Comments on: Joe Weil’s Must Have Books (Towards a Different Kind of Workshop, Part II)

By: Martin Burns

Martin Burns — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 14:34:00 +0000

I’ve always been fond of Turco’s New Book of Forms. I think it’s foundational.

By: Bob

Bob — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 15:41:00 +0000

Bridgeman Art Source Book by Nick Rowling, might be the best $3 art book in the world.

By: How to Edit Poems in a Workshop (Towards a Different Kind of Workshop, Part III)

How to Edit Poems in a Workshop (Towards a Different Kind of Workshop, Part III) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 07:27:35 +0000

[...] This is part III in a series. Read parts I & II. Break up into groups, something they love to do now-a-days, and assign the following [...]

By: Pigsnout2

Pigsnout2 — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:30:00 +0000

I know this book well, and I’ve used it when I’ve done an extended study with a student on meter. UNfortunately, I had six copies, all of which I’ve given away through the years as presents. I’m ordering a dozen this semester coming up. I agree the Fussel does not use contemporary poets… I never teach it alone, and only when I want them to have a ball park view
of the basic measures. Your book I reserve for studies with students who want to go a lot deeper.

By: Alfredcorn1

Alfredcorn1 — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 01:52:00 +0000

I taught prosody for many years in the Poetry Program of the Graduate Writing Division at Columbia, drawing on all studies of prosody then available.. Out of that experience I put together a little textbook, the main focus of which is meter. Many people have told me that meter was a total blank to them until they read this book. But it also discusses syllable count, rhyme, refrain, verseform (sonnet, villanelle, sestina), classical meters and unmetered poetry. The title is =The Poem’s Heartbeat= and it is published by Copper Canyon Press. I think Fussell’s book is all right, but, first, he wasn’t a poet and doesn’t know the art from the inside. Second, the book was written a long time ago, and doesn’t refer to contemporary poets.

By: Adam

Adam — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 08:44:00 +0000

Some anthologies I still love —

The Faber Book of Beasts
The Best Poems of the English Language
Rattle Bag
The Golden Treasury
Oxford Book of English Verse ed. Ricks
Oxford Book of American Verse ed. Ellman; ed. Lehman

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 04:48:00 +0000

one of my students from saudi arabia has been feeding me books of and about arabic poetry. i’ve got one right now on the oral poetry of saudi arabia.

By: Pigsnout2

Pigsnout2 — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 04:44:00 +0000

I have just started a weekly reading in other languages. They are trying to get rid of the Arabic department here. And we think Sarah Palin is stupid? What’s the excuse of the university? I have students reading and singing songs in Arabic. I will have them compile an anthology.

By: Pigsnout2

Pigsnout2 — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 04:42:00 +0000

I didn’t get to what recordings I’d have: I’d love Greek poems in their original language, with translations. If our present political situation wasn’t so against the arts (and both parties praise art while cutting its throat– nothing new during schlock times with no true civilization) I’d create a truly wonderful project: leading poets would be commissioned to work with poets in other langauges to create both coffee table sized anthologies, and CD’s of world poetry. I like Ferry’s translations, and Hughes translation of Ovid. We need to doing something magnificent in times such as this– not backslide into bad creative non-fiction and its lower step sister, “inspirational” books. I’d create poetry video games if I had my way– interactive Chaucer, games with lots of action, but a kid would also have to learn Greek Hexameter to pass onto the next level– maybe just a few lines of Homer in Greek so that a door would open, or one of the Greek mythological monsters would yield the gate and let the poet-warrior pass. It’s doable, but we won’t do it. We like mediocrity too much.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 04:18:00 +0000

also, to add my own two-cents, i would add ferry’s translations of horace’s odes and dudley fitts poems from the greek anthology (which i like better than rexroth’s–fitts are more fun!)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 03:55:00 +0000

awesome list, joe. would you recommend any books on arabic poetry too?