Hey Those Out There In the Great Beyond,
How are you? If you're tired of me talking about Graphic Novels and Funny Books well here's a break. A few years ago while still harboring delusions about the stability of an English degree I took a class on Beat Literature. It was taught by Don Revell who is that kind of English teacher you dream of but never really get a chance to take a class from. He's crazy, irreverent, magical and deeply feels the poetry he's teaching. If you get a chance I highly reccommend checking out his poetry or attending a reading/class.
Anyway, I came to Beat Lit relatively late in regards to my poetry/modern lit experience. As a teen I was not really the rebellious type, my upbringing was full of pragmatism. Workaholics don't have time for drunken rambles and road trips. So while I found Beat Lit intriguing, I looked more toward structural formalist poetry. Modern poetry just didn't make any sense to me as a teenager, and I didn't feel it was relevant. Perhaps Beat Lit isn't really meant to be appreciated by those who haven't experienced a measured amount of turbulent existence. Maybe I just wasn't ready for it.
So I didn't end up picking up 20th century poetry until I was in my early 20s. Now my 20s ended up being the cliched self-discovery odyssey that should be expected. That could be the reason that I responded so strongly to On the Road upon first reading it. (I've talked about it before so I won't go in depth.) Kerouac's Sal Paradise is a reflective surface. The only identity he has is the women, friends, and alcohol that he surrounds himself with. It is not until the end that he discovers that only he can express his own emotional turmoil. He cannot rely on his friends, only himself. In our mid-20s this is an essential lesson. One must develop their own self-identity in order to move on to the next stage. How can you care about someone else if you don't know who you are yourself?
The main characters of Kerouac's novella The Subterraneans, exemplify this dilemma. Leo and Mardou are lost within their surroundings. Their lives are a desperate mixture of extreme emotions and actions. These two are able to equally mete out love and pain within their short coupling. The highs are high and the lows are low. Neither seems to be able to tell the other what they need or expect from each other. Clearly they do not know, because they don't know themselves as individuals. To cope with this Leo drinks too much. Mardou goes to see an analyst. Neither seems to do any good. The ending of their relationship is inevitable.
Knowing that the main character Leo is meant to be Kerouac, The Subterraneans is a form of confessional prose. Writing is Kerouac's safest method of coping with his extreme emotions. Otherwise he ends up drinking too much and getting into bar fights. His prose style tumbles out to the reader as he tries to convey his emotional turmoil. Kerouac needs to share his thoughts and emotions with the reader. He is begging for someone to explain to him what went wrong with Mardou. This emotional style requires the reader to bend a sympathetic ear. It's easy to toss him off as unbearably solipsistic, however Kerouac has no other healthy way to share his turmoil.
For me beat literature contains a wonderful emotional honesty that can be refreshing. Too often, as adults we are urged to loose our humanity in order succeed. "Grow Up" we are told. Kerouac explores the consequences of not being able to integrate his own extreme emotional state and a healthy self identity. Kerouac never manages to do so, and ends up alone.
I'll be writing more about Beat Literature this month so stay tuned. Book Slave.
Showing posts with label poetry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poetry. Show all posts
2010-03-18
Erin Go Bragh: Seamus Heaney
Hey,So I've been holding off reading Seamus Heaney for far too long. I originally first heard of Heaney when I read his version of Beowulf for my classics lit course. His work with that adaptation was epic but still capture the violence and bloodiness of old school mythological heroics. It's the standard now and should be read by everyone.
Here's some background on Seamus Heaney:
*Heaney was born in 1939 in Northern Ireland.
*He won a scholarship to a catholic boarding school. While he was away his 4 year old brother Christopher was killed in a roadside accident.
*He ended up studying and lecturing at Queen's University in Belfast.
*He started publishing poetry in 1962, with his first book being published in 1965.
*In 1995 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
*In 1996 Beowulf: A New Translation is published to great success.
Now really these are just facts. What I find interesting about Heaney is that although he grew up in Northern Ireland he sees himself as Irish rather than British. In fact he asked to be removed from the Penguin Book of Contemporary British Poetry by writing:
"Be advised, my passport's green / No glass of ours was ever raised / To toast the Queen."The civil war in Northern Ireland was particularly contentious during the 1960s and 70s when bombs and death became commonplace. His poetry is not often overtly political or militant, and is far more concerned with profound observations of the small details of the everyday, far beyond contingent political concerns. He also focuses on history and tries to put the Irish heritage into a larger context of an agricultural society. He also focuses on the tension of the Ulster Industrial Revolution and the tension that it causes between these two dueling developing cultures.
I decided that this St. Pat's I would finally pull down my Seamus Heaney Selected Poems 1966-1987. I was captured by two poems early in this collection: "Digging" and "Mid-Term Break."
I particularly enjoyed "Digging" for how it linked his agricultural roots to his current work as a writer. He cannot match “men like them” with a spade, but he sees that the pen is (for him) mightier, and with it he will dig into his past and celebrate them. Heaney challenges the stereotype of the "paddy with the spade." He sees the dignity, work ethic, and expertise of the agricultural Irishmen. This poem also showcases Heaney's early use of onomatopoeia (where the sound resembles or suggests meaning) in “rasping”, “gravelly”, “sloppily”, “squelch” and “slap”.
