WhimsyLand

I think there's a certain kind of post-NY School poem that's been birthed by the various MFA mills. Say, a poem where you mention a famous pirate, then your favorite brand of organic tator chips, then mention how 'Stewart' hasn't walked the dog yet. But y' know, if the guy from Coldplay says he's really into 'White Light/White Heat', does that have much currency? Alot of these poems, and there are so many of them that there's no need to blame a particular poet, are quirky narrative. Alot of the stuff in Fence, McSweeney's, Jubilat are quirky narrative. Alot of indie films, say those in the post-Wes Anderson mode, qualify as quirky narrative. I should quit my qualms however, because the key word here is narrative. – unreliable zygote

Poetry should be an adventure.  "Speaking eloquently" will get you a sinecure and a dedicated line to your very own espresso machine. – Ange Mlinko, Poetry.

The best poets are wily, not dogmatic. – David Yezzi, Poetry.

Most poetry has too much craft and not enough guile. – me

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I think I'm repeating myself, but I ran across another article on Jonathan Lethem today.  I first read a book by Lethem after picking up Motherless Brooklyn at an airport bookstore.  It's a mystery whose protagonist is "an orphan whose Tourettic impulses drive him to bark".   He has also written science fiction (Gun With Occasional Music and Fortress of Solitude).  Lethem was awarded a Macarthur Fellowship (AKA the half-million dollar genius award) in 2005.  Interesting guy.

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Congrats to Jordan for an acceptance by Columbia Poetry Review.  My son attends Columbia College (home to CPR).  I'll be flying there next week after a business meeting in Ohio.  Kyle and his sweetie are flying in and the plan is to move All Derek's Stuff from his dorm room to his buddy Max's tiny apartment.  Also on the agenda is a couple of nice meals at the great restaurants in the Loop, and drinks at the same bar in the Palmer House where I met so many poets during AWP.  Cath booked rooms there for Ky and Eileen, and I lucked out using HotWire.com.  Frank (founder of the now-famous Frank's Title Service) will be joining us for at least one meal, and Derek has a gig at the renowned Buddy Guy's Legends on Friday night.  The only hitch in my giddyup is I'm flying out Sunday from Rockford airport, which (according to mapquest) appears to be farther away than Milwaukee. 

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I think Emily woke up with a hangover.

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One of the interesting things about working with other poets on MMM projects is the education I'm receiving from writers whose interactions are devoid of all Internet experience.   Virtually all the workshopping I've done has been on websites.  That, and the thousands of poems I've critiqued online, shaped my values and opinions in ways that I never expected.  Some of the things I've realized include:

• I'm not particularly good at appreciating long poems.  Most of the poems on the dozen poetry boards in which I've participated have been one screen long.
   
• Critiquing online tends to be tactical commentary.  There is very little discussion of poetics because poems are addressed one piece at a time.  As a result, poems that may do well in a sequence or collection, may appear weak. 
   
• There tends to arise "poetry board consensus" about matters of craft.  The good news is that mixed metaphors, tired imagery, ineffective line breaks, unimaginative titles,  and the like get called out regularly.  The bad news is that it becomes somewhat of a knee-jerk reaction among the local literati.
   
• The relative degree of anonymity tends to make the critique quite a bit crueler than were one in a meat-space poetry workshop.  In some ways, I think that's a good thing, that poets should learn to defend their work and develop thick skin (I can't tell you how many times, the Poet Laureate of Some Small State has graced a board with their work, only to get roasted).  On the other hand, there are poets who are just not ready for the kind of unbridled opinion-making that goes on.
   
• It is inevitable that cliques develop, leading to inequities in critique.  I've found a poet's immersion into a particular poetry board is a boot camp experience, and once the hazing period has expired, a much larger degree of slack is granted.  Of course, you have to suffer through the trial period, which is more than some sensitive souls can handle.
   
• Writing to post on a poetry board dramatically speeds up the entire poetry creation process.  You don't meet twice a month with peers.  Instead, you post one or two poems a week and critique dozens more as the coin of participation.  You could argue that this leads to a lower-quality output, but that has not been my experience.  In fact, I started submitting solely to determine if the online process was working, and if the critiques I received (and the suggestions that I incorporated in my work) had any merit.
   
• There is a danger in permitting strong personalities to shape your style.  Still, in the end, I think the experience is worth it.  My friend, Claudia, for example, tended to comment on poetry of mine that she felt was too suburban, or earned its keep too readily with emotional content.  By contorting my next poem to please the strong critters on a board, I found that I learned a variety of lessons, which in some cases led to my refutation of their aesthetic preference.
   
• A lot of participants of the poetry boards that have gone on to prosper in the print world:  Seth Abramson, Rebecca Loudon, Paul Guest, Frank Matagrano, G.C. Waldrep, Claudia Grinnell, Suzanne Frischkorn and many others.  Some (GC and Paul, for example) were already doing fabulously in the print world.  Some continue to post online, some have found other ways to stay engaged.  Blogging appears to be the most popular alternative

I've also found that many Internet-wary poets tend to avoid the poetry Blogosphere.  A poet friend of mine recently mentioned that she found the blogs to be whimsical, divisive, self-centered, chaotic and generally too much like frat parties (I'm paraphrasing).  Personally, I find myself at home among the hundreds of poetry blogs that I read over the year.  I don't always agree with everyone, but I love the mix of personalities and interests, and it's not just about the poetry (think CDY's comments on American Idol, or Paul Guest's fondness for Buffy).  The feeling of camaraderie seems very real to me, whether it's Jordan leaving a comment, or Reb leaving me an email about an editor looking for me, or Joshua telling me to look him up the next time I'm in Berkeley.  I want to believe that we're only a few keystrokes away from each other, not half a continent.  Well, maybe I'll get a chance to see many of you next February.  MMM is planning an AWP bash in NYC and it seems that half the poets in the US are within driving distance.

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Let's all think good thoughts for Jilly.  Gina's shadowed graphic is killerbee.  Aaron Anstett is reading in CO-Springs tomorrow.  Kasey hearts Christopher Lee.  Reb bumps on penis.  Zach: "Octopus Books has extended it's reading period for two more weeks. We'll probably like that mutha so print that mutha off and send it in."  Joshua reviews Grindhouse, Blades of Glory and Shooter.



See you tomorrow.