Dear Friend,
I’m guessing you didn’t have “receive an email with ‘Anne Sexton’s Recipe for Cucumber Soup’ as the subject line” on your 2025 Bingo Card, but here we are. Something you may not know about me is that I sometimes wander onto eBay to hunt for things I’m convinced belong in the Poetry Museum I curate in my mind. Some people binge-watch Stranger Things, some people look for lost ephemera.
In my searches, I found this letter written by Anne Sexton, which I found charming. Not because I am a fan of cucumber soup, but because of the P.S. at the very end.
Here’s my cucumber soup recipe AND I won the Pulitzer Prize—all things being equal.
I’ve always loved letters and postcards (you may have noticed I’ve renamed this Substack Postcards from a Poet, because for me, this feels less like a “newsletter” and more like a small check-in from me to you: Hey, how are you holding up? Here are a few things bringing me joy.)
And here’s something that delighted me this week: I did not know that people (and kids!) write postcards to Emily Dickinson via the Emily Dickinson Museum. While many were mailed, this one, I’m guessing this one was penned in the moment and handed over to museum staff. And well, it warmed my heart:
“Thank you for writing a soft sea washed around the house”—Come on! What a way to say thank you! It reminded me of William Stafford’s quote: Everyone is born a poet. . .I just kept on doing what everyone starts out doing. The real question is: Why did other people stop?
Anyway, the holidays bring so many feels, as the kids say—wait, do they say this? ha!—I’ve been trying to be better at sending out joy more often especially during these times when everything can feel a little harder, it’s good to have a little light.
Sending love this time of year,
xo Kells
P.S. Here’s one little secret I just learned: my forthcoming book Accidental Devotions is officially available for preorder! We haven’t rolled out the “big reveal” yet, but because you’re part of my inner circle, I wanted you to get to peek first (yes, the cover pops up when you click!—apparently the internet didn’t feel like waiting for our official announcement! lol). Anyway, you can now preorder at Bookshop.org here, Amazon here, and Seattle’s beloved Open Books: Poetry-Only Bookstore here! (and I’d be thrilled if youd did). I’ll be sending out a formal cover reveal and all the details soon, but for now, I just wanted thank you for being here at the beginning. It means more than you know.
P.P.S. Oh, and if you do preorder, hit reply to this email or drop me an email directly at kelli@agodon.com and I’ll pop a signed bookplate in the mail for you!—a little love note for the inside of your copy. ❤️
P.P.P.S. If anyone tries to make Sexton’s cucumber soup, I’d love to hear what you thought!
Thank you again for reading and for your kindness and support—I’m glad to be on this path with you. xo
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Kelli, thank you kindly for this post. Anne Sexton is one of my most beloved poets, even and sometimes especially at her most ragged (The Awful Rowing Toward God). To me, she is the most honest of all poets, the least emotionally self-edited, which her critics didn't always admire but I certainly do. I have a long history with her work, dating back to college performances in the late 70s and early 80s. Any mention of her is cause for a small celebration in my world, and you made my day. Thanks again......
"Let's face it, I have been momentary.
A luxury. A bright red sloop in the harbor.
My hair rising like smoke from the car window.
Littleneck clams out of season.....
....I am a watercolor.
I wash off."
P.S. - This time of year always brings back many memories of my time writing with Paula Jones Gardiner in her women's poetry group. The winter hours spent in her home with fellow students, sharing each other's poetry around a warm fire, and Paula in all her grace and loveliness, were some of the happiest times of my life. I know you also studied with her and knew her well. Wasn't she simply the best? I miss her terribly. I was just going through some old photographs and found her in a snapshot from my wedding 30 years ago. It's all gone by so fast. Wishing you all the best and am very much looking forward to your new book.
Glad to know I'm not the only one who fantasizes about a poetry museum! There are tons of museum-quality poetry films that could be looped in small auditoriums surrounding galleries filled with ephemera from famous poets just like this.