[Michael Juster]

A fascinating poet named Julia Budenz died last week in Cambridge. I never met her, although we tried to get her to read for the Powow River Poets.

Julia, a former nun, abandoned most of her life to write a single poem for over forty years, a poem estimated to be about 1,700 pages long, called The Gardens of Flora Baum. It has a bit of a cult following (she is often compared to Emily Dickinson) even though most of the poem has never been published. It is a mix of free and formal verse, and sections such as the 15 sonnet sequence in Book III have caught the eye of Frederick Turner and other formalists.

Segments of the poem and a brief interview with her are available at a site called Poetry Porch. I'm dubious The Gardens of Flora Baum was "finished," but I don't think anyone really knows right now.

My guess is that you will see publication of her magnum opus in sections in the coming years as well as intense debate on its merits.