"A poem should not mean / But be" -- I start my tutoring sessions with MacLeish's, Ars Poetica, and I emphasize these last two lines. I tell my students that they are free to use these two lines with me, any time they need to -- if I get too long-winded, or high-minded, they can just recite the lines. I can't tell you how easy it is to proceed with them after that, as we explore great poems together.
I have always liked Roethke. This poem was an early favorite of mine; I found a musical version on Youtube and I think he did a great job with it:
Here's the SpokenVerse version, which is lovely, too:
Christian Wiman was interviewed this week by Krista Tippett, on her program, On Being -- I highly recommend this:
Poems by Christian Wiman:
Wiman reading "And I was Alive" from his translation of Osip Mandelstam, in his book Stolen Air: Selected Poems of Osip Mandelstam:
I love Kay Ryan's poems; her distinctive style combines humor and brevity, with eyes and heart wide open.
Kay Ryan:
The Jam Jar Lifeboat and Other Novelties Exposed
The Best of It: New and Selected Poems
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Bishop's famous villanelle -- they are devilishly difficult to write, but the best of them, like this one, are driven by content and the form becomes added delight.
Elizabeth Bishop: Poems, Prose and Letters (Library of America)
I was in seventh grade, in Connecticut, when we read this poem in class. I remember everything about that moment: the open book; the type; the afternoon winter light; the narrative voice; the play of words. Cummings was my first love.
It's impossible to know the impact the DOJ's decision to bring a lawsuit against Apple and five publishers for price fixing will have on the book business, but this is, no doubt, the precursor of great changes. Three of the publishing houses have settled:
Justice Dept. sues Apple and Publishers Over E-Book Pricing
Cut in E-Book Pricing by Amazon is Set to Shake Rivals
This is a rather convincing argument as to why the DOJ was correct in bringing this anti-trust lawsuit:
http://www.litigationandtrial.com/2012/04/articles/business-lawsuits/apple-ebo oks-antitrust/
John Sargent, from MacMillan, responds on The Authors Guild website:
http://www.authorsguild.org/advocacy/articles/a-message-from-john-sargent-of.h tml
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On a personal note, I have decided to continue honing American Gothic Chicago, while I finish writing Under the Picasso. I'll have both books ready to launch at the same time. There is so much chaos in the marketplace right now that it is difficult to know whether it is smarter to go the traditional route and find an agent -- I had a great one, but now I will need another -- or is it best to strike out on my own and indie publish? When I come closer to finishing the novel, I will make a decision.
Are any of you grappling with these questions?
Barry C. Lynn, director of the Markets, Enterprise, and Resiliency Project at the New America Foundation, weighs in, pointing the finger at Amazon as the heavy in this battle, with an article in Slate. The comments following his article give you an idea of how varied the opinions are in this case:
The Real Bad Guy in the E-Book Price Fixing Case
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The Wall Street Journal - Apple: E-book collusion claims 'not true'
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Mike Shatzkin, of The Shatzkin Files, gives his considered opinion of recent events:
After the DoJ action, where do we stand?
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Amazon's E-Book Pricing a Constant Thorn for Publishers
Daring to Cut Off Amazon - NYT
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I first heard this poem when Eavan Boland came to The Art Institute of Chicago for a reading for Poetry Day in 2007. I immediately purchased the book of poems. This poem is searing; each time I read it, I am brought to tears.
Eavan Boland:
Object Lessons: The Life of the Woman and the Poet in Our Time
Outside History: Selected Poems, 1980-1990
Lunch Poems: Eavan Boland (UCtelevision)
I found Poetry Daily during their first year online and they've been a constant in my life. Don Selby and Diane Boller are the co-editors and they are celebrating their 15th year of curating poetry on the web. They've done such a marvelous job! Visit their website and start your day with a poem; before you know it you'll be adding poets and poems to your list of loves:
Ryan Van Winkle interviews Jane Hirshfield in this one hour podcast. It's wonderful!
From the Scottish Poetry Library website:
"Jane discusses what inspires her to write, her thoughts on politics, solitude, and spirituality."
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Jane was also recently interviewed on Philosophy Talk:
Poetry as a Way of Knowing, where the interview is available, at the moment, as a free stream. It can also be purchased here: Poetry as a Way of Knowing