Another stand out of Heaney's early work is "Mid-Term Break" which was published in 1966. This work is about the accidental death of his infant brother and the families reaction. He is embarassed and uncomfortable at first with his father's weakness in grieving. In a gender reversal it is his mother's anger that keeps her from crying. Neither parent acts in ways that young Heaney (who was in his teens at the time) expects them too. As a young man he's caught between what he expects and what actually occurs in tragic circumstance. Later he is alone with his brother's corpse and can act naturally. A transferred epithet changes a "bruise" to a poppy that the "sleeping" boy "wears" as if he could take it off. Heaney likens the bruise to the poppy, a flower linked with death and soothing of pain (opiates come from poppies). At the end of the poem Heaney is able to grieve honestly as he poignantly writes in the last line that the size of the coffin is the measure of the child's life.
This poem also has a clear formal structure which makes it a contrast to "Digging." In "Digging" Heaney uses an informal stanza structure where each line is only as long as it needs to be. There's no rhythm or iambic pentameter at work, whereas "Mid-Term Break" is in 3 line stanzas. "Break" has occasional rhymes with the last two lines forming a couplet. "Digging" has none, which seems to emphasize the more rural subject matter. The loose iambic rhymes of "Break" seem to bring out the sadness of the loss of a child. Heaney showcases his skill by being able to utilize all the aspects at his disposal in order to bring his themes home.
2010-02-14
A Little Keats On This Fake Holiday
Hello,
On this horrid fake holiday, commonly known as Valentine's Day, my thoughts turned to my fave doomed romance of the moment: John Keats and Fanny Brawne. These two met in November 1818, when she was 18 and he was 22, and fell in love while walking the Hampstead Heath. Three years later he was dead from tuberculosis. I've cracked a copy of their letters and they are amazing.
Now I love poetry because it forces you slow down and luxuriate in the experience. Poetry is not read to be figured out like a math problem. It is about how words can create a sensual experience. It's meant to provoke an emotional response. This is becoming more and more important in an age where we are feeling more disconnected. If you have to buy a Hallmark card to express your feelings towards another person, well then...
Alright I'll stop, but here's a gift to my small readership. Enjoy.
Bright Star
Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art —
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like Nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors —
No — yet still steadfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever — or else swoon to death.
--John Keats, written in 1819, first published 1838
Now that's love.
Have a fine week! Book Slave.
On this horrid fake holiday, commonly known as Valentine's Day, my thoughts turned to my fave doomed romance of the moment: John Keats and Fanny Brawne. These two met in November 1818, when she was 18 and he was 22, and fell in love while walking the Hampstead Heath. Three years later he was dead from tuberculosis. I've cracked a copy of their letters and they are amazing.
Now I love poetry because it forces you slow down and luxuriate in the experience. Poetry is not read to be figured out like a math problem. It is about how words can create a sensual experience. It's meant to provoke an emotional response. This is becoming more and more important in an age where we are feeling more disconnected. If you have to buy a Hallmark card to express your feelings towards another person, well then...
Alright I'll stop, but here's a gift to my small readership. Enjoy.
Bright Star
Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art —
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like Nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors —
No — yet still steadfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever — or else swoon to death.
--John Keats, written in 1819, first published 1838
Now that's love.
Have a fine week! Book Slave.
2009-12-08
A Touch of Frost
Hey,
When I woke up this morning I looked out the window. To my shock and amazement there was a layer of snow covering the world. I'm really not a big winter fan, I prefer the fall, but I really love fresh new fallen snow.
This all brought to mind a work that I haven't thought about in awhile Robert Frost's Stopping By a Woods on a Snowy Evening. For those who may have forgotten here it is, with my thoughts interspersed:
Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
So who is the "He"? It's not the narrator, although it seems like the narrator knows this "he" who owns the woods. I think it's going a bit far to say that it's the biblical "he"; that doesn't seem to be Frost's intention. At this point the narrator does not feel as if he owns the woods, just like often an individual may feel as if they have no control over their own life. So if the woods is the world, then our narrator is taking a moment to reflect on it.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
Is the horse perhaps a symbol for the rest of the world? The horse is urging the narrator towards action. The horse doesn't understand the need to stop. I often have trouble myself just taking a moment to stop and consider.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
Of course this communion requires silence.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
One could easily be sucked in, but the world beckons. Even our narrator feels compelled to return to his duties.
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
These last two lines just feels like an audible sigh. The repetition of the line completes the thought and gives us closure.
Now this could all be read as a analogy for death, mortality, and how we live our lives. Frost argues that a life of reflection is often wished for, but ultimately isn't possible. Whose to blame for this? Ourselves. We get in our own way.
Oh poetry is good. Have a great week! Book Slave.
When I woke up this morning I looked out the window. To my shock and amazement there was a layer of snow covering the world. I'm really not a big winter fan, I prefer the fall, but I really love fresh new fallen snow.
