Tuesday, December 30, 2008
An Odd Sentence from the Pen of Keith Badowski
Each person dealing out castigation was carefully screened by a panel of big-tent clowns and varsity football mascots to make sure that no merciless hecklers were granted a federal license and issued fully loaded cream pies in error.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Anne Sexton on Letting Out 'Some Extraordinary Animals'
Patricia Marx asks Anne Sexton what she means when she says, "The form is always important."
PM: Do you mean by form just the physical look of the poem?
Anne Sexton: Yes, sometimes, but also the sound. But I think of it as something you can hold. I think of it with my hands to begin with. I don’t know what the poem will be and I start out writing and it looks wrong. I start a long line and that looks wrong, and a short line, and I play around with rhyme, and then I sometimes make a kind of impossible syllabic count, and if I can get the first verse and it’s right, then I might keep on with that for four more verses, and then I might change it because I felt that it needed a new rhythm. It has as much to do with speech as it does with the way it will look on the page, because it will change speech—it’s a kind of compression. I used to describe it this way; that if you used form it was like letting a lot of wild animals out in the arena, but enclosing them in a cage, and you could let some extraordinary animals out if you had the right cage, and that cage would be form.
from “Interview with Anne Sexton” (1965)by Patricia Marx in Anne Sexton: The Artist and Her Critics edited by J.D. McClatchy (1978)
Anne Sexton seems to be saying that by using formal structure in poetry, the poet is liberated in terms of content. Sexton, at least, found form to be freeing instead of limiting. One way this might be characterized is that the form occupied the logical part of the brain, allowing the creative side to sneak out and go wild. --Keith Badowski
PM: Do you mean by form just the physical look of the poem?
Anne Sexton: Yes, sometimes, but also the sound. But I think of it as something you can hold. I think of it with my hands to begin with. I don’t know what the poem will be and I start out writing and it looks wrong. I start a long line and that looks wrong, and a short line, and I play around with rhyme, and then I sometimes make a kind of impossible syllabic count, and if I can get the first verse and it’s right, then I might keep on with that for four more verses, and then I might change it because I felt that it needed a new rhythm. It has as much to do with speech as it does with the way it will look on the page, because it will change speech—it’s a kind of compression. I used to describe it this way; that if you used form it was like letting a lot of wild animals out in the arena, but enclosing them in a cage, and you could let some extraordinary animals out if you had the right cage, and that cage would be form.
from “Interview with Anne Sexton” (1965)by Patricia Marx in Anne Sexton: The Artist and Her Critics edited by J.D. McClatchy (1978)
Anne Sexton seems to be saying that by using formal structure in poetry, the poet is liberated in terms of content. Sexton, at least, found form to be freeing instead of limiting. One way this might be characterized is that the form occupied the logical part of the brain, allowing the creative side to sneak out and go wild. --Keith Badowski
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
New Paltz Alumni Poetry Reading
Anne Gorrick reading at the SUNY New Paltz Alumni Poetry Reading on Thursday, December 4th, 2008. Anne gives a delightful reading and the music goes wonderfully with it. I don't know Anne, but I did graduate from New Paltz many years ago. The aura reminds me (fondly) of those days. Perhaps someday they'll invite me!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Poetry and Writing Stunts
If you’ve read my blog before, you know I’m a sucker for writing stunts, such as the “spontaneous poems” I did for awhile. (By the way, I fully intend to get back to that stunt one day very soon—so keep tuned in!)
Anyway, I found my way to the website of René Battelle, who has explored several varieties of writing stunts.
See: http://afternoontea.250free.com/SpecialEvents/EventsFrontpage.html
Main Page: http://afternoontea.250free.com/
The following Writing Stunt ideas are inspired by René Battelle’s projects. In several instances, I’ve slightly modified what she describes on her website. Whatever the case, the credit goes to her for the inspiration.
Poem-a-day challenge—It’s self explanatory isn’t it? Write a poem every day for one month, any style, any length. (I’ve also heard of other poets doing this for an entire year, but that would be a Herculean feat!)
Stanza-a-day challenge--Write a four-line stanza for each day of the month, then post the entire poem for the 30th. The only real rule is that you are not allowed to look at the previous stanzas while you move forward with the poem. You can't look at any of them until the entire thing is done.
24-Hour Surrealist Poetry Marathon!--Produce one poem, written during that day sometime, that is no less than 10 lines long. Then the fun begins! All night, from 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m., produce at least one poem per hour. There are no form or line restrictions for those hours, and since you’re awake all night it could get weird, which is where the Surrealist bit comes in!
Midnight Madness—For one week (or month if you can stand it), write a poem every night at midnight. Wake yourself up from a dead sleep (if necessary), and give yourself a mere hour to compose, edit, and post a lovely piece of verse for general consumption.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words--See if you can produce a thousand words for a picture. . . . All right, maybe not a thousand, but how about as many as you can? The challenge is to produce poems and/or stories from pictures in magazines or any other source of photography.
Ten Hour Shower—For ten hours, 8:00 p.m. -- 6:00 a.m., write a poem an hour, two if possible. Start out writing in your bathtub or shower stall. From there move to other unusual writing locations as needed, such as under the kitchen table or with your feet in the fireplace.
Poetry Duel—Find a fellow poet with a strong constitution and challenge him or her to a poetry duel. Go back and forth each day and write poems in response to each other's poems. See if you can keep it up for an entire month.
Morning Minute—For one month, every morning, within minutes of opening your eyes from sleep, taking no more than a minute (but less, if it happens) to write everything you’re thinking.
Anyway, I found my way to the website of René Battelle, who has explored several varieties of writing stunts.
See: http://afternoontea.250free.com/SpecialEvents/EventsFrontpage.html
Main Page: http://afternoontea.250free.com/
The following Writing Stunt ideas are inspired by René Battelle’s projects. In several instances, I’ve slightly modified what she describes on her website. Whatever the case, the credit goes to her for the inspiration.
Poem-a-day challenge—It’s self explanatory isn’t it? Write a poem every day for one month, any style, any length. (I’ve also heard of other poets doing this for an entire year, but that would be a Herculean feat!)
Stanza-a-day challenge--Write a four-line stanza for each day of the month, then post the entire poem for the 30th. The only real rule is that you are not allowed to look at the previous stanzas while you move forward with the poem. You can't look at any of them until the entire thing is done.
24-Hour Surrealist Poetry Marathon!--Produce one poem, written during that day sometime, that is no less than 10 lines long. Then the fun begins! All night, from 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m., produce at least one poem per hour. There are no form or line restrictions for those hours, and since you’re awake all night it could get weird, which is where the Surrealist bit comes in!
Midnight Madness—For one week (or month if you can stand it), write a poem every night at midnight. Wake yourself up from a dead sleep (if necessary), and give yourself a mere hour to compose, edit, and post a lovely piece of verse for general consumption.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words--See if you can produce a thousand words for a picture. . . . All right, maybe not a thousand, but how about as many as you can? The challenge is to produce poems and/or stories from pictures in magazines or any other source of photography.
