Mmmm, I hope I have the bandwidth to participate in this!! I have been reading poetry and trying to write little two line "poems" every day. I took a poetry class with Chris LaTray in September - didn't have the bandwidth I hoped for so those books are still sitting on my desk. I have been reading from "Staying in Love" by Julia Fehrenbacher, "The First Free Women" by Matty Weingast, "An American Sunrise" by Joy Harjo (our immediate past Poet Laureate of the US), "The Carrying" by Ada Limon (our current poet laureate of the US) and "Red Lantern" by Janisse Ray. And really Mary Oliver anytime. Lol, just realizing there are probably 20 books in my living room and all but 3 are poetry!
Love that the majority of books within your sight are poetry! (But that connects with what I see and sense in your newsletter... explains so much!) Was An American Sunrise written during her time in the position? I need to look up some of these. My Canadian is showing!
Unschool readers--do check out Karen's words and photographs. Love the idea of daily two line poems. Are you sharing these or some of?
Is poetry a luxury? In my present retired-person life, yes. But in a far different way than when I was a crazy-busy payroll person, and mum to a preteen - yet two of my best poems happened in the busiest years. Poetry is both a luxury - sipped with gratitude in quiet moments snatched from the day, and a necessity - it’s the bread AND the wine, to me! Now, it’s a luxury because it comes first, it’s my most-chosen occupation and my constant companion.
I read inbox arrivals - Mary Oliver is a HUGE favourite, and a daily smattering from Medium poets I follow or stumble upon. I’m just starting ‘An Exaltation of Forms’ and plan to give it some time daily.
@Karen Davis, you totally have the bandwidth! It’s the Unschool, so each of us can go at our own pace and take what we need, as we are able.
Bread AND Wine--I like that. I also appreciate that you place luxury first!
And the bit of truth that two of your best happened when busiest. Hmmm. I don't want for those extraordinarily busy times of my life as a mom and teacher to return. But those gifts of that time--I'm glad I knew they were gifts then.
I know this is against the law(*), but I’ve been listening to old-fashioned poetry, the kind that sounds great out loud because it rhymes and has a refrain:
What a great example of wordplay I’d forgotten all about. I would guess that’s a skill all poets have, the ability to move words around into unexpected but pleasing patterns (eg, “my father moved through dooms of love / through sames of am through haves of give” —Cummings).
If anyone hasn’t seen Scorsese’s No Direction Home, which he made in 2005 for public television, it’s currently on Netflix as a 3.5-hour film. I really like how Scorsese spends so much time delving into what I would call the weird old American music that heavily influenced Dylan.
And if anyone hasn’t seen this video of “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” listen to its continuous stream of rhymes. I’ve heard this song characterized as a precursor to rap. And look for the bearded Allen Ginsberg at left. I believe both videos were shot in London.
No Direction Home is excellent. Thank you for this link, Frank--will check out!
Word play is good work for all writers. "Play" is good work for all writers. We saw the movie last night about Neil Young working to put together his Harvest album, and one of the musicians spoke to how, for him, working with Neil was like "playing guitar on the porch." It took him away from the "job" it had become, and back to his own roots of "playing."
I’m wondering if there are any lessons here for poets. Would elocution or singing lessons be beneficial? A good reading is probably at least as difficult as good singing. You have to get pronunciation just right, pauses and line breaks too. What about pitch changes with meter? Sometimes poets read in kind of a monotone. But how much variation is right, before it becomes overly dramatic?
Earlier this year I read June Jordan, Rachel McKibbens, Ada Limon, Jason Reynolds and Dickinson. Right now enjoying the poetry in Hindi song lyrics and the English subtitles of Stromae's song L'enfer. :) On poetry being a luxury, a dear poem from an Indian poet: https://twitter.com/madhuragha/status/1272774620148449280
I believe it is Dickinson's birthday today! (My son has been busy in the past few years, working to set jazz standard-type music to her words--a huge fan.)
