Thursday, November 01, 2007

poetry, haw! I don't write it. I write sentences, and I sometimes jiggle them. and that satisfies my writin' urge. I've done my study of poetry, learned to like some of it. for the 1st time in my life, I'm writing rarely. this isn't a bad thing, just different. my writing rhythm has been jostled, no biggie. and the dog that is not here describes a space that I haven't figured how to fill. ANYWAY, I'll be tuning in Tom Beckett and Charley Shively at Demolicious on sunday. I only know of Shively, local writer, so this will swell my local awareness (a likable tactic for the series: one local, one foreigner in each reading). Tom Beckett is one of the undersung heroes of the poetry landscape. most definitely wrangling with his journal The Difficulties greatly changed my writing arc, as did having Grenier as a teacher for a year. elsewise I'd be lyricking some false motive or another, romantic view of the poet as confessional claptrap and heroic bum out. I like Tom's spareness, antipodal to my wordy way. and just to finish this ramble, a house didst I see hereabouts, decorated for Halloween, with ghosts and Jack o' lanterns all a-glow. plus a sign: We Support Our Troops. so the ectoplasmic crowd support the reaper man, quel surprise!!!

2 comments:

Steve said...

Allen,

Some very interesting things here, to me. Wish to get to know you better.

"don't write [']it[', poetry]. I write sentences," for example... I, struggle with the notion of what the heck I write, want to write. Call "stuff" "poming" primarily to distinguish between self-consciously calling "it" "poetry" and just plain calling it "writing," especially when it lays out on the page, and in the process of putting it on a page, in lines.

More than anything, just try to satisfy "the writin urge" seems to be the main shabang most of the time, as the self-consciousness of what it is, poetry or prose, etcetera, feels so oppressive all the time. "I write sentences," too, and/or just plain words (that often end up in/as sentences, including grammatically complete sentences, "new sentences," per Silliman's definition, and "what-not").

Had Bob Grenier as a teacher for a year? I didn't know that. huh...

--------

Was wondering a few years ago, when you posted some notes about Rant 66 or Black Spring how you had come across the texts. Thought that maybe you were connected with Jim Leftwich or maybe Peter Ganick or somebody. Maybe via Grenier, though?

Look forward to, would like to get to know you/yourWritin in the future.

Sincerely and Best Regards, Steve Tills

Simple Theories said...

thanks, Steve,
it's always nice to know there's someone at the other end of this keyboard. and also someone steep in worry about the art form. I'm dried out by confident assessments of what one is doing and what others are doing. such confidence includes too many assumptions that need refining, if you ask me.