Ten Hour Shower—For ten hours, 8:00 p.m. -- 6:00 a.m., write a poem an hour, two if possible. Start out writing in your bathtub or shower stall. From there move to other unusual writing locations as needed, such as under the kitchen table or with your feet in the fireplace.
Poetry Duel—Find a fellow poet with a strong constitution and challenge him or her to a poetry duel. Go back and forth each day and write poems in response to each other's poems. See if you can keep it up for an entire month.
Morning Minute—For one month, every morning, within minutes of opening your eyes from sleep, taking no more than a minute (but less, if it happens) to write everything you’re thinking.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Denis Leary, Poetry Fan?
I've noticed that there are crossroads in various places between stand-up comedy and poetry. I've come across a number of poets who when they read their poems attempt to crack up their audience with their wit and delivery. Poets like Billy Collins and Thomas Lux weave humor into their poetry like it's the most natural thing in the world. My friend Ron Self, Columbus, GA attorney and poet, has this flare for comedy in his poems. Another friend of mine, stand-up comic, Joe Bronzi used to write brilliant poems; he still writes incredible dialogue in his scripts. As far as I can tell, poetry and stand-up comedy go well together. Both arts are language driven. Word choice, rhythm and style of diction have everything to do with it. You must love language to be good at either craft. So I wasn't too shocked to read in a recent interview published in the Chicago Tribune that, actor/comedian, Denis Leary is an avid poetry reader.
Q:So when you put your book on your bookshelf, what else is there?
Denis Leary:I've always been a fan of poetry. People may be surprised by that. Early in college [Emerson College in Boston], I had a huge crush on this poetry teacher ... that probably helped.
And also a plethora of sports books and history books, biographies. Any book about the Boston Red Sox, any baseball writing—it's the most prosaic thing in the world. I like Hemingway. But if there was a Hemingway book and the Robert Creamer book on Babe Ruth—I've read that book about three or four times—that's the one I'm going to pick up.
Q:What poetry's on your shelf?
Denis Leary:Tom Lux and [former U.S. Poet Laureate] Charles Simic and Bill Knott. Tom Lux and Bill Knott taught at Emerson College. I'm not really a classical guy because I grew up in the city. I actually don't get Shakespeare. I would never be able to perform Shakespeare. Scorsese's films "Taxi Driver" and "Mean Streets"—that's the first time I saw guys in the movies who I felt like I grew up with them. That's like my Shakespeare.
Q:As a college student, you had two poems published in the distinguished poetry magazine Ploughshares [published by Emerson College]. Does it help your comedy writing that you once wrote poetry?
Denis Leary:It's the rhythm of it. I just learned this whole thing about rhythm, listening to these teachers talk about it.
For the entire article http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-denis-leary-1208dec08,0,6606675.story
Q:So when you put your book on your bookshelf, what else is there?
Denis Leary:I've always been a fan of poetry. People may be surprised by that. Early in college [Emerson College in Boston], I had a huge crush on this poetry teacher ... that probably helped.
And also a plethora of sports books and history books, biographies. Any book about the Boston Red Sox, any baseball writing—it's the most prosaic thing in the world. I like Hemingway. But if there was a Hemingway book and the Robert Creamer book on Babe Ruth—I've read that book about three or four times—that's the one I'm going to pick up.
Q:What poetry's on your shelf?
Denis Leary:Tom Lux and [former U.S. Poet Laureate] Charles Simic and Bill Knott. Tom Lux and Bill Knott taught at Emerson College. I'm not really a classical guy because I grew up in the city. I actually don't get Shakespeare. I would never be able to perform Shakespeare. Scorsese's films "Taxi Driver" and "Mean Streets"—that's the first time I saw guys in the movies who I felt like I grew up with them. That's like my Shakespeare.
Q:As a college student, you had two poems published in the distinguished poetry magazine Ploughshares [published by Emerson College]. Does it help your comedy writing that you once wrote poetry?
Denis Leary:It's the rhythm of it. I just learned this whole thing about rhythm, listening to these teachers talk about it.
For the entire article http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-denis-leary-1208dec08,0,6606675.story
Monday, December 08, 2008
History Among the Rocks by Robert Penn Warren
The reader of this Robert Penn Warren poem has a hypnotic voice. I'm impressed by the reading and the poem itself. Click play, lean back in your chair and treat yourself.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Apes Invade London
Den of Geek posted this picture and several others. I just love seeing these Apes roaming around London. In this picture, I love the fact that just as always the subway riders seem to be ignoring everything going on around them! The other pictures are well worth a look if you're an old time Ape fan like me. As a kid, I'd watch those Planet of the Apes movies every time they aired on television. One of my fondest memories is of viewing Battle for the Planet of the Apes in a drive-in with my family. It was a double feature with Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. There is a rumor going around that there will be another Planet of the Apes movie, despite the lack of enthusiasm around the Tim Burton outing. I'd be curious to see another take on the concepts of the old films. However, if I'm honest with myself . . . those old films live best in my memory and will never be topped or replaced by any "reimagining".
Friday, November 14, 2008
Dennis Lehane on The Given Day (novel)
You can watch this video for free at Amazon.com.
Video: Dennis Lehane on "The Given Day"
Comment: Here's a rare thing--an author interview where the novelist clearly shares his logic in constructing plot and character. Also comments on the gift of those characters that just "show up". Lehane is unquestionably one of my most admired novelists. --Keith Badowski
Watch this video at http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/mB850HYHBAVZY
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Review: The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction Oct/Nov 2008
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The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
October/November 2008 • 60th Year of Publication
Days of Wonder (novelette) – Geoff Ryman
5 out of 5
A riveting tale of warfare between horses and cats. Both the horses and cats have human characteristics, such as speech; they also wield guns. The core of the story focuses on Leveza, a horse whose fold is slaughtered by the cats. Leveza in turn takes a cat captive, binds it with ropes, and knocks out its teeth. In the course of the conflict, a fascinating bond develops between captor and captive. I was swept up in the savage heartache of Leveza’s story. The sci-fi concept is that the now vanished humans genetically seeded their own knowledge and characteristics inside the DNA of animals. Leveza believes that humans could be genetically resurrected if all the various elements are brought together from the animal kingdoms.
The Visionaries (novelette) – Robert Reed
3.5 out of 5
Trolling the slush piles of various publishers are the agents of a mastermind who has figured out ways to identify the visions embedded in speculative fiction and apply them as financial tools. Certain rare visionaries have an innate bond with another individual existing 100 years in the future. This story focuses on one such “visionary” writer and his career path as author and forecaster of the future. The concept is clever, the narrator is likable, and there is nice surprise twist toward the end. However, overall the story seems light and designed mostly for brief amusement.
