Sowing Seeds

Mark Gustafson is the unselfish keeper of the Robert Bly seed bank. This sparkling book shares the fruit grown from those heirloom seeds.

—Timothy Young, author of Herds of Bears Surround Us, Building in Deeper Water, and other books

In Sowing Seeds, Mark Gustafson gives us an erudite, beautifully written chronicle of the decades when Minnesota came into its own as a center for literature of the highest order. The ‘sower’ himself is, of course, Robert Bly. As Gustafson observes, Robert Bly is as central to American poetry as Whitman. Bly was a catalyst, as are all heroes, and through his own poetry and his translations, he transformed the literary landscape. Gustafson writes beautifully, with first-hand knowledge as well as thorough research, about the half century during which Robert Bly brought the literary world to Minnesota. Poetry dissolves borders, and as Bly said, ‘can live anywhere.’

—Connie Wanek, author of Rival Gardens: New and Selected Poems, On Speaking Terms, and other books

What a brilliant idea to write a book that traces the roots (and the flowering) of the Minnesota poetry community! Of course, Robert Bly was at the center of this community and Gustafson does a wonderful job of showing why this was the case. But the book—with its central metaphor of ‘sowing’ —goes far beyond Bly’s remarkable gifts, influence, and generosity: it speaks eloquently to the necessity of community. Without it, the book suggests, we wither and die. But with it, whole new worlds open, not just in the present, but also for the future. Sowing Seeds is a kind of handbook for how to protect and nurture the poetic spirit. Read it and delight!

—Jim Moore, author of Prognosis, Underground: New and Selected Poems, and other books

Sowing Seeds traces how a flyover landscape with sub-zero temperatures has fostered an impressive creative community through friendships, human generosity, and reading poetry out loud. The Minnesota literary ecosystem is a small miracle, and this book is a must-read for those interested in nurturing and maintaining arts communities into the future.

—Lynette Reini-Grandell, author of Wild Things: A Trans-Glam-Punk-Rock Love Story and Wild Verge

Scholar Mark Gustafson knows more about 20th century Minnesota literary history and culture than anyone. Thank God he has written it down in Sowing Seeds for all to remember. He is particularly acute on the pivotal role of poet Robert Bly who returned from Harvard and New York to his prairie roots to sow the seeds of the vibrant literary culture now flowering across Minnesota and the nation.

—James P. Lenfestey, author of Time Remaining: Body Odes, Praise Songs, Oddities and Amazements and other books

Robert Bly appears in this book as if he were an early settler in a newly discovered continent. He didn’t just build himself a house there; he invited scores of others to join him until a new and thriving nation arose on fields no one previously thought to cultivate. Deeply researched and clearly written, Sowing Seeds is a solid contribution to the history of American letters.

—Lewis Hyde, a MacArthur fellow, and author of A Primer for Forgetting, Trickster Makes This World and other books

Robert Bly is arguably the most important poet from the United States. Nobody has covered his journey with as much intelligence and enthusiasm as Mark Gustafson. Sowing Seeds is Mark’s newest installment and without a doubt the most interesting book ever written about Bly. After the first 50 pages I realized Mark was more than a great writer, he was my hero.

—Danny Klecko, author of A Bakeable Feast and Hitman-Baker-Casket Maker: Aftermath of an American’s Clash with ICE, and other books