This all brought to mind a work that I haven't thought about in awhile Robert Frost's Stopping By a Woods on a Snowy Evening. For those who may have forgotten here it is, with my thoughts interspersed:
Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
So who is the "He"? It's not the narrator, although it seems like the narrator knows this "he" who owns the woods. I think it's going a bit far to say that it's the biblical "he"; that doesn't seem to be Frost's intention. At this point the narrator does not feel as if he owns the woods, just like often an individual may feel as if they have no control over their own life. So if the woods is the world, then our narrator is taking a moment to reflect on it.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
Is the horse perhaps a symbol for the rest of the world? The horse is urging the narrator towards action. The horse doesn't understand the need to stop. I often have trouble myself just taking a moment to stop and consider.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
Of course this communion requires silence.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
One could easily be sucked in, but the world beckons. Even our narrator feels compelled to return to his duties.
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
These last two lines just feels like an audible sigh. The repetition of the line completes the thought and gives us closure.
Now this could all be read as a analogy for death, mortality, and how we live our lives. Frost argues that a life of reflection is often wished for, but ultimately isn't possible. Whose to blame for this? Ourselves. We get in our own way.
Oh poetry is good. Have a great week! Book Slave.
2009-10-30
Feeling poorly? Poetry can save you.
Hello All,
Today's gonna have to be a short post because I am feeling poorly. Due to a recent viewing of the film Bright Star (which I loved) I am again obsessed with poetry. The film is about the short romance between poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne. I highly recommend it especially for one scene in particular. Brawne has asked Keats for a poetry lesson to improve her understanding of poetry. Keats tells her exactly what the best poetry teachers/readers/writers have told me.
So give this one a shot today.
A Thing of Beauty (Endymion)
A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its lovliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing
A flowery band to bind us to the earth,
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o'er-darkn'd ways
Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon,
Trees old and young, sprouting a shady boon
For simple sheep; and such are daffodils
With the green world they live in; and clear rills
That for themselves a cooling covert make
'Gainst the hot season; the mid-forest brake,
Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms:
And such too is the grandeur of the dooms
We have imagined for the mighty dead;
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from the heaven's brink.
--John Keats
Have a great week! Book Slave.
Today's gonna have to be a short post because I am feeling poorly. Due to a recent viewing of the film Bright Star (which I loved) I am again obsessed with poetry. The film is about the short romance between poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne. I highly recommend it especially for one scene in particular. Brawne has asked Keats for a poetry lesson to improve her understanding of poetry. Keats tells her exactly what the best poetry teachers/readers/writers have told me.
"A poem is not to be worked out. It is to be experienced through the senses."
So give this one a shot today.
A Thing of Beauty (Endymion)
A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its lovliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing
A flowery band to bind us to the earth,
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o'er-darkn'd ways
Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon,
Trees old and young, sprouting a shady boon
For simple sheep; and such are daffodils
With the green world they live in; and clear rills
That for themselves a cooling covert make
'Gainst the hot season; the mid-forest brake,
Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms:
And such too is the grandeur of the dooms
We have imagined for the mighty dead;
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from the heaven's brink.
--John Keats
Have a great week! Book Slave.
2009-04-04
My Poetry Odyssey
Hey folks,
I have made no secret of the fact that I am a big poetry fan. Strangely enough I have an easier time understanding verse than prose. Well April is National Poetry Month which makes me want to crack open some poesy. I have my favorites, it's tough to choose just one. Collections are invaluable for such moments of indecision. I own Immortal Poems by Oscar Williams. It's got all the classic works that I'd want.
Speaking of classics lately my mind has drifted back to the Odyssey, which is one of my favorite epic tales. I read The Odyssey first in verse, rather than the usual prose versions. Reading it that way I think brought out the classic qualities of the story for me. Like I was hearing the story being told aloud, which reflected the oral tradition which Homer's works represent. Anyway here is my favorite passage in verse. This is a translation from Ian Johnston. Enjoy!
Have a great weekend! Book Slave.
I have made no secret of the fact that I am a big poetry fan. Strangely enough I have an easier time understanding verse than prose. Well April is National Poetry Month which makes me want to crack open some poesy. I have my favorites, it's tough to choose just one. Collections are invaluable for such moments of indecision. I own Immortal Poems by Oscar Williams. It's got all the classic works that I'd want.
Speaking of classics lately my mind has drifted back to the Odyssey, which is one of my favorite epic tales. I read The Odyssey first in verse, rather than the usual prose versions. Reading it that way I think brought out the classic qualities of the story for me. Like I was hearing the story being told aloud, which reflected the oral tradition which Homer's works represent. Anyway here is my favorite passage in verse. This is a translation from Ian Johnston. Enjoy!
"Not till that time did she start harbouring
within her heart the disastrous folly
which made sorrow come to us as well.
But now you've mentioned that clear symbol,
our bed, which no one else has ever seen,
other than the two of us, you and me,
and a single servant woman, Actoris,
whom my father gave me when I came here.
For both of us she kept watch at the doors
of our strong bedroom. You've now won my heart,
Penelope spoke,
and stirred in him an even more intense desire
to weep. As he held his loyal and loving wife,
he cried."
Have a great weekend! Book Slave.
2009-03-03
Poetry and Plays
Hello,
It's been an interesting week. Unfortunately I've spent a lot of it down with a headache, but I'm better now. Still I've got many books to read in the next two weeks. We'll see how that goes. Ships Ahoy Gentleman & Ladies!
