Remembering Phil Fitzpatrick, A Tribute

The world lost a very special human being this weekend. A man with many facets to his life, I got to know Phil through his involvement with Duluth Dylan Fest (DDF). A few years earlier he won the poetry competition at Hibbing's Dylan Days celebration. 

In addition to his career in teaching (Marshall School in Duluth, Mesabi Range College in Virginia), he was a lifelong poet, Dylan fan and author of A Beautiful Friendship: The Joy of Chasing Bogey Golf. and more recently a book of poems called Hawks On High. He's also been a volunteer on the Duluth Dylan Fest Committee this past few years, which is how I came to know him. Modest, considerate, intelligent and a very fine poet, he's a man of considerable accomplishments in his own right. His passion for literature impressed everyone who knew him.

Here are some blog posts I've written about Phil. The first is my overview of a talk Phil gave about Dylan in 2016. The second discusses the 2013 poetry event at DDF.  When Phil performed his Jeremiad in 2017, he showed not only his literary mastery but his skill as an orator as well. The last two links take you to his last completed project inspired by his activities on Hawk Ridge. 

Phil Fitzpatrick's Dylan Hour (Plus Fitz's Fave Fives)

https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2016/09/phil-fitzpatricks-dylan-hour-plus-fitzs.html 

Poets Gather To Celebrate The Bard During North Country Dylan Week

https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2013/05/poets-gather-to-celebrate-bard-during.html

Jeremiad: A Triptych, by Phil Fitzpatrick and a Heads Up About Wednesday's Dylan Fest Poetry Event
https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2017/05/jeremiad-triptych-by-phil-fitzpatrick.html

Phil Fitzpatrick Talks About His New Book of Poems, Hawks on High: Everyday Miracles in a Hawk Ridge Season
https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2019/09/phill-fitzpatrick-talks-about-his-new.html

Spirits Lifted at the Hawks On High Book Launch
https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2019/09/spirits-lifted-at-hawks-on-high-book.html

I'm grateful for the hours we spent together over the years. I'm certain that the friends from all his various chapters of his life feel the same gratitude. He is no doubt soaring with the raptors now.