Planetesimal Dawn (novelette) – Tim Sullivan
3 out of 5
On an asteroid two humans struggle to get back to base and accidentally discover an alien mining system. One of the two humans is insufferably antisocial, so much so he resists all efforts to return to base. The other extricates herself from the mining system and encounters a bizarre alien in the process. The story’s concepts and plot held my attention while I was reading it, but characters were so unremarkable, I’m sure this one will quickly fade from my memory.
Inside Story (short story) – Albert E. Cowdrey
4.5 out of 5
Entering the wrong FEMA trailer could turn you inside-out, literarily. This tale feels like the X-files blended with a situation comedy set in New Orleans. I loved the dialogue with Cajun dialect. My favorite line: “’Jeeeeeesus Key-rist,’ Fournet muttered. ‘A four-foot-high parakeet made of rubber bands. I never seen nothing like that, even on Dr. Who. What the hell I’ma put in my report, assuming I ever get to make a report? They’ll think I’m nuts at Tulane and Broad.’” Highly entertaining.
Sleepless Years – Steven Utley
5 out of 5
Admittedly I’m partial to stories that examine issues of faith, particularly the gulf between Christianity and atheism, or in the case of this tale, agnosticism. The agnostic in this story is scientifically revived from death but in a state that prohibits sleep. Since he donated his body to science, his life is not his own, doomed to an endless existence as a lab experiment, since he could be kept “alive” forever. This painful story portrays how throughout a life characterized by tragedy one man is unable to accept Christian faith. I was deeply moved, saddened, and chilled by this story.
The New York Times At Special Bargain Rates – Stephen King
3 out of 5
It’s a ghost story. The eeriness is slight and not too memorable.
Dazzle Joins the Screenwriter's Guild – Scott Bradfield
3.5 out of 5
A talking dog is tapped to write a screenplay based on his biography. It’s amusing send up of Hollywood, worth a few chuckles, but that’s about it.
Going Back in Time – Laurel Winter
4 out of 5
This is a short, fragmented, experimental piece that playfully illustrates some of the theories of physics. It’s sexy, lively, and humorous.
Private Eye – Terry Bisson
4 out of 5
Not a P.I. story, but a vignette about the near-future of voyeurism. Subscribers pay to see what other “wired” people, called “Private Eyes” see. The Private Eye’s strict protocols result in a tour-de-force of sexual tension for the Private Eye, the object of his sight, and his viewers. At the risk of repeating myself, it’s sexy, lively, and humorous.
Whoever – Carol Emshwiller
4.5 out of 5
This is a fascinating little tale of amnesia. The narrator has no idea who she is or how she got where she is. It reminded me of Corwin’s plight in Roger Zelazny’s 1st Amber novel. The story has not only an interesting puzzle, but also romance and action. The narrator’s voice quite engaging as she theorizes what has happened to her.
Evidence of Love in a Case of Abandonment: One Daughter's Personal Account – M. Rickert
4.5 out of 5
I’m a big fan of M. Rickert, so I’m sad to say this isn’t her best story, but if you’ve never read her work before, it’ll probably blow you away. As usual for Rickert, she’s come up with an extremely creepy premise. Wives and mothers are vanishing, some on the run, others being captured. Some of these women are next seen at their public executions, which are broadcast live. This story follows one family whose wife/mother is missing. There’s a political barb in this one, and it’s fairly disturbing.
The Scarecrow's Boy – Michael Swanwick
4.5 out of 5
In a near-future where robot intelligence has been installed in such things as a scarecrow, a car, and boat, a little boy’s fate is in the hands of a one such scarecrow. This in an intriguing story of how an AI being sorts through memory, emotion, and programming to arrive at a suitable solution for this boy in danger.
POEM
December 22, 2012 – Sophie M. White
This poem has vivid details and a humorous premise.
COVER
"New Beginning" by Max Bertolini
Dramatic!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Book Review: Players at the Game of People (1980) by John Brunner
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Having been delighted with John Brunner’s The Whole Man, I had high expectations for Players at the Game of People. Unfortunately this novel turned out to be bleak, where as The Whole Man was hopeful, and depressing, where as The Whole Man was uplifting.
Players at the Game of People is also quite a confusing read. If it were not for the dust-jacket blurb, I wouldn’t have understood what was going on until about halfway through the novel. That said, the second half of the novel is much better than the first and almost made the novel as a whole worth my while.
Here’s the basic concept: Godwin is one of many human beings who have surrendered themselves to alien entities (or if you prefer a supernatural metaphor, devils). In exchange for allowing these entities to take over their bodies at a moment’s notice, the humans receive whatever career and/or lifestyle they wish. Godwin has chosen to be a man of leisure, experiencing exotic locales & women, eating posh food, and driving a fancy car.
The first half of the novel is so tough to get through because Godwin is so deeply unhappy and bored with his life. Clearly the deal he made has resulted in his inability to appreciate any of the delights of life, because they come without any effort.
In the second half of the book, Godwin comes to an awareness of how he has “sold his soul,” despite his adamant argument that without the deal he most likely would’ve ended up a wasted drunk on skid row. Sadly his awareness does not lead to character change. The ending is decidedly tragic.
As a reader, I’m perfectly willing to lay aside a book part the way through if it doesn’t please me. So it says something that I finished this novel, actually reading the last half in one sitting. Perhaps the hope of a redemptive ending kept me going. Whatever the case, I must admit that Brunner has done a excellent job of revealing in excruciating detail what it truly means to ‘gain the whole world but lose your soul.’
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Audio Anthology: Poems read by Keith Badowski
These poems were not written by me. I only wish I had written them.
MP3 of the sound of Jealousy
MP3 of the sound of Aging
If you have Quick Time, the track will automatically play in it's entirety when you click on it.You can get Quick Time here.
Your other option is to right click on the link, select "Save Target As", and Browse to the location on your hard drive where you want to save the MP3 file.
In that case, you'll need to open the file in Windows Media Player or some other media program that handles MP3s.
MP3 of the sound of Jealousy
MP3 of the sound of Aging
If you have Quick Time, the track will automatically play in it's entirety when you click on it.You can get Quick Time here.
Your other option is to right click on the link, select "Save Target As", and Browse to the location on your hard drive where you want to save the MP3 file.
In that case, you'll need to open the file in Windows Media Player or some other media program that handles MP3s.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Poetry Readings/Workshops in Atlanta, GA and Columbus, GA
COLUMBUS, GA OPENMIC & POETRY WORKSHOP
Meets the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Columbus Public Library, 3000 Macon Road. Poetry Workshop meets the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at 513 Broadway. Call 706-649-3080 for information.
source: Georgia Poetry Society Newsletter
ALPHARETTA POETRY FORUM
Meets the third Tuesday of each month. We spend time reading and discussing poetry. For more information, contact Terry Hensel (tlhensel@comcast.net).
source: Georgia Poetry Society Newsletter
HARRIS COUNTY POETRY SOCIETY
Meets monthly at ArtWorks, a gallery/studio in Pine Mountain, GA. For information, contact Jeanne Koone at jlkoone@aol.com or by phone at 706-663-2671.
source: Georgia Poetry Society Newsletter
STONEPILE WRITERS
A group of writers and poets at North Georgia College and State University have created the StonepileWriters. For information about this new group, see http://stonepilewriters.edublogs.org/.
source: Georgia Poetry Society Newsletter
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Join us for an evening with celebrated Irish poet Bernard O’Donoghue
Dear Library Friends, we hope you can join us for this reading by Bernard O’Donoghue on 10.29.08 -- **no RSPV required**!
