Lucien Darjeun Meadows
where we are, much more than we are
when we are. There is no when without a where. There is no we without a here.
NER staff reader Simone Kraus talks to Lucien Darjeun Meadows author of the essay “Circling Eloh: A Meditation“ about his love of running, the meaning of the Cherokee word “eloh,” his identity as a writer-translator, and the linguistic kaleidoscope in his life. Lucien’s essay appeared in
NER 41.4.
Simone Kraus: You are a long-distance trail runner. How does running inform your thinking, how does it affect your writing?
Lucien Darjeun
Meadows: Strangely, it wasn’t until after running the Never Summer 100K in 2019 that I began to write in poetry and prose about running. That said, the rhythms of running feel essential to my thinking and writing, with different sequences mirroring the sprint up a hill, or a long rolling stretch, the pause between breaths or strides that feels like an endless suspension, or the breathless careening