Reviews
Complete Poems of Robert Graves, as Chosen by Himself
I've actually known the work of Robert Graves for some time. In high school I fell in love with I, Claudius having seen the TV series, I read the book. However this was the first time I've picked up his poetry. In his work I saw a man full of contradictions. In several works he expands and comments on mythography. Graves writes unconventional interpretations of classical stories like Leda and the Swan, still using traditional forms. There are also poems that are full of modernesque flourishes. His personal life was messy and some of his poems reflect that. In some works he is angry, scared, and full of passion. These non-traditional poems are in direct contrast to his "mythological" subject manner. This collection is packed, largely due to the fact that Graves works are very short. Since he picked the works in this collection I'm not sure whether it's arranged chronologically or by subject matter. I will say that it is a bit exhausting. I almost wish he had picked less works to include, making the one's he did pick stand out more. Either way you definitely get your money's worth. Worth checking out if you are a fan.
Biographical Info: Robert Graves
Doubt: A Parable
I read this after I had seen the movie adaptation, however I had heard of the play back in 2005 when it debuted. I've wanted to see it performed before I read it on the page. (To read more about this, check this out here.) This play is very spare. There are only four characters on stage, usually two people to a scene. Very much an actor's showcase, it is meant to divide the audience. Who is right? Who is wrong? Nothing about the conflict between these character's is black and white. I've come to the belief that Sister Aloysius, as much as I dislike her, is the hero of this play. She is relentless even though as she states "In the pursuit of wrongdoing, one steps away from God...Of course, there's a price." She is risking her soul to protect the kids in her school. She has no actual physical proof but even the possibility of a threat and she is on the case. I also loved the relationship between Sister James and Sister Aloysius. Sister James is the perfect depiction of a young innocent who so desperately needs the older sister's approval. She wants to be loved by her students but she also wants their respect. Unfortunately you can't always have both, she will have to find a way to have both. Shanley is amazing for creating such drama out of so little.
Performance Reviews
New York Times | CurtainUp
The Reading List
Books
Ronin
Looks
Comics
Trinity #38
Magazines
Newsweek
Comic Pull List: Buffy The Vampire Slayer #23, Daredevil #116, Deadpool #8, Goon #32, Secret Six #7, Terry Moores Echo #10, Trinity #40
Check Out Count: Holding Steady.
Have a great week! Book Slave.
It's been an interesting week. Unfortunately I've spent a lot of it down with a headache, but I'm better now. Still I've got many books to read in the next two weeks. We'll see how that goes. Ships Ahoy Gentleman & Ladies!
Reviews
Complete Poems of Robert Graves, as Chosen by Himself
I've actually known the work of Robert Graves for some time. In high school I fell in love with I, Claudius having seen the TV series, I read the book. However this was the first time I've picked up his poetry. In his work I saw a man full of contradictions. In several works he expands and comments on mythography. Graves writes unconventional interpretations of classical stories like Leda and the Swan, still using traditional forms. There are also poems that are full of modernesque flourishes. His personal life was messy and some of his poems reflect that. In some works he is angry, scared, and full of passion. These non-traditional poems are in direct contrast to his "mythological" subject manner. This collection is packed, largely due to the fact that Graves works are very short. Since he picked the works in this collection I'm not sure whether it's arranged chronologically or by subject matter. I will say that it is a bit exhausting. I almost wish he had picked less works to include, making the one's he did pick stand out more. Either way you definitely get your money's worth. Worth checking out if you are a fan.
Biographical Info: Robert Graves
Doubt: A Parable
I read this after I had seen the movie adaptation, however I had heard of the play back in 2005 when it debuted. I've wanted to see it performed before I read it on the page. (To read more about this, check this out here.) This play is very spare. There are only four characters on stage, usually two people to a scene. Very much an actor's showcase, it is meant to divide the audience. Who is right? Who is wrong? Nothing about the conflict between these character's is black and white. I've come to the belief that Sister Aloysius, as much as I dislike her, is the hero of this play. She is relentless even though as she states "In the pursuit of wrongdoing, one steps away from God...Of course, there's a price." She is risking her soul to protect the kids in her school. She has no actual physical proof but even the possibility of a threat and she is on the case. I also loved the relationship between Sister James and Sister Aloysius. Sister James is the perfect depiction of a young innocent who so desperately needs the older sister's approval. She wants to be loved by her students but she also wants their respect. Unfortunately you can't always have both, she will have to find a way to have both. Shanley is amazing for creating such drama out of so little.
Performance Reviews
New York Times | CurtainUp
The Reading List
Books
Ronin
Looks
Comics
Trinity #38
Magazines
Newsweek
Comic Pull List: Buffy The Vampire Slayer #23, Daredevil #116, Deadpool #8, Goon #32, Secret Six #7, Terry Moores Echo #10, Trinity #40
Check Out Count: Holding Steady.
Have a great week! Book Slave.
2009-02-21
The Determination of Greatness.
Hello,
Today I was digging through my Reader. I came upon this essay by David Orr in the New York Times Book Review. Now I don't read every review, essay, etc. every month. I pretty much look for the ones that interest me. As a book seller/librarian/obsessive reader I feel compelled to do so, however I don't let it guide my choices like some.
