Poetry & prose
...On the matter of poets beloved by some of you: Here's a few from Laurie, in the field of the contemporary poets...
Mark Strand (a favorite of mine)
Marie Howe (ditto)
Stephen Dunn (possibly in my top five—introduced to him years ago by the infamous Lora K.)
Billy Collins (best guy for a title ever, in my book—Picnic, Lightning, and Sailing Alone Around the Room—how do you beat THAT?)
George Djanikian (new to me...you?)
Calling for more...step up, folks.
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Got a TON of emails in praise of Regina Specter—we are officially her fan club. Have put her on 3 recent mixes. Listening to them alllllll the time.
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Ok, what's the story with the Best American Poetry 2007? Anyone else check this one out? I recommended the whole Best of... series last fall, BUT, my friends, I'm not at all sure about this one. Guest Ed. Heather McHugh. Her intro possibly one of the weirdest of all time--all about wordplay, and too precious by far, to my tastes. The poems veer close to the language school of poetry, and to my mind play closer to the surface of the page than the depth of the poem.
CAVEAT: it is ENTIRELY possible that I'm just too damn dumb to get the stuff.
*
The poetry jag—the output part—has ended, which was necessary because I needed to get on with the business of pitching the new prose work. Had the MOST killer writing day Sunday. Did that thing I love to do—moved into my new favorite coffee shop (for Minneapolitans—Common Roots, on Lyndale) and just SAILED through a proposal for a proposal. No word on that yet, sorry. Will keep you posted. As I've said, it's still all very embryonic at this point, so I'm a mumbling idiot on it anyway. While that thing cooks with the people it cooks with, I'm working on a couple of articles. Good to get the reportorial juices flowing again. Feels like I haven't used that part of my brain in about ten years. In fact, it HAS been quite a few...cross your fingers in hopes that I actually know how to DO it anymore...if not, my friends, we have a problem, because I have assignments and deadlines and contracts to meet...
So like I said: it's all about prose right now. The poetry jag resulted in 13 new pieces, and in December I'm going to sit down on my floor in a pile of paper and start submitting to lit mags. We shall see...
*
In other news: so very little news it's almost newsworthy how little is going on. In one of those work phases where I'm not totally sure there's a world out there, but I hear there is...Somebody fill me in.
*
YUCK: We're moving. WHAT A DRAG. The dogs will absolutely lose their little (really little) minds. Soon I'll be buried in boxes, unhanging art, packing up the library (oh, god, perish the thought....last time I moved it was 27 boxes of books alone...say, some of my friends think it's weird I organize my books by genre, alphabetically— I don't think it's weird AT ALL—how else am I supposed to find anything??), and all this RIGHT in the middle of the fall writing spell. Fall and winter are my best writing times, and I'm going to lose a month of it to being frizazzled. Drat.
*
Little known fact: Fargo, North Dakota has a SERIOUSLY kick-ass literary scene. Who knew? Check it out if you're ever near the area...
*
And that's it for me today, people. See? I really AM blogging again. Ppptttthttt!
Cheers to all!
Peace,
M
Mark Strand (a favorite of mine)
Marie Howe (ditto)
Stephen Dunn (possibly in my top five—introduced to him years ago by the infamous Lora K.)
Billy Collins (best guy for a title ever, in my book—Picnic, Lightning, and Sailing Alone Around the Room—how do you beat THAT?)
George Djanikian (new to me...you?)
Calling for more...step up, folks.
*
Got a TON of emails in praise of Regina Specter—we are officially her fan club. Have put her on 3 recent mixes. Listening to them alllllll the time.
*
Ok, what's the story with the Best American Poetry 2007? Anyone else check this one out? I recommended the whole Best of... series last fall, BUT, my friends, I'm not at all sure about this one. Guest Ed. Heather McHugh. Her intro possibly one of the weirdest of all time--all about wordplay, and too precious by far, to my tastes. The poems veer close to the language school of poetry, and to my mind play closer to the surface of the page than the depth of the poem.
CAVEAT: it is ENTIRELY possible that I'm just too damn dumb to get the stuff.
*
The poetry jag—the output part—has ended, which was necessary because I needed to get on with the business of pitching the new prose work. Had the MOST killer writing day Sunday. Did that thing I love to do—moved into my new favorite coffee shop (for Minneapolitans—Common Roots, on Lyndale) and just SAILED through a proposal for a proposal. No word on that yet, sorry. Will keep you posted. As I've said, it's still all very embryonic at this point, so I'm a mumbling idiot on it anyway. While that thing cooks with the people it cooks with, I'm working on a couple of articles. Good to get the reportorial juices flowing again. Feels like I haven't used that part of my brain in about ten years. In fact, it HAS been quite a few...cross your fingers in hopes that I actually know how to DO it anymore...if not, my friends, we have a problem, because I have assignments and deadlines and contracts to meet...
So like I said: it's all about prose right now. The poetry jag resulted in 13 new pieces, and in December I'm going to sit down on my floor in a pile of paper and start submitting to lit mags. We shall see...
*
In other news: so very little news it's almost newsworthy how little is going on. In one of those work phases where I'm not totally sure there's a world out there, but I hear there is...Somebody fill me in.
*
YUCK: We're moving. WHAT A DRAG. The dogs will absolutely lose their little (really little) minds. Soon I'll be buried in boxes, unhanging art, packing up the library (oh, god, perish the thought....last time I moved it was 27 boxes of books alone...say, some of my friends think it's weird I organize my books by genre, alphabetically— I don't think it's weird AT ALL—how else am I supposed to find anything??), and all this RIGHT in the middle of the fall writing spell. Fall and winter are my best writing times, and I'm going to lose a month of it to being frizazzled. Drat.
*
Little known fact: Fargo, North Dakota has a SERIOUSLY kick-ass literary scene. Who knew? Check it out if you're ever near the area...
*
And that's it for me today, people. See? I really AM blogging again. Ppptttthttt!
Cheers to all!Peace,
M
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