On Thursday, March 21, the Bowers Writers House welcomed George Bilgere, both a published poet and a prime example of one who makes an important career path change and eventually finds success.
One might think that being a poet is something innate, a calling that is felt in infancy. For renowned poet Bilgere, that is not the case. Bilgere was on a pre-med track when he began his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Riverside; he thought poetry was only something to be associated with 19th century British men. However, as he struggled with chemistry, he somehow stumbled upon a creative writing course and his whole life changed. “On the first day of class, my professor handed out a copy of James Wright’s ‘Autumn Begins in Martin’s Ferry, Ohio,’” Bilgere said. This poem, about poor families in a small Ohio town, really resonated with Bilgere. “It was like it was written in electricity for me,” he said.
Bilgere’s undergraduate creative writing class put him on the path to graduate as an English major, receive a master’s degree in English literature from Washington University in St. Louis, and later a Ph.D. in contemporary British and American poetry from the University of Denver.
Bilgere has since published five books of poetry: “The Going,” “Big Bang,” “The Good Kiss,” “Haywire” and “The White Museum.” His new book is expected to be released in the fall. Though he had originally intended to be a doctor like his father, Bilgere laughed as he said, “That decision to be an English major and drop pre-med – that decision saved a lot of lives.”
Bilgere’s comedic air persisted through the rest of his craft talk. He spoke of all the times he sent poems off to journals only to have them sent back to him with a rejection letter a month later. Despite his countless rejections, Bilgere persisted. After a writer has his poems returned, he said, “Just keep knocking on that door.”
Bilgere read three of his poems during the craft talk; he began with two poems, one titled “Shine” – about shoe-shiners in an airport – and the other “Muscles” – about cars. He also read a poem titled “Stupid,” which he called “an anti-drug poem.” In “Stupid,” Bilgere mocks drug use and the younger generation’s tendency to use “like” and “totally” almost as often as they breathe.
While Bilgere’s poems are artistically written, they are also personal and fun. His pieces have a very conversational – and often controversial – style, which was evident later during his reading in the Steinman Center’s Brinser Lecture Room. “Sparrow” is a poem about a sparrow playing with a used tampon; “Rate My Professors,” is a piece in which Bilgere recalls his disappointment at not finding a chili pepper icon indicating his hotness on ratemyprofessors.com.
“I like to find scenes and events from everyday life and find what is beautiful and mysterious,” Bilgere said.
Cell phone dependence seems to be Bilgere’s biggest pet peeve. He confessed that he is “the last man on the planet to not have a cell phone.” He talked of the “good old days” when people would go to cafés, read the paper and talk with other people in that same café. With some disappointment, he notices that those days are now gone.