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Madison poet F.J. Bergmann explores science fiction poetry in her new chapbook "Constellation of the Dragonfly." - Submitted Photo

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For most poets, the release party for a new chapbook is seen as a time to reign as the belle of the ball.

But for Madison poet F.J. Bergmann, the recent debut of her new chapbook "Constellation of the Dragonfly" gave her the chance to spread around the accolades. In addition to showcasing her work, Bergmann and her poetry cohorts used her release party to award Ron Czerwien, local poet, bookseller and owner of Avol's Bookstore, with the Wisconsin Patron of Poets Award.

"It was the perfect way to kick off the release of my book," Bergmann said. "He had no idea it was going to happen. You should have seen his face."

Bergmann's willingness to share the limelight didn't surprise her poet colleagues. The writer has maintained a tireless and often behind-the-scenes presence in the Wisconsin poetry milieu for many years. Not only does she regularly support her fellow scribes, but she also built and maintains madpoetry.org, a local Web site showcasing poets and their work. She has participated in the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets in a variety of capacities, and she works as a bookseller at Avol's Bookstore.

If Bergmann offers an antidote to the image of poet-as-princess, "Constellation of the Dragonfly" belies all standard poetry collection expectations. Described as "science fiction-inspired," the chapbook comprises a range of speculative poems, from the amusing "Haute Cuisine with Imaginary Particles" to the tender and lovely "Nightfall."

Some readers might think science fiction-inspired poetry ranks on a par with reading and dissecting the entire "Lord of the Rings" trilogy or attending a comic book conference. But rather than immersing themselves in genre trappings, most of Bergmann's pieces offer only a slightly slanted point of view. An "aha" moment. A frisson of recognition. A notation of the odd.

Which is to say: Bergmann is a poet first and a reader and aficionado of science fiction second. Yet, she can still put up a powerful argument in favor of her favorite genre.

"Once you have a genre that can be identified, it's easy to assume that one work can be representative," she said. "People who have encountered one bad, stupid sci-fi or fantasy book think they will all be like that, but literary (fiction) books aren't representative across the board."

Still, Bergmann remains aware of the inherent risks of melding her two favorite literary categories. "Science fiction poetry tends to be much worse than mainstream (poetry)," she said. "I really don't know why. It appears to be very much stuck in much older literary conventions. There are exceptions of course, but just to make general comments, I've noticed in sci-fi/fantasy poems, the language tends to be very elevated and antiquated, and the poets pontificate a lot and deal in vague generalities."

Well-versed in the classics and a self-described lover of words, and with a Pushcart nomination and publication in numerous heavyweight literary journals and anthologies, Bergmann writes her speculative poems from a deep literary background. Yet she wants to remain accessible to her readers.

"I think it's fun when people read the work and get it -- when almost anybody can get it," she said. "There are people who have let go of the idea of enjoyment (when reading poetry)."

To achieve the sci-fi part of her work, Bergmann said it's important to move the writing from the metaphorical to the literal. "I like that instant of dislocation where you move to another level of physical meaning and suddenly everything is altered," she said. "The moment when the poem or the story takes you by the throat and slams you against the wall is what I like to do. I don't get to do it often, but it's the ideal situation I think."

For example, in "Dissolution," she speculates on the nature of souls, writing both metaphorically and literally: "when I lost my soul,/I was doing what comes naturally,/rolling it between my finger and thumb,/watching its fine threads sparkle in my palm." The poem ends with the poet's soul rising up, catching in branches, unraveling in the wind, but still, she writes, "sometimes I see a shimmer/in the weave of a nest that will not fall."

Thus, readers who aren't science fiction fans will find as much to enjoy in the collection as will the genre's fans. With strong narrative content and a loving attention to physical detail, Bergmann's poems offer a hint of the unusual, even as they leave what she describes as "blank spots," as a way to invite the reader to make some of his or her own conclusions.

Or, as she muses in "Antimatter," "it began as an idea/who knows how long it took to plan/before substance could mushroom from absence into the infinite."

Currently, Bergmann is finishing a new collection that comprises science fiction poems organized around a theme. This collection of prose poems that are written as reports from planetary surveys will offer another look at the far-flung places the poet imagines.