Look forward to seeing you, Lea
6:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Cox Hall Ballroom (third floor)
569 Asbury Circle, Emory University
Poet and literary critic Bernard O’Donoghue was born in Cullen, County Cork, Ireland
and now resides in Manchester, UK. O’Donoghue is author of Seamus Heaney and the
Language of Poetry (1995). His poetry collections include Poaching Rights (1987); The Weakness (1991); Gunpowder (1995); Here Nor There (1999); and Outlining (2003). In 1995 he received the Whitbread Poetry Award for Gunpowder. His most recent work consists of a verse translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (2006) and Selected Poems (2008).
Reception and book signing will follow the poetry reading.
For directions: http://www.map.emory.edu/
Parking: In the Fishburne and Peavine parking decks
For more information: 404.727.0148
Lea McLees, Director of Communications
Emory University Libraries
540 Asbury Circle, Atlanta, GA 30332
TEL 404.727.0211 * FAX 404.727.0805
WWW http://web.library.emory.edu/
source: email announcement
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 8:00 PM
VOICES CARRY: AN EVENING OF POETRY & SPOKEN WORD
FEATURING ***THERESA DAVIS, JIM ELLEDGE, KODAC HARRISON, COLLIN KELLEY, LAUREL SNYDER & CECILIA WOLOCH***
WORDSMITHS BOOKS, DECATUR
Mark your calendars now for the fifth annual reading, which will be held this year at Wordsmiths Books in Decatur. A wine and cheese reception will be held, and poets will be signing their books. Visit www.wordsmithsbooks.com for directions and parking information.
source: http://www.poetryatlanta.blogspot.com/
Sunday, November 9 –
Poet Cecelia Woloch will give a reading of her work.2:00 PM, Smith-McCullers House, 1519 Stark Avenue.Woloch was named 2004’s Georgia Author of the Year in Poetry, and her work is included in Garrison Keillor’s Good Poems for Hard Times.
source: http://www.mccullerscenter.org/
Monday, November 10, 2008
is the deadline for requesting an application for GA Tech’s Poetry at Tech Community Poetry Workshops
Workshop with Travis Wayne Denton
Saturday, January 31, 2009
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
FREE
Room 10, Wesley New Media Center
in the Skiles Building on the Georgia Tech Campus
Workshop with Thomas Lux
Saturday, February 28, 2009
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
FREE
Room 10, Wesley New Media Center
in the Skiles Building on the Georgia Tech Campus
Workshop with Ginger Murchison
Saturday, March 28, 2009
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
FREE
Room 10, Wesley New Media Center
in the Skiles Building on the Georgia Tech Campus
Workshop with Katie Chaple
Saturday, April 11, 2009
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
FREE
Room 10, Wesley New Media Center
in the Skiles Building on the Georgia Tech Campus
To request an application, e-mail travis.denton@lcc.gatech.edu or call Travis Denton at POETRY at TECH at 404-385-2760 with your name, address, zip code and phone number. If you leave a voice mail, please speak slowly and spell your name and street address. Include your zip code and a phone number. The deadline for requesting an application is November 10, 2008.
Applications will be sent by November 20, 2008 to the physical address requested or to the e-mail address on the online request. POETRY at TECH is not responsible for snail mail or e-mail that does not reach you. If you requested an application and do not have one by the end of November, e-mail again or call. There is no need to call before November 15.
All applications without exception must be returned by email and postmarked by MIDNIGHT DECEMBER 10, 2008. Applications will be considered IN THE ORDER THEY ARE RECEIVED.
Applications NOT IN OUR HANDS by DECEMBER 10, 2008 CANNOT BE CONSIDERED.
NOTE: Applicants will be given the opportunity to request a preferred workshop and a second choice on the application; however, if your first- and second-choice workshops are full, you will be notified BEFORE being placed in another workshop. Should you decline a place in a workshop with availability, that place will be offered to the next name on the list.
Applicants should submit ONE poem (30 lines or fewer --Please!) with the application. Late submissions or those submitted on the day of the workshop will not be accepted as instructors will have studied the poems ahead of time. An application without a poem will be taken as indication that the applicant wishes to attend without workshopping a poem.
Instructors assume that all who submit poems are ready for and, in fact, invite rigorous critique by the instructor and other workshop participants. At no time, however, will a participant or his work be treated with disrespect or harshness. Workshop size will be strictly limited to ensure a safe and intimate environment in which participants can confidently develop their poetics and aesthetic standards.
Participants may bring a lunch or order a box lunch that will be delivered to the classroom. Menus and order forms will be part of the application.
E-mail any questions to travis.denton@lcc.gatech.edu
source: http://www.poetry.gatech.edu/workshops.html
Wednesday, November 12 –
Award-winning poet Michael Waters in two events: In the afternoon, a workshop at the Smith-McCullers House, 1519 Stark Avenue. In the evening, a formal reading. Exact times and locations to be announced. This is a Georgia Poetry Circuit event.
source: http://www.mccullerscenter.org/
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12; 8:15 pm
POETRY READING
Join two amazing poets Stephen Bluestone and Ginger Murchison as Callanwolde celebrates the art and performance of poetry with readings in the unique setting of the Callanwolde Conservatory. $5 General Admission, $3 Students/Seniors/Members. For more information call 404-872-5338.
Stephen Bluestone, a native New Yorker, has received numerous awards for his poetry, including the Greensboro Review Poetry Prize and the Thomas Merton Prize. Two of his volumes of poetry, The Laughing Monkeys of Gravity and The Flagrant Dead, were nominated for the National Book Award in Poetry. Holiness Everywhere, his free adaptation of a 12th-century work by Jehudah Halevi, set to music by Atlanta composer Curtis Bryant premiered in New York City in 2002. O City! a tribute to the victims of the 9/11 tragedy was performed by the Gregg Smith Singers in New York City in 2003, and more recently, a collaboration with composer David H. Johnson has resulted in a new work, Jerusalem Trilogy. Bluestone teaches English and film at Mercer University.
