece.. and she was even hard on me.. but now that she is gone. I love her and miss her even more... because being a diverse background as well as a woman is harder than you could ever imagine Dr. Kronik ..

Anonymous

Wed Mar 24 2010 16:00

Her memorial service will be a public forum, but I doubt the people weak enough to attack her anonymously after she is dead will have the balls to do so openly.

Anonymous

Wed Mar 24 2010 15:50

As her student, I never experienced her in that way. She was here for 11 years and loved dearly by many of her students, including myself as well as the graduate student that wrote about her today in the forum section of this paper. I have had many other poetry progfessors that were far more difficult to deal with. I experienced her as warm, honest, and nuturing. If she "bullied" you, it was probably honest criticism that you were too weak to take. While I believe in free speech, I also believe in class, taste, and decorum. Sometimes it is best to keep your feelings to yourself and let those that love the deceased grieve in peace.

Dr. Kronik

Wed Mar 24 2010 14:39

It is the place to "bitch about" Ai. It is a public form. Decorum be damned. Shame be damned (considering the amount of shame, bullying, and hatred she vented at her students.) Otherwise, y'all will continue to elevate a monster and a charlatan.

Anonymous

Wed Mar 24 2010 13:59

You can have whatever opinion you want about Ai, but this is neither the time nor place to bitch about Ai and her honesty. How embarrassing that you would stoop to this level. So what if she didn't feel the need to brown-nose? Everything she said was straight. And I assure you, no matter how much she would have hated you, she would not take the time to log onto an article about your death and disrespect you. Shame on you.

Jim

Wed Mar 24 2010 12:56

ArchieBadDog : How classy, showing up to disrespect the dead to a grieving community. You say we shouldn't accuse you of being bitter, but what else would possess someone to behave in such a way, unless you're just a flat out sociopath.

Ah, well. I guess you're just a petty coward.

Anonymous

Wed Mar 24 2010 12:16

What many may have misinterpretted as vain or vulgar or bitter obviously did not know her. She struggled with mental illness as well as a great deal of bigotry in her early career due to being a woman as well as several different minority ethnicities. Regardlless, who says great poets have to be nice, prim, and proper. She was never anything but supportive to me, and I have always been a fan of her work. If you only have nasty things to say about The Poet Ai, this is not the time or the place to do so. Maybe some people ought to learn a bit of decorum.

ArchieBadDog

Wed Mar 24 2010 11:33

Ai was always a mean-spirited, hateful black-widow woman. She appeared at a poetry festival at our university in 2005, and was vulgar and hostile, acting in a demeaning manner towards our faculty and grad students. She also used threatening language with the director of the festival, his wife, and department secretary for no good reason other than she could. She was the same when she taught at ASU in the late 80's. I am just so sorry that y'all at OKState were taken by this psychotic phony. And don't accuse me of being bitter. I have several books with a very reputable university press, and 25 years of work in national journals. She was not all that. There are scads of much better, more interesting, and humane poets out there who deserve the recognition she enjoyed. It is sad when anyone dies, but some of us in the CW universe only remember her as vain, nasty, and not-so-talented.

Kelsey

Wed Mar 24 2010 03:00

The only student quote you could get was from some guy's blog? And the only colleague quoted was a commenter on that blog? This article looks like it was thrown together in five minutes. If you'd taken the time to evaluate her profound impact on students, the university, and the entire literary world, then you would have made it more of a priority. Instead, perhaps the most culturally significant person at OSU was given a send-off better fit for the family pet.

The next time you wonder why your paper has a bad reputation around campus, think back to this article. Maybe the O'Colly does a lot of things well on a fairly consistent basis, but the reality of this world is that you often only get one shot to impress someone. And when you completely screw up on something this important to this many people, you validate everyone who doesn't even want to give you a chance.

Anonymous

Tue Mar 23 2010 19:38

Hm, the person who wrote "Remarkable woman?" is clearly a coward who wouldn't dare post that with his or her real name. Did you win the National Book award, Mr. Anonymous? Probably just a deadbeat poet who was in her class, didn't get his ass kissed by Ai and is jealous of her achievements.

With that said, this article is quite vague, and it took the O'Colly long enough to finally post it. But oh well, those of use who knew Ai and her work don't need an article to tell us what we'll be missing.

Yun Wang

Tue Mar 23 2010 18:29

Ai was a great poet, generous friend and mentor. Her premature passing is sad and shocking. The world has lost one of its most creative and brilliant minds. I agree that this article is rather lightweight, considering Ai's influence on American culture and her stature as a world-renowned poet. She was a dear friend to me. She will be greatly missed. I never took her class, but I was a visiting poet in one of her classes, so I saw her in action as a teacher. I think a whole generation of younger poets (including myself) have benefited from her trail-blazing work and profound insight.

Natalie

Tue Mar 23 2010 15:32

I was very happy to see this on the front page, because she was a very talented and respected person. I hope every one that read this article can see how respected she was.

Anonymous

Tue Mar 23 2010 14:54

She was a very talented poet.