Well I'll get to the point I think this essay is so ignorant. Writer Orr fears that American poetry is in decline. There are no "great" poets anymore such as Dickinson, Byron, or Williams. He pulls out a quote from Don Hall in 1983 where he fretted that poets no longer strived “to make words that live forever” and “to be as good as Dante.” Modern poets are ambivalent according to Mr. Orr.
I just want to remind Mr. Orr that "greatness" as he states is subjective. It's an opinion. Someone can be technically proficient but if their trochaic tetrameter has no soul then I ask what's the point. Art is not just "great" on it's own. Let's go back to our critical theory, more specifically Barthes. An artist does create, like God (or whatever creative deity you believe brings things into being), but then the artist willfully gives up his subjectivity to the reader/viewer. The viewer/reader then determines the ultimate meaning of the work to themselves. The author's intention is unknowable and inconsequential. The artist's intention is superseded by the interpretation of the viewer/reader.
Even then it is not the artist or viewer that determines "greatness." This is determined by the distance of time. Does a work hold up even a century after it's initial creation? Does a work stand out on its own or only as part of a group? I love the Beat poets, yet it's clear that Allen Ginsberg has work that sets him apart from that movement. On the other hand a poet such as Gregory Corso is firmly entrenched in Beat literature. "Greatness" is again completely subjective. What makes Ginsberg "great" and Corso not? Nothing, except my opinion.
And BTW Orr in his article completely ignores the up and coming American poets who are working today. These include:
Elizabeth Alexander
Rae Armantrout
Kay Ryan
Katharine Coles
Jesse Ball
Jimmy Santiago Baca
Billy Collins
I could go on but Orr needs to take a real look around away from his ivory tower. There is some "great" work being done and you Mr. Orr are missing it. But again that's just my opinion.
Have a great weekend! Book Slave.
Today I was digging through my Reader. I came upon this essay by David Orr in the New York Times Book Review. Now I don't read every review, essay, etc. every month. I pretty much look for the ones that interest me. As a book seller/librarian/obsessive reader I feel compelled to do so, however I don't let it guide my choices like some.
Well I'll get to the point I think this essay is so ignorant. Writer Orr fears that American poetry is in decline. There are no "great" poets anymore such as Dickinson, Byron, or Williams. He pulls out a quote from Don Hall in 1983 where he fretted that poets no longer strived “to make words that live forever” and “to be as good as Dante.” Modern poets are ambivalent according to Mr. Orr.
I just want to remind Mr. Orr that "greatness" as he states is subjective. It's an opinion. Someone can be technically proficient but if their trochaic tetrameter has no soul then I ask what's the point. Art is not just "great" on it's own. Let's go back to our critical theory, more specifically Barthes. An artist does create, like God (or whatever creative deity you believe brings things into being), but then the artist willfully gives up his subjectivity to the reader/viewer. The viewer/reader then determines the ultimate meaning of the work to themselves. The author's intention is unknowable and inconsequential. The artist's intention is superseded by the interpretation of the viewer/reader.
Even then it is not the artist or viewer that determines "greatness." This is determined by the distance of time. Does a work hold up even a century after it's initial creation? Does a work stand out on its own or only as part of a group? I love the Beat poets, yet it's clear that Allen Ginsberg has work that sets him apart from that movement. On the other hand a poet such as Gregory Corso is firmly entrenched in Beat literature. "Greatness" is again completely subjective. What makes Ginsberg "great" and Corso not? Nothing, except my opinion.
And BTW Orr in his article completely ignores the up and coming American poets who are working today. These include:
Elizabeth Alexander
Rae Armantrout
Kay Ryan
Katharine Coles
Jesse Ball
Jimmy Santiago Baca
Billy Collins
I could go on but Orr needs to take a real look around away from his ivory tower. There is some "great" work being done and you Mr. Orr are missing it. But again that's just my opinion.
Have a great weekend! Book Slave.
2009-01-27
Catching up: Part 1
Hello,
Howse it hanging? I may have been MIA last week (Sundancing, remember?) but this week I'm back full force. Tonight I attended my book club and it was pretty great. Moderator Zach Sampinos brought in some fun treats, as well as drinks. He's also got a keen mind and is very prepared with discussion. We discussed South by South Bronx (see review below) and an enjoyable hour was spent. If you are free the last Tuesday night of the month @ 6:30 pm come on down to Sam Weller's in SLC. Hey I'll be there.
Talking about events this week the ABA, American Booksellers Association, is coming to town. There Winter Institute Conference will be going on and my store is a major site. I'm invited to some events since I am a very important person (well in my own mind). Hopefully I'll be able to meet some other cool bookseller folk. Or at least take advantage of the open bar. Either way it should be cool, I'll let you know how it goes.
Well because I have two weeks of books to talk about I'll be splitting up the reviews into two parts. So here's part one.
Reviews
South by South Bronx
This was a book club pick and it took a while for it to grow on me. The first 100 pages are disorientated and confusing but then the two narratives came into focus. I think Rodriquez meant this to mirror the state of our characters. The real story for me is the relationship between these two battered souls, Alex and Ava. As we go along it becomes clear that Ava is meant to be a redemptive character, a muse, and femme fatale. Her catalystic function in this story was very interesting. I also enjoyed how Rodriquez emphasized the Puerto Rican regionalism of the South Bronx. As someone who is very white and lives in a very white culture, this book provides a window into a different world.