Ginger Murchison, is currently a candidate for an MFA in poetry at Warren Wilson College and editor of The Cortland Review. She assisted in the founding of Georgia Tech's poetry program, “POETRY at TECH”, while working there for 7 years. She is a two-time Pushcart nominee and her poems have appeared in Atlanta Review, The Chattahoochee Review, Terminus Magazine and in Volumes II and III of Java Monkey Speaks: A Poetry Anthology. Her chapbook Out Here, was recently released by Jeanne Duval Editions
source: http://www.callanwolde.org/events/index.html
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2008
Seventh Annual
Bourne Poetry Reading
Featuring: ILYA KAMINSKY and DAVID ST. JOHN
The Clary Theatre
In the Bill Moore Student Success Center
7:00 p.m., FREE
Open to the Public
No Tickets or Reservations Required
Book Sale and Signing to Follow the Reading
Parking across North Avenue
in the Burge Parking Deck.
source: http://www.poetry.gatech.edu/events.html
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 7:00 PM
***SHARON OLDS***
THE LITERARY CENTER @ MARGARET MITCHELL HOUSE
Award-winning poet Sharon Olds will make a rare appearance at the The Literary Center. Details to be announced soon. www.gwtw.org.
source: http://www.poetryatlanta.blogspot.com/
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6 , 2008
An Evening of Spoken Word
Featuring ROGER BONAIR AGARD, TAYLOR MALI, MARTY McCONNELL, and GYPSEE YO
The Clary Theatre
In the Bill Moore Student Success Center
7:00 p.m., FREE
Open to the Public
No Tickets or Reservations Required
Book Sale and Signing to Follow the Reading
Parking across North Avenue
in the Burge Parking Deck.
source: http://www.poetry.gatech.edu/events.html
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13th, 2008
Keith Badowski, featured reader
Johns Creek Poetry Writing Group meets monthly on a Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Northeast Spruill Oaks Regional Library, in the Johns Creek/Duluth area. On Dec. 13th, Keith Badowski will offer a 45 minute presentation of his poetry. Keith is incoming President of the Georgia Poetry Society. His poems have been published in Oxalis, Rambunctious Review, Monkey, and The Reach of Song. Johns Creek Poetry Writing Group also has a critiquing session, and a poetry book review presentation.
source: my own personal calendar
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2009
Seventh Annual
McEver Poetry Reading
Featuring KAREN HEAD, BRUCE MCEVER, CHELSEA RATHBURN, and JOHN SKOYLES
The Clary Theatre
In the Bill Moore Student Success Center
7:00 p.m., FREE
Open to the Public
No Tickets or Reservations Required
Book Sale and Signing to Follow the Reading
Parking across North Avenue
in the Burge Parking Deck.
source: http://www.poetry.gatech.edu/events.html
FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2009
ED PAVLIC and
KEVIN YOUNG
The LeCraw Auditorium
in the College of Management in Technology Square, 800 West Peachtree St. (5th and West Peachtree)
7:00 p.m., FREE
Open to the Public
No Tickets or Reservations Required
Book Sale and Signing to Follow the Reading
source: http://www.poetry.gatech.edu/events.html
Meets the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Columbus Public Library, 3000 Macon Road. Poetry Workshop meets the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at 513 Broadway. Call 706-649-3080 for information.
source: Georgia Poetry Society Newsletter
ALPHARETTA POETRY FORUM
Meets the third Tuesday of each month. We spend time reading and discussing poetry. For more information, contact Terry Hensel (tlhensel@comcast.net).
source: Georgia Poetry Society Newsletter
HARRIS COUNTY POETRY SOCIETY
Meets monthly at ArtWorks, a gallery/studio in Pine Mountain, GA. For information, contact Jeanne Koone at jlkoone@aol.com or by phone at 706-663-2671.
source: Georgia Poetry Society Newsletter
STONEPILE WRITERS
A group of writers and poets at North Georgia College and State University have created the StonepileWriters. For information about this new group, see http://stonepilewriters.edublogs.org/.
source: Georgia Poetry Society Newsletter
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Join us for an evening with celebrated Irish poet Bernard O’Donoghue
Dear Library Friends, we hope you can join us for this reading by Bernard O’Donoghue on 10.29.08 -- **no RSPV required**!
Look forward to seeing you, Lea
6:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Cox Hall Ballroom (third floor)
569 Asbury Circle, Emory University
Poet and literary critic Bernard O’Donoghue was born in Cullen, County Cork, Ireland
and now resides in Manchester, UK. O’Donoghue is author of Seamus Heaney and the
Language of Poetry (1995). His poetry collections include Poaching Rights (1987); The Weakness (1991); Gunpowder (1995); Here Nor There (1999); and Outlining (2003). In 1995 he received the Whitbread Poetry Award for Gunpowder. His most recent work consists of a verse translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (2006) and Selected Poems (2008).
Reception and book signing will follow the poetry reading.
For directions: http://www.map.emory.edu/
Parking: In the Fishburne and Peavine parking decks
For more information: 404.727.0148
Lea McLees, Director of Communications
Emory University Libraries
540 Asbury Circle, Atlanta, GA 30332
TEL 404.727.0211 * FAX 404.727.0805
WWW http://web.library.emory.edu/
source: email announcement
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 8:00 PM
VOICES CARRY: AN EVENING OF POETRY & SPOKEN WORD
FEATURING ***THERESA DAVIS, JIM ELLEDGE, KODAC HARRISON, COLLIN KELLEY, LAUREL SNYDER & CECILIA WOLOCH***
WORDSMITHS BOOKS, DECATUR
Mark your calendars now for the fifth annual reading, which will be held this year at Wordsmiths Books in Decatur. A wine and cheese reception will be held, and poets will be signing their books. Visit www.wordsmithsbooks.com for directions and parking information.
source: http://www.poetryatlanta.blogspot.com/
Sunday, November 9 –
Poet Cecelia Woloch will give a reading of her work.2:00 PM, Smith-McCullers House, 1519 Stark Avenue.Woloch was named 2004’s Georgia Author of the Year in Poetry, and her work is included in Garrison Keillor’s Good Poems for Hard Times.
source: http://www.mccullerscenter.org/
Monday, November 10, 2008
is the deadline for requesting an application for GA Tech’s Poetry at Tech Community Poetry Workshops
Workshop with Travis Wayne Denton
Saturday, January 31, 2009
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
FREE
Room 10, Wesley New Media Center
in the Skiles Building on the Georgia Tech Campus
Workshop with Thomas Lux
Saturday, February 28, 2009
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
FREE
Room 10, Wesley New Media Center
in the Skiles Building on the Georgia Tech Campus
Workshop with Ginger Murchison
Saturday, March 28, 2009
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
FREE
Room 10, Wesley New Media Center
in the Skiles Building on the Georgia Tech Campus
Workshop with Katie Chaple
Saturday, April 11, 2009
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
FREE
Room 10, Wesley New Media Center
in the Skiles Building on the Georgia Tech Campus
To request an application, e-mail travis.denton@lcc.gatech.edu or call Travis Denton at POETRY at TECH at 404-385-2760 with your name, address, zip code and phone number. If you leave a voice mail, please speak slowly and spell your name and street address. Include your zip code and a phone number. The deadline for requesting an application is November 10, 2008.
Applications will be sent by November 20, 2008 to the physical address requested or to the e-mail address on the online request. POETRY at TECH is not responsible for snail mail or e-mail that does not reach you. If you requested an application and do not have one by the end of November, e-mail again or call. There is no need to call before November 15.
