Anne Rankin: “Although it’s likely Weldon Kees died years before I was born, somehow, he knew me. Or at least, that’s how I felt after reading ‘Small Prayer.’ The way he captured the anguish of languishing in the depths of major depression—and all in six lines—amazes me still. (In truth the poem speaks to any experience that leaves one feeling grievously wounded.) Later I read more of his work (as well as James Reidel’s biography, Vanished Act: The Life and Art of Weldon Kees), and could easily relate to his struggles with one disappointment after another. Nothing would please me more than for others to discover Kees’ work. He’s worth exploring. As for my own work, in general I’m trying to eradicate loneliness—yours, mine, and ours—one poem at a time.”