The mystery/noir elements are fairly traditional. In fact some parts of this book could take place in the 30s and not much would change. Mysterious girl meets damaged man, they struggle to figure out each other's motives, and ultimately end up saving each other. Oh yeah and there's some stolen money. Of course all of this is very familiar. However Rodriguez plays in this novel with multiple narratives, pictures, and different typography. He reworks the standard noir story with post-modern technique. This shows a continuation of experimentation in modern fiction narrative that we've seen over the last few years. I say bring it on.
Other Reviews
Feminist Review| La Bloga
American Sublime & Antebellum Dream Book
When I heard that Elizabeth Alexander was asked to write & recite a work for Barack Obama's inauguration I sought out her other works. As I've talked about before I enjoy hearing and reading poetry, especially post-modernist works. Also there have only been two inaugural poets, Robert Frost and Maya Angelou, so to be chosen is a major honor. So I read her collections American Sublime and Antebellum Dream Book before the inauguration on Jan 20. I wanted to get a sense of what to expect from Alexander. Her best work in these collections are series that focus on race in America. I particularly enjoyed "Passing", and the series "Amistad". Alexander's work is lean, uses modern imagery, and quiet phrasing, to get her thoughts across. She is lyrical and powerful, rather than be angry and in your face. She keeps the amount of finger pointing to a minimum which I greatly appreciated. Her work was impressive and I think I'll seek out some of her other volumes.
Here's a link to her website and footage of her inaugural reading. I thought it was great and really brought the significance of the day into focus.
Official Site: Elizabeth Alexander
The Reading List
Books
Understanding Comics
League of Extraordinary Gentleman: Black Dossier
Comics
Captain Britain
Magazine
Four Four Two
Comic Pull List: Batman #685, Daredevil #115, Final Crisis #7, Garth Ennis Battlefields Dear Billy #1, New Avengers #49, Northlanders #14, Runaways 3 #6, Stand Captain Trips #5, Superman #684, Terry Moores Echo #9, Trinity #35, Umbrella Academy Dallas #3, Wonder Woman #28
Check Out Count: Whoo-eee!
Look out for Part 2 in a few days. Enjoy! Book Slave.
Howse it hanging? I may have been MIA last week (Sundancing, remember?) but this week I'm back full force. Tonight I attended my book club and it was pretty great. Moderator Zach Sampinos brought in some fun treats, as well as drinks. He's also got a keen mind and is very prepared with discussion. We discussed South by South Bronx (see review below) and an enjoyable hour was spent. If you are free the last Tuesday night of the month @ 6:30 pm come on down to Sam Weller's in SLC. Hey I'll be there.
Talking about events this week the ABA, American Booksellers Association, is coming to town. There Winter Institute Conference will be going on and my store is a major site. I'm invited to some events since I am a very important person (well in my own mind). Hopefully I'll be able to meet some other cool bookseller folk. Or at least take advantage of the open bar. Either way it should be cool, I'll let you know how it goes.
Well because I have two weeks of books to talk about I'll be splitting up the reviews into two parts. So here's part one.
Reviews
South by South Bronx
This was a book club pick and it took a while for it to grow on me. The first 100 pages are disorientated and confusing but then the two narratives came into focus. I think Rodriquez meant this to mirror the state of our characters. The real story for me is the relationship between these two battered souls, Alex and Ava. As we go along it becomes clear that Ava is meant to be a redemptive character, a muse, and femme fatale. Her catalystic function in this story was very interesting. I also enjoyed how Rodriquez emphasized the Puerto Rican regionalism of the South Bronx. As someone who is very white and lives in a very white culture, this book provides a window into a different world.
The mystery/noir elements are fairly traditional. In fact some parts of this book could take place in the 30s and not much would change. Mysterious girl meets damaged man, they struggle to figure out each other's motives, and ultimately end up saving each other. Oh yeah and there's some stolen money. Of course all of this is very familiar. However Rodriguez plays in this novel with multiple narratives, pictures, and different typography. He reworks the standard noir story with post-modern technique. This shows a continuation of experimentation in modern fiction narrative that we've seen over the last few years. I say bring it on.
Other Reviews
Feminist Review| La Bloga
American Sublime & Antebellum Dream Book
When I heard that Elizabeth Alexander was asked to write & recite a work for Barack Obama's inauguration I sought out her other works. As I've talked about before I enjoy hearing and reading poetry, especially post-modernist works. Also there have only been two inaugural poets, Robert Frost and Maya Angelou, so to be chosen is a major honor. So I read her collections American Sublime and Antebellum Dream Book before the inauguration on Jan 20. I wanted to get a sense of what to expect from Alexander. Her best work in these collections are series that focus on race in America. I particularly enjoyed "Passing", and the series "Amistad". Alexander's work is lean, uses modern imagery, and quiet phrasing, to get her thoughts across. She is lyrical and powerful, rather than be angry and in your face. She keeps the amount of finger pointing to a minimum which I greatly appreciated. Her work was impressive and I think I'll seek out some of her other volumes.
Here's a link to her website and footage of her inaugural reading. I thought it was great and really brought the significance of the day into focus.
