Poetry and Poetics

Seventeen Years Ago Last March: Elizabeth Bishop’s Grand Finale

‘Crusoe in England’ was first published in The New Yorker in 1971, then later collected in ‘Geography III,’ perhaps Bishop’s finest single volume of poems. (Only recently I discovered the title of which was suggested to her by John Ashbery. He had found a little geography textbook of the eponymous name, and sent it to her, thinking she’d rather enjoy it. Turns out, she did.)

Mar

2010

Insomnia

by Alina Gregorian Art

Insomnia

By Alina Gregorian

where the heavens are shallow as the sea

Mar

2010

where the heavens are shallow as the sea

very belatedly

by Zachary Pace Art

very belatedly

By Zachary Pace

THE WAY THINGS WORK

Mar

2010

THE WAY THINGS WORK

Big Sur, Elephant Seals, Hector Viel Temperley

by Stuart Krimko Art

Big Sur, Elephant Seals, Hector Viel Temperley

By Stuart Krimko

When you drive south through Big Sur, you must stop and see the elephant seals at Piedras Blancas. There were huge males on the beach on Tuesday, maybe 15 feet long, with doe-like black eyes and crumpled snouts that look like a baby bird has perched on their faces.

Mar

2010

Thumbnail image for Big Sur, Elephant Seals, Hector Viel Temperley

The Ex-Pens of Spirit

by Sarah V. Schweig Poetry and Poetics

The Ex-Pens of Spirit

By Sarah V. Schweig

(Disclaimer: Ok, yes. This is a post about pens. But bear with me—I actually do have an idea here.)

Mar

2010

(Disclaimer: Ok, yes. This is a post about pens. But bear with me—I actually do have an idea here.)

Blogging through Grossman, Part 3: Poetic Promiscuity.

by Micah Towery Art

Blogging through Grossman, Part 3: Poetic Promiscuity.

By Micah Towery

We recent poets have two great tools at our disposal: freedom of poetic license, and freedom of publishing. Generally, we can say whatever we want, and get a significant number of people to hear what we have to say. The question is whether this freedom has led to better poetry or degeneration. Perhaps that’s not the best way to put it. The question should be, even if somebody is doing something amazing and new in poetry, would we even see it? Will we travel all this way to find that we really did need the gatekeepers of poetry??

Mar

2010

Golden Splinter

by Evan Hansen Art

Golden Splinter

By Evan Hansen

Above is painter Sean McElroy’s “So Just Be It.” I have known Sean a long time, and I admire both his art and intellect. I was reminded of his work yesterday as I settled down with Ben Lerner’s new book of poems, Mean Free Path (Copper Canyon Press, 2010)—a book I’ve been excited to read since, well, Lerner’s last book of poems.

Feb

2010

WHAT’S YOUR IDEA OF A GOOD TIME?

by Allison Power Poetry and Poetics

WHAT’S YOUR IDEA OF A GOOD TIME?

By Allison Power

In 1977, Bill Berkson and Bernadette Mayer began a kind of interview correspondence where with they exchanged questions and answers on a variety of topics.

Feb

2010

In 1977, Bill Berkson and Bernadette Mayer began a kind of interview correspondence where with they exchanged questions and answers on a variety of topics.

“Prepare for Peoplery” by Christie Ann Reynolds

by Adam Fitzgerald Poems of the Week

“Prepare for Peoplery” by Christie Ann Reynolds

By Adam Fitzgerald

[Poem of the Week: 2/26/10]

Feb

2010

[Poem of the Week: 2/26/10]

Nothing to say

by Stuart Krimko Art

Nothing to say

By Stuart Krimko

I have nothing to say today, or nothing specific, only miscellany, no fashion thing has occurred to me. Here you have an image of Ferula scorodosma, the plant whose dried sap is used to make asafoetida, a rather pungent spice.

Feb

2010

Joe Weil on Hecht’s “A Hill”

by THEthe Poetry Blog Editors Poetry and Poetics

Joe Weil on Hecht’s “A Hill”

By THEthe Poetry Blog Editors

[Interview: 2/25/2010]

Feb

2010

[Interview: 2/25/2010]

The Lyric Workshop, Session 1: Theme From Shaft

by Sarah V. Schweig Academia

The Lyric Workshop, Session 1: Theme From Shaft

By Sarah V. Schweig

PROFESSOR: Mary Ann, would you mind reading your poem aloud so that we can hear it in your own voice?

MARY ANN: Absolutely. Ahem.

Who’s the black private dick
That’s a sex machine to all the chicks?
SHAFT!
Ya damn right!

Feb

2010

PROFESSOR: Mary Ann, would you mind reading your poem aloud so that we can hear it in your own voice?

MARY ANN: Absolutely. Ahem.

Who’s the black private dick
That’s a sex machine to all the chicks?
SHAFT!
Ya damn right!

Google Uses Wittgenstein

by Micah Towery Art

Google Uses Wittgenstein

By Micah Towery

Canada, it’s spring-break time. We’ve already got trees budding. Actually, many schools have gotten the whole Winter Olympics off for two or three weeks of extended spring break drunkenness. I’ve been glued to CTV for the last week or so, watching my new favorite sport: curling. No joke, this game is intense.

Feb

2010

A Cuban Sandwich and Levinas

by Joe Weil Academia

A Cuban Sandwich and Levinas

By Joe Weil

Suppose you are reading Levinas, having a nice Cuban sandwich, minding your business, thinking about the self, the other, the other self, the otherness of self, the selfishness of other, etc, etc, and the sun slants across the legs of a woman you pretend to have a deep rapport with—striping them apricot. What do you do?

Feb

2010

Emily Dickinson 260

by Bianca Stone Art

Emily Dickinson 260

By Bianca Stone

Feb

2010

Keats Revisited: “It’s Not a Well-Wrought Urn, it’s a Well of Ashes and Wine”

by Adam Fitzgerald Academia

Keats Revisited: “It’s Not a Well-Wrought Urn, it’s a Well of Ashes and Wine”

By Adam Fitzgerald

That urn is cold. I find it strange that several poets and scholars speak of the beauty-truth equation as the last lines of the poem. That equation has called forth so much fuss – its bald assertiveness is immensely persuasive at first hearing, then almost instantly the mind rebels against the symmetry of identity.

Feb

2010

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