All applications without exception must be returned by email and postmarked by MIDNIGHT DECEMBER 10, 2008. Applications will be considered IN THE ORDER THEY ARE RECEIVED.
Applications NOT IN OUR HANDS by DECEMBER 10, 2008 CANNOT BE CONSIDERED.
NOTE: Applicants will be given the opportunity to request a preferred workshop and a second choice on the application; however, if your first- and second-choice workshops are full, you will be notified BEFORE being placed in another workshop. Should you decline a place in a workshop with availability, that place will be offered to the next name on the list.
Applicants should submit ONE poem (30 lines or fewer --Please!) with the application. Late submissions or those submitted on the day of the workshop will not be accepted as instructors will have studied the poems ahead of time. An application without a poem will be taken as indication that the applicant wishes to attend without workshopping a poem.
Instructors assume that all who submit poems are ready for and, in fact, invite rigorous critique by the instructor and other workshop participants. At no time, however, will a participant or his work be treated with disrespect or harshness. Workshop size will be strictly limited to ensure a safe and intimate environment in which participants can confidently develop their poetics and aesthetic standards.
Participants may bring a lunch or order a box lunch that will be delivered to the classroom. Menus and order forms will be part of the application.
E-mail any questions to travis.denton@lcc.gatech.edu
source: http://www.poetry.gatech.edu/workshops.html
Wednesday, November 12 –
Award-winning poet Michael Waters in two events: In the afternoon, a workshop at the Smith-McCullers House, 1519 Stark Avenue. In the evening, a formal reading. Exact times and locations to be announced. This is a Georgia Poetry Circuit event.
source: http://www.mccullerscenter.org/
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12; 8:15 pm
POETRY READING
Join two amazing poets Stephen Bluestone and Ginger Murchison as Callanwolde celebrates the art and performance of poetry with readings in the unique setting of the Callanwolde Conservatory. $5 General Admission, $3 Students/Seniors/Members. For more information call 404-872-5338.
Stephen Bluestone, a native New Yorker, has received numerous awards for his poetry, including the Greensboro Review Poetry Prize and the Thomas Merton Prize. Two of his volumes of poetry, The Laughing Monkeys of Gravity and The Flagrant Dead, were nominated for the National Book Award in Poetry. Holiness Everywhere, his free adaptation of a 12th-century work by Jehudah Halevi, set to music by Atlanta composer Curtis Bryant premiered in New York City in 2002. O City! a tribute to the victims of the 9/11 tragedy was performed by the Gregg Smith Singers in New York City in 2003, and more recently, a collaboration with composer David H. Johnson has resulted in a new work, Jerusalem Trilogy. Bluestone teaches English and film at Mercer University.
Ginger Murchison, is currently a candidate for an MFA in poetry at Warren Wilson College and editor of The Cortland Review. She assisted in the founding of Georgia Tech's poetry program, “POETRY at TECH”, while working there for 7 years. She is a two-time Pushcart nominee and her poems have appeared in Atlanta Review, The Chattahoochee Review, Terminus Magazine and in Volumes II and III of Java Monkey Speaks: A Poetry Anthology. Her chapbook Out Here, was recently released by Jeanne Duval Editions
source: http://www.callanwolde.org/events/index.html
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2008
Seventh Annual
Bourne Poetry Reading
Featuring: ILYA KAMINSKY and DAVID ST. JOHN
The Clary Theatre
In the Bill Moore Student Success Center
7:00 p.m., FREE
Open to the Public
No Tickets or Reservations Required
Book Sale and Signing to Follow the Reading
Parking across North Avenue
in the Burge Parking Deck.
source: http://www.poetry.gatech.edu/events.html
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 7:00 PM
***SHARON OLDS***
THE LITERARY CENTER @ MARGARET MITCHELL HOUSE
Award-winning poet Sharon Olds will make a rare appearance at the The Literary Center. Details to be announced soon. www.gwtw.org.
source: http://www.poetryatlanta.blogspot.com/
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6 , 2008
An Evening of Spoken Word
Featuring ROGER BONAIR AGARD, TAYLOR MALI, MARTY McCONNELL, and GYPSEE YO
The Clary Theatre
In the Bill Moore Student Success Center
7:00 p.m., FREE
Open to the Public
No Tickets or Reservations Required
Book Sale and Signing to Follow the Reading
Parking across North Avenue
in the Burge Parking Deck.
source: http://www.poetry.gatech.edu/events.html
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13th, 2008
Keith Badowski, featured reader
Johns Creek Poetry Writing Group meets monthly on a Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Northeast Spruill Oaks Regional Library, in the Johns Creek/Duluth area. On Dec. 13th, Keith Badowski will offer a 45 minute presentation of his poetry. Keith is incoming President of the Georgia Poetry Society. His poems have been published in Oxalis, Rambunctious Review, Monkey, and The Reach of Song. Johns Creek Poetry Writing Group also has a critiquing session, and a poetry book review presentation.
source: my own personal calendar
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2009
Seventh Annual
McEver Poetry Reading
Featuring KAREN HEAD, BRUCE MCEVER, CHELSEA RATHBURN, and JOHN SKOYLES
The Clary Theatre
In the Bill Moore Student Success Center
7:00 p.m., FREE
Open to the Public
No Tickets or Reservations Required
Book Sale and Signing to Follow the Reading
Parking across North Avenue
in the Burge Parking Deck.
source: http://www.poetry.gatech.edu/events.html
FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2009
ED PAVLIC and
KEVIN YOUNG
The LeCraw Auditorium
in the College of Management in Technology Square, 800 West Peachtree St. (5th and West Peachtree)
7:00 p.m., FREE
Open to the Public
No Tickets or Reservations Required
Book Sale and Signing to Follow the Reading
source: http://www.poetry.gatech.edu/events.html
Monday, October 13, 2008
Tunes That Will Inhabit Your Dreams and You'll Wake Up Singing
These are mostly pop tunes that I couldn't ignore. I guarantee that after slight exposure you will happily catch yourself singing these songs in your head.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Sunday, October 05, 2008
What I did last weekend instead of 'Spontaneous Poetry'
So, last weekend I was in Baltimore, MD for the Baltimore Comic Con.
“Where are you from?” a stranger asks.
“Alabama,” I say.
“What brings you to Baltimore?”
“The Baltimore Comic Con,” I reply.
“Oh, yeah? Say something funny!”
“No. Not stand-up comedy, comic books.”
“Oh.”
End of conversation.
Believe it or not, I had the above conversation twice. Two different people jumped to the same conclusion. Maybe they should rename it the Baltimore Graphic Pictorial Storytelling Convention.
The weekend was quite enjoyable except for the stomach virus on Friday and the fever chills on Friday night.