Official Site: Elizabeth Alexander
The Reading List
Books
Understanding Comics
League of Extraordinary Gentleman: Black Dossier
Comics
Captain Britain
Magazine
Four Four Two
Comic Pull List: Batman #685, Daredevil #115, Final Crisis #7, Garth Ennis Battlefields Dear Billy #1, New Avengers #49, Northlanders #14, Runaways 3 #6, Stand Captain Trips #5, Superman #684, Terry Moores Echo #9, Trinity #35, Umbrella Academy Dallas #3, Wonder Woman #28
Check Out Count: Whoo-eee!
Look out for Part 2 in a few days. Enjoy! Book Slave.
2008-11-25
Some Challenging Lit
Hello folks.
I hope you are enjoying this Thanksgiving week. I am thankful for the wonderful 3 days off that I've been granted. I hope you all are just as lucky! Well Onward!
Reviews
In Persuasion Nation
This is a book I definitely wouldn't have picked up on my own. I ended up picking it up as part of my book club and it's definitely unique. Using a mixture of satire and Pynchon-esque storytelling in this collection Saunders makes pointed social commentaries. In several of his stories Saunders focuses in on the corrosive effects of advertising and materialism. While I found some of his stories very funny, such as "Samish-Sex Marriage," I also think that the writing is very dense. It took a discussion with some other readers for me to understand Saunders better. Some of his stories I found to be emotionally detached and I'm not sure whether that was on purpose or not. So if you are interested in "something different" perhaps give this a shot.
Other reviews
curled up|Entertainment Weekly|Blue Rectangle
Selected Poems William Carlos Williams
I like poetry. In college I actually spent more time studying poetry then prose. I think that because of that I'm pretty good at understanding it. I especially enjoy modern non-form poetry which is why I picked up this collection of William Carlos Williams. Now I will admit that WCW is not for the weak. He doesn't give it to you on a silver platter. However I also don't think that human existence, love, death, et al. are easily explained. It is as complex as WCW makes it. This is a great collection of his "greatest hits." I enjoyed it immensely.
Biographical Info
William Carlos Williams
The Reading List
Books
In Our Time
Loser's Guide to Life and Love
Comic
Dynamo #18
Magazine
Newsweek
Check Out Count: A Bit Overloaded.
Comic Pull List:Batman #681, Buffy The Vampire Slayer #19, Daredevil #113, Garth Ennis Battlefields Night Witches #2, Northlanders #12, Runaways 3 #4, Superman #682, Trinity #26, Umbrella Academy Dallas #1, Wonder Woman #26
Well Have a Great Thanksgiving y'all! Book Slave.
I hope you are enjoying this Thanksgiving week. I am thankful for the wonderful 3 days off that I've been granted. I hope you all are just as lucky! Well Onward!
Reviews
In Persuasion Nation
This is a book I definitely wouldn't have picked up on my own. I ended up picking it up as part of my book club and it's definitely unique. Using a mixture of satire and Pynchon-esque storytelling in this collection Saunders makes pointed social commentaries. In several of his stories Saunders focuses in on the corrosive effects of advertising and materialism. While I found some of his stories very funny, such as "Samish-Sex Marriage," I also think that the writing is very dense. It took a discussion with some other readers for me to understand Saunders better. Some of his stories I found to be emotionally detached and I'm not sure whether that was on purpose or not. So if you are interested in "something different" perhaps give this a shot.
Other reviews
curled up|Entertainment Weekly|Blue Rectangle
Selected Poems William Carlos Williams
"I think some people just read poetry to seem smart"
"I don't really like poetry. Most of the time I just don't get it."
--Overhead on the train from some folks sitting next to me
I like poetry. In college I actually spent more time studying poetry then prose. I think that because of that I'm pretty good at understanding it. I especially enjoy modern non-form poetry which is why I picked up this collection of William Carlos Williams. Now I will admit that WCW is not for the weak. He doesn't give it to you on a silver platter. However I also don't think that human existence, love, death, et al. are easily explained. It is as complex as WCW makes it. This is a great collection of his "greatest hits." I enjoyed it immensely.
Biographical Info
William Carlos Williams
The Reading List
Books
In Our Time
Loser's Guide to Life and Love
Comic
Dynamo #18
Magazine
Newsweek
Check Out Count: A Bit Overloaded.
Comic Pull List:Batman #681, Buffy The Vampire Slayer #19, Daredevil #113, Garth Ennis Battlefields Night Witches #2, Northlanders #12, Runaways 3 #4, Superman #682, Trinity #26, Umbrella Academy Dallas #1, Wonder Woman #26
Well Have a Great Thanksgiving y'all! Book Slave.
2008-10-30
I raise a toast to you Edgar.
Hey Y'all,
Yes, tomorrow is Halloween. It's candy and costume time for the kids, and well for adults...we like to scare the hell out of each other. I've spent a lot of time talking about Stephen King this month. He is considered the King of Modern Horror literature. Some of his books like It, The Shining, and Salem's Lot are legitimately frightening. However King wouldn't be around without Edgar Allen Poe. I'm a real poetry gal, I love the stuff. The first poetry that I clearly understood, as much as an 11 year old can anyway, was his works The Raven and Annabel Lee.