Thank you for sharing this poem. The "nonessential" artist. I had to retweet. And follow. Thank you for introducing me to a new-to-me poet!
My son will be starting the recording of the songs in the new year. He's applied to a few jazz fests for the coming year with this project. I will let you know when the recording is available!
One of my favorite discoveries recently is Kathryn Bevis - her pamphlet "Flamingo" is a rollercoaster of emotions, and one I recommend wholeheartedly. Looking forward to the discussion!
It might be a luxury to most, those that can sit in the language of the everyday and be comfortable. For me, I get restless with that, and poetry becomes necessary, a cure.
I got heavily into The Waste Land this year, and read a piece by Dan Beachy-Quick on how the lyrical brings rain to the drought of modernity (he compares Eliot with Keats). Poetry is meant to be a balm, in this case (specifically lyrical poetry: he takes aim at the modernists).
Over Thanksgiving, I picked up Eavan Boland again, who I hadn't read for years. She very much still holds up. Also her books are complete in terms of theme, something I'm always impressed by (unable to do it myself).
Story is Harriet Monroe didn’t want it in Poetry because of that third line ruining the meter. Ezra Pound insisted. Still think it’s one of the most beautiful poems ever written.
“the Nightingale’s Drought, The Nightingale’s Draught” is the Beachy-Quick essay. Well worth the read.
Mmmm, I hope I have the bandwidth to participate in this!! I have been reading poetry and trying to write little two line "poems" every day. I took a poetry class with Chris LaTray in September - didn't have the bandwidth I hoped for so those books are still sitting on my desk. I have been reading from "Staying in Love" by Julia Fehrenbacher, "The First Free Women" by Matty Weingast, "An American Sunrise" by Joy Harjo (our immediate past Poet Laureate of the US), "The Carrying" by Ada Limon (our current poet laureate of the US) and "Red Lantern" by Janisse Ray. And really Mary Oliver anytime. Lol, just realizing there are probably 20 books in my living room and all but 3 are poetry!
Love that the majority of books within your sight are poetry! (But that connects with what I see and sense in your newsletter... explains so much!) Was An American Sunrise written during her time in the position? I need to look up some of these. My Canadian is showing!
Unschool readers--do check out Karen's words and photographs. Love the idea of daily two line poems. Are you sharing these or some of?
Is poetry a luxury? In my present retired-person life, yes. But in a far different way than when I was a crazy-busy payroll person, and mum to a preteen - yet two of my best poems happened in the busiest years. Poetry is both a luxury - sipped with gratitude in quiet moments snatched from the day, and a necessity - it’s the bread AND the wine, to me! Now, it’s a luxury because it comes first, it’s my most-chosen occupation and my constant companion.
I read inbox arrivals - Mary Oliver is a HUGE favourite, and a daily smattering from Medium poets I follow or stumble upon. I’m just starting ‘An Exaltation of Forms’ and plan to give it some time daily.
@Karen Davis, you totally have the bandwidth! It’s the Unschool, so each of us can go at our own pace and take what we need, as we are able.
Bread AND Wine--I like that. I also appreciate that you place luxury first!
And the bit of truth that two of your best happened when busiest. Hmmm. I don't want for those extraordinarily busy times of my life as a mom and teacher to return. But those gifts of that time--I'm glad I knew they were gifts then.
"Take what we need, as we are able"--thank you!
I know this is against the law(*), but I’ve been listening to old-fashioned poetry, the kind that sounds great out loud because it rhymes and has a refrain:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujgqOgMIwfA
Even the refrain rhymes in that one.
(*)Borrowed from Fran Lebowitz remark in a profile I saw today: “I know this is against the law, but I had a happy childhood.”
Ah... just made time to watch--yes.
Does feel to be outside of Somebody's law. A great line. Resistance!
I posted this ages ago: https://unschoolforwriters.substack.com/p/taking-it-as-far-as-you-can
What a great example of wordplay I’d forgotten all about. I would guess that’s a skill all poets have, the ability to move words around into unexpected but pleasing patterns (eg, “my father moved through dooms of love / through sames of am through haves of give” —Cummings).
