The Poetry of Tracey Schmidt and Majo John Madden

Tracey Schmidt knew she had to write poetry eight years ago, when she heard the great Robert Bly perform.

She also decided that, like him, she wanted to memorize and perform her poetry – not read it – and that she wanted to work with musicians. Majo John Madden, now 67, started writing poetry in his Catholic elementary school. His writing was considered either brilliant or outrageous, depending on whether his nun for that grade got his sense of humor.

Tracey’s other art form is photography, which she practices professionally and which also challenges her to develop her capacity to see and to capture a moment in time. Majo worked for 20 years as a clinical psychologist and 15 years as a management consultant, and now develops online training for healing from bipolar disorder, which he has.

Tracey’s poetry is intimate and paradoxical and influenced by the mystical poetry of Rumi and Hafiz. Much of Majo’s poetry starts in darkness and moves out into the light – though not always fast enough for everybody – and some of the rest is wildly funny. Tracey’s other passions are cooking and natural healing; Majo’s are his new granddaughter and ecstatic dancing.

Musicians for this concert include Joshua Messick on hammer dulcimer, Matthew Cox on tablas, Peter Levitov on drums, Michael Ivey on guitar, Robert Thomas on piano, Tony Godwin on guitar and Daniel Barber on djimbe.

Read poems by Tracey Schmidt and Majo John Madden.

If You Go: Sunday, April 6, 2014 at 3 p.m. at Jubilee, 46 Wall St., downtown Asheville. Advance tickets are $12 at Malaprop’s (cash or check only), or through Majo (heymajo@jubilee.com). $15 at the door. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. Come for tasty, healthy treats.

Visit www.traceyschmidt.com and www.somethingrises.com