Saturday, March 10, 2007
Picking up the bits
Sorry I went so long without posting. Work has been very hectic. Here are some tidbits to tide you over for a couple days. Draft on Sunday or Monday.
- I realized I have an extra copy of Best New Poets 2006 brand new in shrinkwrap, so I'm going to run a contest here on the blog to give it away. The only problem is I can't think of a contest. If anyone has any ideas, suggest them in comments. If I pick your idea, you get a copy of The Eleventh Muse 2006.
- Speaking of the Muse, 2007 should be printing starting next week.
- I think the only kind of workshop that works is one where people have extensive past experience with your work, have a good amount of lead time to read the poem that's being discussed, and talk about what it's doing and how it's doing it before they talk about "what works and doesn't work." In other words, 1 in 100,000.
- I think more and more my own poetry comes back to the following principles: it's written with an intense consciousness of how it would sound read aloud, it's written to compress the language and devices as much as possible, and it's written for the form and content to be organic, neither forcing the other. There are other principles as well, of course.
- Went to the Nuggets game with my dad and stepmom tonight. It was an enjoyable time, and I ate the world's best sundae at dinner beforehand, but the game itself was lousy.
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"I think the only kind of workshop that works is one where people have extensive past experience with your work, have a good amount of lead time to read the poem that's being discussed, and talk about what it's doing and how it's doing it before they talk about what works and doesn't work." In other words, 1 in 100,000."
I completely agree. I've had professors who say they think a "cold" reading is best; that it gives a fresh perspective, but I think it just gives a surface reading with knee jerk responses. If you are familiar with the person's work I think that helps a lot, but even then I need time to mull the poem over. The other problem I've had with cold readings from professors is that some will give it the cold reading, but then not qualify their statements. I will often say, Well, I know this is just after reading it ONE time, but I think maybe, blah, blah, but the professor, not wanting to sound wishy washy will make sweeping statements about your work and where you are going in it.
I completely agree. I've had professors who say they think a "cold" reading is best; that it gives a fresh perspective, but I think it just gives a surface reading with knee jerk responses. If you are familiar with the person's work I think that helps a lot, but even then I need time to mull the poem over. The other problem I've had with cold readings from professors is that some will give it the cold reading, but then not qualify their statements. I will often say, Well, I know this is just after reading it ONE time, but I think maybe, blah, blah, but the professor, not wanting to sound wishy washy will make sweeping statements about your work and where you are going in it.
The only thing I've liked about workshops is the community, being around people who value poetry.
I will politely say that the help to my work has been minimal. So I found myself a little surprised to be hosting a 3-person workshop last month (& we'll meet again this month). I ended up blabbing away most the time, maybe it was the wine. And sorta had fun. Neither of the other poets were neophytes, tho I can't say as we know each other's work well. I don't think there were hurt feelings. But I could tell one of the others was extra cautious about saying could-be-heard-as mean things and I figured that was cuz he'd taken too many workshops (where there are always hurt feelings!). It would be okay with me if we mainly aired our thoughts on poetry/poetics with our own poems provided the jumping off place (to catch all that air, y'know), rather than pretend we're there to fix a particular poem.
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I will politely say that the help to my work has been minimal. So I found myself a little surprised to be hosting a 3-person workshop last month (& we'll meet again this month). I ended up blabbing away most the time, maybe it was the wine. And sorta had fun. Neither of the other poets were neophytes, tho I can't say as we know each other's work well. I don't think there were hurt feelings. But I could tell one of the others was extra cautious about saying could-be-heard-as mean things and I figured that was cuz he'd taken too many workshops (where there are always hurt feelings!). It would be okay with me if we mainly aired our thoughts on poetry/poetics with our own poems provided the jumping off place (to catch all that air, y'know), rather than pretend we're there to fix a particular poem.
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