If anyone hasn’t seen Scorsese’s No Direction Home, which he made in 2005 for public television, it’s currently on Netflix as a 3.5-hour film. I really like how Scorsese spends so much time delving into what I would call the weird old American music that heavily influenced Dylan.
And if anyone hasn’t seen this video of “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” listen to its continuous stream of rhymes. I’ve heard this song characterized as a precursor to rap. And look for the bearded Allen Ginsberg at left. I believe both videos were shot in London.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGxjIBEZvx0
No Direction Home is excellent. Thank you for this link, Frank--will check out!
Word play is good work for all writers. "Play" is good work for all writers. We saw the movie last night about Neil Young working to put together his Harvest album, and one of the musicians spoke to how, for him, working with Neil was like "playing guitar on the porch." It took him away from the "job" it had become, and back to his own roots of "playing."
HOLD to the play as we go.
I often watch this vocal coach analyze singers’ styles and techniques. Here’s her “discovery” of Neil Young (youth, right?):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppSF6JpdaKQ
The line between high tenor and falsetto was always unclear to me. Another example is John Jacob Niles (another Dylan influence):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpaAeqBhwrM
I’m wondering if there are any lessons here for poets. Would elocution or singing lessons be beneficial? A good reading is probably at least as difficult as good singing. You have to get pronunciation just right, pauses and line breaks too. What about pitch changes with meter? Sometimes poets read in kind of a monotone. But how much variation is right, before it becomes overly dramatic?
Yes... how to read poetry. There's that "poet voice" that seems to happen too often when it's read.
Recording one's self reading would be useful, too.
😂😂🔥
Earlier this year I read June Jordan, Rachel McKibbens, Ada Limon, Jason Reynolds and Dickinson. Right now enjoying the poetry in Hindi song lyrics and the English subtitles of Stromae's song L'enfer. :) On poetry being a luxury, a dear poem from an Indian poet: https://twitter.com/madhuragha/status/1272774620148449280
I believe it is Dickinson's birthday today! (My son has been busy in the past few years, working to set jazz standard-type music to her words--a huge fan.)
Thank you for sharing this poem. The "nonessential" artist. I had to retweet. And follow. Thank you for introducing me to a new-to-me poet!
Wow! Would love to hear those songs! Can I find them somewhere?
PS: So happy to discover Unschool for Writers. Hoping to spend more time with it. :)
Glad you found the Unschool!
My son will be starting the recording of the songs in the new year. He's applied to a few jazz fests for the coming year with this project. I will let you know when the recording is available!
One of my favorite discoveries recently is Kathryn Bevis - her pamphlet "Flamingo" is a rollercoaster of emotions, and one I recommend wholeheartedly. Looking forward to the discussion!
It might be a luxury to most, those that can sit in the language of the everyday and be comfortable. For me, I get restless with that, and poetry becomes necessary, a cure.
I got heavily into The Waste Land this year, and read a piece by Dan Beachy-Quick on how the lyrical brings rain to the drought of modernity (he compares Eliot with Keats). Poetry is meant to be a balm, in this case (specifically lyrical poetry: he takes aim at the modernists).
Over Thanksgiving, I picked up Eavan Boland again, who I hadn't read for years. She very much still holds up. Also her books are complete in terms of theme, something I'm always impressed by (unable to do it myself).
Prufrock animated:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y2a3PL-Iao
I believe that’s a recording of Eliot reading the poem about 40 years after he wrote it as an undergraduate.
Story is Harriet Monroe didn’t want it in Poetry because of that third line ruining the meter. Ezra Pound insisted. Still think it’s one of the most beautiful poems ever written.
“the Nightingale’s Drought, The Nightingale’s Draught” is the Beachy-Quick essay. Well worth the read.
Bring on the Rain!
Poetry--reading and writing--slows me in the best ways.
"A necessary cure."
Thanks, James.