Janine Pommy Vega – We’d mentioned the Woodstock Times obituary in our last posting, but on second thought, consider it worthy of a full post mention, since it goes into such precise detail about her life & life’s work. It also includes a small selection of tributes worth more than a second glance. [2019 update – regrettably, this Woodstock Times obituary gathering is no longer available on-line]
It began thus:
Janine Pommy Vega dies; her mighty voice soars on
Janine Pommy Vega, 68 — poet, political activist, Beat legend, world traveler, hiker and lover of the Catskills, teacher of aspiring writers in schools and prisons, and so much, much more — died on December 23 at her mountain home in Willow, in the arms of her lover and longtime companion, Andy Clausen. Over the past few years she had suffered greatly from rheumatoid arthritis (which she wryly termed the “Mean Ol’ Badger”), heart and liver trouble, and a medley of other illnesses, but she never let them stay her from teaching, writing, performing, or any of her other appointed rounds, answering their insults and humiliations with a courage that those who knew her deemed extraordinary…..
Hopefully, we’ll be able to reconstitute this notice and print it again in its entirety
The indomitable Janine – RIP – more appreciations can be found here:http://www.pierrejoris.com/blog/?p=5548