I got to spend a bunch of time with my bud, Tim Healy. When we’re together we never let up on the joking around and teasing each other. On Thursday evening, I was doodling in the bar at the Marriott. Drew a lousy Spider-Man head on the back of an envelop. I discarded it and grabbed another envelop.
“What are you going to draw?” said Tim, “another lousy Spider-Man?” (Thanks, Tim.)
“No! You tell me what to draw. I’m taking requests.”
“Okay, Wolverine.”
So I start to draw Wolverine, staring with his pointy hair. When I get to the rest of his head, I draw a round circle. Spontaneously, I merged Marvel Comics with . . . well, you can see for yourself. (Click the thumbnail below to enlarge.)
Tim and I laughed so hard over that one, tears started rolling. Every so often, when the laughing started to trail off, Tim would utter a firm, declarative, “Wow!” About fifteen times, Tim said “Wow!” I thought I would burst. The bartenders thought perhaps we’d both had a bit too much. One beer is my limit, at least when Tim and I are goofing off. We are so easily amused.
.JPG)
“Where are you from?” a stranger asks.
“Alabama,” I say.
“What brings you to Baltimore?”
“The Baltimore Comic Con,” I reply.
“Oh, yeah? Say something funny!”
“No. Not stand-up comedy, comic books.”
“Oh.”
End of conversation.
Believe it or not, I had the above conversation twice. Two different people jumped to the same conclusion. Maybe they should rename it the Baltimore Graphic Pictorial Storytelling Convention.
The weekend was quite enjoyable except for the stomach virus on Friday and the fever chills on Friday night.
I got to spend a bunch of time with my bud, Tim Healy. When we’re together we never let up on the joking around and teasing each other. On Thursday evening, I was doodling in the bar at the Marriott. Drew a lousy Spider-Man head on the back of an envelop. I discarded it and grabbed another envelop.
“What are you going to draw?” said Tim, “another lousy Spider-Man?” (Thanks, Tim.)
“No! You tell me what to draw. I’m taking requests.”
“Okay, Wolverine.”
So I start to draw Wolverine, staring with his pointy hair. When I get to the rest of his head, I draw a round circle. Spontaneously, I merged Marvel Comics with . . . well, you can see for yourself. (Click the thumbnail below to enlarge.)
Tim and I laughed so hard over that one, tears started rolling. Every so often, when the laughing started to trail off, Tim would utter a firm, declarative, “Wow!” About fifteen times, Tim said “Wow!” I thought I would burst. The bartenders thought perhaps we’d both had a bit too much. One beer is my limit, at least when Tim and I are goofing off. We are so easily amused.
.JPG)
Sunday, September 21, 2008
An Interview with Keith Badowski on Writing Poetry
Recently I’ve been serving as mentor to a high school student, Maria, who is working on a senior project in poetry. For one portion of her project, Maria was required to interview her “poetry mentor.” The following four questions were posed to me. The answers, reproduced here, are what I wrote for her, plus some other expanded thoughts that have occurred to me since I emailed her my reply.
1) How has writing poetry affected your life?
I’m sure that being a poet has enhanced my attentiveness to words and my awareness of how people use language. For instance, I recognize in half a heart beat when someone is trying to sell me something or convince me of their point of view. My interest in words and sentences has also made it second nature for me to read between the sentences, to intuit what people are in fact not saying, but actually really mean. Definitely I am not superhuman in these talents and by no means perfect in my accuracy. (Ask my wife!) Yet attentiveness to language usage has had its advantages in a variety of circumstances. I suspect many writers, whether they write poetry, fiction, or non-fiction, are better attuned what people are saying and what they really mean.
Being a writer, when you are truly devoted to the craft of conveying experience or observation, forces you to notice more about the world around you. I find that I’m a people watcher, noting gestures, interactions, and habits. My tendency is also to wonder about the things I see: How did that house get in such shabby shape? What led to that trailer being set on fire? How did that rusted out car get turned upside down? Admittedly, there is the chance that my personality naturally leaned that way, and that is why I also leaned toward doing writing. However, I have no doubt that a commitment to writing requires a commitment to noticing things, so the natural tendency toward such would necessarily be enhanced.
All that said, I’m just as guilty as the next guy to having my blinders up in my own household. Countless times, I’ve left my socks on the floor of the bedroom and they have become invisible for literally weeks! So it’s really only in environs other than the familiar that my interest in observing is at its best.
The most obvious way writing poetry has affected the course of my life is that I’ve fostered many friendships and associations with other poets and poetry lovers. Poetic types tend to be drawn to each other for a variety of reasons. One of the main ones is that poets like to get feedback on their poems, so they get together for poetry readings and workshops.
I started attending poetry readings back in the 1980s, and two decades later (and after the turning of a new century), I’m still attending them. Back in the late 80s, the readings were on my college campus at S.U.N.Y. New Paltz in New York. Those college readings featured dramatic antics, music, and experimental approaches to literature. One guy did something where he smeared ice-cream on a guitar! (Don’t ask.) Most of my close friends at the time would attend with me. Afterward we would discuss what we had heard. We would recruit poets from those readings to participate in our college literary magazine, The Accordion Flyer. Even though I’ve moved from New York to the South, I’m still in touch with many of those people and consider them friends.
As time went on, I attended more and more literary readings, featuring published poets and writers. Often I came away from those readings feeling inspired to write more and to write more ambitiously, employing the style or technique of those writers I’d heard. I also started to amass a huge collection of poetry books that are autographed to me by the poets. Those events make up some of my fondest memories.
In more recent years, I’ve had the delightful privilege of being part of the GA Poetry Society and a member of the local poetry group here in Columbus called the Brick Road Poets. Among these poets are some of my most valued friends—people with whom I’ve broken bread, taken road trips, and planned events. Participating in all these poetry-related activities tends to create bonds and connections that are important in life. Poets also tend to be smart and sensitive, so those are good folks to have in your corner.
2) What types of problems do you encounter with writing poetry?
The biggest problem I encounter with writing poetry is myself. Although I keep up appearances, and my friends might tell you otherwise, I’m not as disciplined as I would like to be when it comes to writing. I will go long periods of time without writing anything (sometimes as long as 5 or 6 months). I easily fill my time with much less meaningful activities, such as watching television or surfing the internet. What I really ought to be doing is writing every day, or at least on regularly weekly pattern. I find that when I am writing regularly I generate material that might not be “finished” but at least provides an excellent starting point for revision. It is only through the revision process that “complete” poems start to form. Sure, every once in a great while, I do get a complete poem almost all at once. However, the majority of my finished poems have been through numerous revisions. So all those times when I allow myself to waste time instead of writing, I could have been revising something and thus finding a poem.
On a related note, I don’t send out my poems to publishers as often as I should. I’ll send out two or three packets of submission each year, and spend the rest of the year waiting for them to come back. If I were more disciplined, I’d keep all my poems in the mail at all times. That way I’d have more of a chance of getting some of them published. I’ve been told that the average number of submissions a poem must go through before acceptance is usually about 10. That’s just a guideline, not a hard rule. You might get lucky and find that editor who “gets” your poem in the first try. The point is you have to circulate your poems far and wide until you find that editor or editors who like what you’re doing. That takes dedication and effort—something I’ve been missing.
