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IMOGENE’S NOTEBOOK
‘Where I’m From’ 2025 Poems
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Where we are from
Yesterday I was looking at a book about geography I bought at Costco for my neighbor boy. He’s eight years old and I watch him for a few hours after school each week. In the hopes I can interest him in something other than playing Pokemon on my phone — we love that, but screens aren’t healthy for us for too long — I’m going to do map work with him.
I plan to help him learn about where he’s from, to cultivate a sense of place. But also: I’m a map lover. From the time I was in my early twenties, I’ve loved the Rand McNally Road Atlases. The idea of a road trip — an adventure, an escape — has always appealed to me. I can’t count the times I’ve gotten in a car with a friend, a map, and a tent. It’s been my life.
Because of that, I love themes of place, regional literature, and specific images of geography. Location, location, location!
We’re in Oregon. We’re also part of the Pacific Northwest, the PNW. And further to that, we’re West Coast people. We live between beautiful Canada to our north, and delightful Mexico to our south. We have a place in terms of latitude and longitude as well. As such, there are many allusions to place in…
