About the Book
The newly published irreplaceable: a collective praise poem for Great Salt Lake, composed by the poet nan seymour, is a community prayer for the replenishment of an ecosystem on a precipice. The book begins with a forward by Terry Tempest Williams which underscores the peril of this irreplaceable refuge and hemispherically essential lake.
Over 400 voices sing their praises in this chorus: sixth graders, brine shrimpers, birders, queer artists, Indigenous elders, scientists, and spell-casters, alongside scores of others who proclaim this lake beloved. The poem is still being written as the vigil keepers write, sing, and dance in celebration of the sacred lake and all of the species she sustains. They dedicate their jubilance, grief, and reverence as they invite readers to join in bearing witness. Every voice counts. Our work will be finished when the lake is replenished and her personal right to flourish is fully protected.
Details
Composer: nan seymour
Forward: Terry Tempest Williams
Page count: 177Genre: poetry
Publisher: Moon in the Rye Press
Pub Date: October 2024
ISBN:978-1-962206-11-2
Price: $15
Format: Perfect
Bound Size: 7 x 8 1/2 inches
Where to Buy: Local Utah bookstores, the Utah Natural History Museum, and online www.irreplaceablepraisepoem.org.
About the Press
The print edition of irreplaceable is made possible by a partnership with Lisa Bickmore, Utah's Poet Laureate (2022-27), and Moon in the Rye Press, her micro-press/poet laureate project, as well as an Academy of American Poets Poet Laureate Fellowship (2023-24).
About nan seymour
nan created the practice of River Writing in order to foster voice and authentic connection. This community-held writing practice is designed for anyone willing to pick up a pen. A PBS documentary highlights River Writing as a method of repair for what is broken in the relationship between humans and the rest of the sentient, singing earth.Her debut poetry collection, prayers not meant for heaven, was published by Toad Hall Editions in the summer of 2021. As poet-in-residence on Antelope Island, nan led day-and-night vigils on behalf of the imperiled Great Salt Lake throughout the 2022 and 2023 Utah State legislative sessions. The 2024 winter vigil featured twice daily demonstrations of love for the lake at the Utah State Capitol. Over 1200 people participated in 68 demonstrations during the session. As the 2025 session approaches, nan and her accomplices at Making Waves Artists Collaborative are preparing to keep vigil at the Capitol again.
Upcoming Readings & Events
Friday, November 8th 7-9 pm at Happy Magpie Book & Quill in Ogden
Wednesday, November 20th at Natural History Museum of Utah in SLC 6-7:30
Saturday, November 30th 10-12 at the Marmalade branch of the SLC Library in collaboration with Kellie Bornhoft’s exhibit “By a Thread”
Thursday, December 5th on Zoom 6-7 pm MST. Register Here.
Thursday, December 12th 7-8:30 pm at the George S. & Dolores Doré Eccles Gallery, SLCC South City Campus Center for Arts & Media
Praise for irreplaceable
“The wisdom songs of irreplaceable are both declaration and quest, and taken together, they form a map, a guide, a way to navigate fidelity to and love for the lake. These songs connect us to each other in that same love and reverence, and as we keep watch over the lake, singing the songs gives us necessary courage and strength, a shared ritual of care.”
~Lisa Bickmore Utah Poet Laureate
“In your hands, you hold a loving text brought into being by Nan Seymour, Poet-in-Residence on Antelope Island, through her devotion to Great Salt Lake in this time of crisis and drought. This offering was made in the name of kinship. These poets are making waves. The power of poetry is not to be underestimated. It is a field force of devotion in the restoration of our Mother Lake.”
~Terry Tempest Williams
“This compilation grabs our hearts and brings them collectively to Great Salt Lake, echoing the waves that lap the shore and glistening like the sunsets that shimmer on its surface. It is a visceral call to action to save this endangered ecosystem and thus the wildlife and humans that depend on it.” ~Bonnie K. Baxter, Ph.D.Director, Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster University