Thursday, October 23, 2008

Kick Out the Jams



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Today, I will attempt to convince several twenty-somethings that formal poetry is not only "good for you" but that it's possible to write a "kick-ass" pantoum.

I know this. You, dear reader, know this.

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Going to a grant-writing workshop this Saturday. Frankly, I suck at writing grants and I need help.

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As I mentioned on Facebook, I'll be spending a lot of time in the Midwest this coming winter (what's considered Midwest, by the way? Is Chicago Midwest?) I'll have stops in St. Louis, possibly Edwardsville, IL, Chicago, and Mankato, MN. That's not one trip . . . that's several different trips spread out over three months. Yeesh.

Now that I'm a dad, these trips are getting harder and harder to take. But take them, I must.

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Currently reading Salvinia Molesta.

Currently listening to the above band, Orquestra de Casino de la Playa . . . but I'm also listening to Husker Du

5 comments:

Rebecca Mabanglo-Mayor said...

Wondered if you could recommend any good novels in verse?

I've got Karen Hesse's Out of Dust on my shelf and thinking of picking up I Heart You, You Haunt Me.

Know anyone who's done good critique on the form?

TQ!

Oliver de la Paz said...

No idea 'bout critiques on the form, though there are several books of criticism on the long poem--cousin to the novella in verse.

You know, there are a lot more novels/novellas in verse published in Young Adult lit. Check out this list: Wired for Youth.

For more "adult" fare, there's always Anne Carson's AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF RED, which I'm sure you've already thought up. How about Vikram Seth's THE GOLDEN GATE or Brad Leithauser's DARLINGTON'S FALL?

Oliver de la Paz said...

Oh yeah! Pushkin's EUGENE ONEGIN is another.

Rebecca Mabanglo-Mayor said...

Yep, I'm working off the Wired for Youth site for texts, but I sort of figured there was likely more on the adult side of life. Mayhaps not?

Thanks for the rec's, though. I hadn't seen those titles yet. Maybe I'll look at specific critiques of the books, rather than the form.

Thanks!

Literary Magpie said...

Don't forget the quote from your last forms class...

"Writing formal poetry is a lot like washing the dishes. You may not want to get started, but once you are done you feel that you have accomplished something small and important."

or something like that...