The Raven and Annabel Lee are each about undying devotion. Also the narrator suffers from the contradiction of wanting to remember and at the same time wanting to forget. Memory is cruel reminder which Poe anthropomorphises in the form of the raven. Annabel Lee also embodies this sad feeling of loss. Even as a tween I recognized the dark romanticism that made Poe appealing to me. Sometimes I enjoy a little mist on them moors.
But none of that is any scary. I didn't really understand that Poe was scary until I began to dig into his short stories. The Tell-tale Heart, Masque of the Red Death, etc. are ghoulishly terrifying. Poe willingly exploits the darkness of his characters. The psychological effects of murder and death are scary because they are universal. Everyone, I don't care who you are, finds themselves tested morally and Poe shows the consequences of going the wrong way. It's great and compelling stuff.
One last Poe story. I have always loved the story of The Poe Toaster. I first heard about the Poe Toaster when I was in 6th grade. In our elementary school library I started reading Life Magazine because of the great pictures. I would read it rather than sit with other girls reading Cosmo. I guess I've always been strange. Anyway it was in Life Magazine that I read an article about the Poe Toaster. Every January 19, Poe's birthday, at his grave in Baltimore an unseen black clad figure visits the grave in the early hours of the morning. The figure raises a toast of cognac and leaves three roses at the grave. The Poe Toaster is rarely photographed or identified. Read more about it here. How cool is that eh? I personally hope they never reveal who it is. The coolness is in the mystery and tradition. Long Live Edgar Allen Poe!
Have a great weekend! Book Slave.
Yes, tomorrow is Halloween. It's candy and costume time for the kids, and well for adults...we like to scare the hell out of each other. I've spent a lot of time talking about Stephen King this month. He is considered the King of Modern Horror literature. Some of his books like It, The Shining, and Salem's Lot are legitimately frightening. However King wouldn't be around without Edgar Allen Poe. I'm a real poetry gal, I love the stuff. The first poetry that I clearly understood, as much as an 11 year old can anyway, was his works The Raven and Annabel Lee.
The Raven and Annabel Lee are each about undying devotion. Also the narrator suffers from the contradiction of wanting to remember and at the same time wanting to forget. Memory is cruel reminder which Poe anthropomorphises in the form of the raven. Annabel Lee also embodies this sad feeling of loss. Even as a tween I recognized the dark romanticism that made Poe appealing to me. Sometimes I enjoy a little mist on them moors.
But none of that is any scary. I didn't really understand that Poe was scary until I began to dig into his short stories. The Tell-tale Heart, Masque of the Red Death, etc. are ghoulishly terrifying. Poe willingly exploits the darkness of his characters. The psychological effects of murder and death are scary because they are universal. Everyone, I don't care who you are, finds themselves tested morally and Poe shows the consequences of going the wrong way. It's great and compelling stuff.
One last Poe story. I have always loved the story of The Poe Toaster. I first heard about the Poe Toaster when I was in 6th grade. In our elementary school library I started reading Life Magazine because of the great pictures. I would read it rather than sit with other girls reading Cosmo. I guess I've always been strange. Anyway it was in Life Magazine that I read an article about the Poe Toaster. Every January 19, Poe's birthday, at his grave in Baltimore an unseen black clad figure visits the grave in the early hours of the morning. The figure raises a toast of cognac and leaves three roses at the grave. The Poe Toaster is rarely photographed or identified. Read more about it here. How cool is that eh? I personally hope they never reveal who it is. The coolness is in the mystery and tradition. Long Live Edgar Allen Poe!
Have a great weekend! Book Slave.
2008-08-31
Yes, some poetry is nice
Hey folks,
Happy Labor Day! The book business waits for no holiday, so I of course will be laboring tomorrow. Think of me as you kick back hopefully with a good book or *shudder* your family. Anyway I was looking around those interwebs tonight and I found this poem that fit my mood. Yes, I like poetry. I'm shockingly multi-faceted.
So here it is. If you want to hear it aloud click here. Enjoy!
The Day is Done
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 – 1882)
The day is done, and the darkness
Falls from the wings of Night,
As a feather is wafted downward
From an eagle in his flight.
I see the lights of the village
Gleam through the rain and the mist,
And a feeling of sadness comes o’er me
That my soul cannot resist:
A feeling of sadness and longing,
That is not akin to pain,
And resembles sorrow only
As the mist resembles the rain.
Come, read to me some poem,
Some simple and heartfelt lay,
That shall soothe this restless feeling,
And banish the thoughts of day.
Not from the grand old masters,
Not from the bards sublime,
Whose distant footsteps echo
Through the corridors of Time.
For, like strains of martial music,
Their mighty thoughts suggest
Life’s endless toil and endeavor;
And to-night I long for rest.
Read from some humbler poet,
Whose songs gushed from his heart,
As showers from the clouds of summer,
Or tears from the eyelids start;
Who, through long days of labor,
And nights devoid of ease,
Still heard in his soul the music
Of wonderful melodies.
Such songs have power to quiet
The restless pulse of care,
And come like the benediction
That follows after prayer.
Then read from the treasured volume
The poem of thy choice,
And lend to the rhyme of the poet
The beauty of thy voice.
And the night shall be filled with music,
And the cares, that infest the day,
Shall fold their tents, like the Arabs,
And as silently steal away.
Have a great day! Book Slave.
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