This is an outstanding volume. Here’s the story I posted a review of a book co-edited by Annie Finch. I declared it to be THE book about creating poetry. And it is a wonderful book. Then Ms. Finch—Dr. Finch—showed up here on the Unschool and left a comment to let us know she has a more recent book. I’m so glad she did. I asked to review a copy. When it arrived and I cracked open the box, I had that sense of opening a Gift.
I am not a poet but a poet friend of mind recommended Annie Finch. I've taken two of her workshops this year. I HIGHLY recommend them. I have never gone so deep so fast, and she's a truly beautiful teacher and soul.
It's funny, I just today put up a poem I'd written recently, and read it in the video app. I read that part when you said the fiction and non-fiction writers should try poetry. I haven't written poetry since I was a kid and actually enjoyed it. Reading this was a God-send. Wanna hear my poem? https://benwoestenburg.substack.com/p/23?sd=pf You don't have to look at it, but it's there just in case.
Not sure what dictum of Williams she’s referring to. Perhaps “Go in fear of abstractions”? But that’s Ezra Pound, who made up an interesting list of things not to do:
This is exciting. This may be my first and only resolution. (I'd like to say there are more, but one good one is plenty.) I love that quote about metaphor. I've only just recently (this morning) became awayr of that joy, so it is very happenstance to have read about it this evening
This sounds like a most wondrous book! I can relate to the loathing of poetry, at least in one way. As a small human poetry meant reading Edward Lear's limericks and the poems by Shell Silverstein, and I saw it as a small, funny story that rhymed, which I liked.
And then I went to The School in grade 10 English, where they made you stare your eyeballs out at a poem that did not rhyme and we had to follow the rules from a "How to Read a Poem" worksheet. Then we were supposed to dissect the poem for about thirty minutes to figure out what it was really about. Usually it ended up being something about some depressed grown-up, to relate to the curriculum's theme of universal doom (e.g. Romeo and Juliet, etc.)
And then I went to regular college and took some poetry writing courses there and had to unlearn everything from grade 10 about poetry, in the sense that poetry is supposed to be about playing around with words and not writing stuff to confuse people on purpose, and that was a most happy thing to discover.
Just knowing that there is a title called "What if a Much of a Witch of Word-Music" in it makes me plot to go read this book. Thank you!
So incredibly enriching, Alison. And what a beautiful blessing - I’m inkless! Always wrestling with the overpowering music-poem effect on my prose. A transcendent struggle of the lobes. Thanks for sharing.
I ordered it! I could not get CAD shipping from her site so got it from Amazon via UK - I am looking forward to reading it / using it with your leadership, Alison.
I am not a poet but a poet friend of mind recommended Annie Finch. I've taken two of her workshops this year. I HIGHLY recommend them. I have never gone so deep so fast, and she's a truly beautiful teacher and soul.
It's funny, I just today put up a poem I'd written recently, and read it in the video app. I read that part when you said the fiction and non-fiction writers should try poetry. I haven't written poetry since I was a kid and actually enjoyed it. Reading this was a God-send. Wanna hear my poem? https://benwoestenburg.substack.com/p/23?sd=pf You don't have to look at it, but it's there just in case.
Not sure what dictum of Williams she’s referring to. Perhaps “Go in fear of abstractions”? But that’s Ezra Pound, who made up an interesting list of things not to do:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/articles/58900/a-few-donts-by-an-imagiste
Maybe Williams’ line “no ideas but in things”?
https://triggerfishcriticalreview.com/historical-view-of-wcwilliams-no-ideas-but-in-things-by-ed-wickliffe/
This is exciting. This may be my first and only resolution. (I'd like to say there are more, but one good one is plenty.) I love that quote about metaphor. I've only just recently (this morning) became awayr of that joy, so it is very happenstance to have read about it this evening
This sounds like a most wondrous book! I can relate to the loathing of poetry, at least in one way. As a small human poetry meant reading Edward Lear's limericks and the poems by Shell Silverstein, and I saw it as a small, funny story that rhymed, which I liked.
And then I went to The School in grade 10 English, where they made you stare your eyeballs out at a poem that did not rhyme and we had to follow the rules from a "How to Read a Poem" worksheet. Then we were supposed to dissect the poem for about thirty minutes to figure out what it was really about. Usually it ended up being something about some depressed grown-up, to relate to the curriculum's theme of universal doom (e.g. Romeo and Juliet, etc.)
And then I went to regular college and took some poetry writing courses there and had to unlearn everything from grade 10 about poetry, in the sense that poetry is supposed to be about playing around with words and not writing stuff to confuse people on purpose, and that was a most happy thing to discover.
Just knowing that there is a title called "What if a Much of a Witch of Word-Music" in it makes me plot to go read this book. Thank you!
So incredibly enriching, Alison. And what a beautiful blessing - I’m inkless! Always wrestling with the overpowering music-poem effect on my prose. A transcendent struggle of the lobes. Thanks for sharing.
I ordered it! I could not get CAD shipping from her site so got it from Amazon via UK - I am looking forward to reading it / using it with your leadership, Alison.