Danny Caine, co-owner of the Raven Bookstore, made a return visit to Lawrence Central Rotary to share his experiences as a poet. Caine’s high school English teacher and T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” stimulated a life long enthusiasm for poetry. He studied English and writing as an undergraduate and was influenced by the poetry of Frank O’Hara and Philip Metres. Poetry became his best avenue of expression. He came to Lawrence in 2014 and earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Kansas. He went to work at The Raven Bookstore but continued to write poetry.
Caine describes his poetry as belonging to the school of “The Restless American Landscape.” Caine’s work reflects themes of travel, food and family. He read from several of his works, including “Eldorado Freddy’s,” “Flavor Town,” and “Continental Breakfast.” Caine’s work is often inspired by photographs and conveys both poignancy and humor. He also read from his new work “Picture Window” which was written durning the pandemic. He read poems addressing not going out, the sale of his family home and suburban life. Caine’s account of his poetry journey and his selected readings were very well received. All of the volumes mentioned are available at the Raven Book Store.