3) What are some misconceptions that people have about either poetry or poets?
I’ve noticed that some people think poems should be treated like puzzles or riddles that need to be solved. I think this idea comes from teachers who ask their students to interpret the poem. Students are given the assignment to put the poem into their own words and explain what the poem means. I realize the teacher is trying to develop reading, writing, and critical thinking skills, however, it gives the students the wrong impression. Poems are not made out of ideas; poems are made of words. Often poets use specific words that can not be substituted by the student’s own words. The poem is a unique creation that can’t be summarized or dissected. In a way, you kill the poem when you try to explain it. Also people get a bad taste about poetry when they think you only read it to figure it out.
Ideally, poetry readers should enjoy the words and phrases for themselves. Sure, you need to be attentive to the text to get a sense of what effect the poem is striving for. But you shouldn’t feel as though you have to study the poem for hours to “get it”.
Another misconception people might have is that there is a universal quality scale that can be used to judge the merits of poetry. While there are great guidelines out there for what constitutes good craft in literary poetry, there is no such universal scale for judging whether a poem is good. Sure, the poem might be characterized by originality, brevity, metric grace, and pleasing word choice, yet still not be universally praised as “great.”
The reality is that the judging of quality in poetry, just like the visual arts and music, is largely subjective. Almost always it comes down to the personal preference of the critic or reader. What means the world to one person can mean nothing to another. Because there is no “absolute” in judging poetry, it is very important that poets and poetry readers identify for themselves what they like and why. Only once you understand and know your preferences can you judge for yourself the merits of what you have written or what you are reading. The reign of subjectivity and diversity is no excuse for “anything goes.” Instead you must choose where to plant your stakes and then diligently tend to your tent poles.
Perhaps you will find a few like minded folks who share some of your preferences, and if you are lucky, maybe they will offer you useful and constructive feedback on your work. At the very least, it is up to you to construct in your imagination that ideal reader for your poems. Accept that very few may ever salute what you do, but that’s also true for everyone else. I’ve also realized that trying to please all the possible critics is impossible, trying to go that way leads to insanity
4) What tips do you have for intermediate level poets, such as myself, for improving on writing skills?
Three things: read, Read, and READ! In order to improve in any style of writing, you need to read lots of that genre. In the case of poetry, you ought to read the classics, such as Shakespeare, Spenser, Keats, and others. You also need to read the contemporary poets! I tend to buy Best American Poetry each year and read through the anthology to discover new voices that interest me. Some of my favorite poets writing now include: Ken Babstock, Seamus Heaney, Mark Strand, Billy Collins, Frank Bidart, and Natasha Trethewey. You will never know what is truly possible in poetry until you expose yourself to those who have come before. As you find poetry you enjoy, imitate it. Write poems that sound like those poems. In that way you will learn techniques. Eventually you find your own voice by toying with the voices of others.
1) How has writing poetry affected your life?
I’m sure that being a poet has enhanced my attentiveness to words and my awareness of how people use language. For instance, I recognize in half a heart beat when someone is trying to sell me something or convince me of their point of view. My interest in words and sentences has also made it second nature for me to read between the sentences, to intuit what people are in fact not saying, but actually really mean. Definitely I am not superhuman in these talents and by no means perfect in my accuracy. (Ask my wife!) Yet attentiveness to language usage has had its advantages in a variety of circumstances. I suspect many writers, whether they write poetry, fiction, or non-fiction, are better attuned what people are saying and what they really mean.
Being a writer, when you are truly devoted to the craft of conveying experience or observation, forces you to notice more about the world around you. I find that I’m a people watcher, noting gestures, interactions, and habits. My tendency is also to wonder about the things I see: How did that house get in such shabby shape? What led to that trailer being set on fire? How did that rusted out car get turned upside down? Admittedly, there is the chance that my personality naturally leaned that way, and that is why I also leaned toward doing writing. However, I have no doubt that a commitment to writing requires a commitment to noticing things, so the natural tendency toward such would necessarily be enhanced.
All that said, I’m just as guilty as the next guy to having my blinders up in my own household. Countless times, I’ve left my socks on the floor of the bedroom and they have become invisible for literally weeks! So it’s really only in environs other than the familiar that my interest in observing is at its best.
The most obvious way writing poetry has affected the course of my life is that I’ve fostered many friendships and associations with other poets and poetry lovers. Poetic types tend to be drawn to each other for a variety of reasons. One of the main ones is that poets like to get feedback on their poems, so they get together for poetry readings and workshops.
I started attending poetry readings back in the 1980s, and two decades later (and after the turning of a new century), I’m still attending them. Back in the late 80s, the readings were on my college campus at S.U.N.Y. New Paltz in New York. Those college readings featured dramatic antics, music, and experimental approaches to literature. One guy did something where he smeared ice-cream on a guitar! (Don’t ask.) Most of my close friends at the time would attend with me. Afterward we would discuss what we had heard. We would recruit poets from those readings to participate in our college literary magazine, The Accordion Flyer. Even though I’ve moved from New York to the South, I’m still in touch with many of those people and consider them friends.
As time went on, I attended more and more literary readings, featuring published poets and writers. Often I came away from those readings feeling inspired to write more and to write more ambitiously, employing the style or technique of those writers I’d heard. I also started to amass a huge collection of poetry books that are autographed to me by the poets. Those events make up some of my fondest memories.
In more recent years, I’ve had the delightful privilege of being part of the GA Poetry Society and a member of the local poetry group here in Columbus called the Brick Road Poets. Among these poets are some of my most valued friends—people with whom I’ve broken bread, taken road trips, and planned events. Participating in all these poetry-related activities tends to create bonds and connections that are important in life. Poets also tend to be smart and sensitive, so those are good folks to have in your corner.
2) What types of problems do you encounter with writing poetry?
The biggest problem I encounter with writing poetry is myself. Although I keep up appearances, and my friends might tell you otherwise, I’m not as disciplined as I would like to be when it comes to writing. I will go long periods of time without writing anything (sometimes as long as 5 or 6 months). I easily fill my time with much less meaningful activities, such as watching television or surfing the internet. What I really ought to be doing is writing every day, or at least on regularly weekly pattern. I find that when I am writing regularly I generate material that might not be “finished” but at least provides an excellent starting point for revision. It is only through the revision process that “complete” poems start to form. Sure, every once in a great while, I do get a complete poem almost all at once. However, the majority of my finished poems have been through numerous revisions. So all those times when I allow myself to waste time instead of writing, I could have been revising something and thus finding a poem.
On a related note, I don’t send out my poems to publishers as often as I should. I’ll send out two or three packets of submission each year, and spend the rest of the year waiting for them to come back. If I were more disciplined, I’d keep all my poems in the mail at all times. That way I’d have more of a chance of getting some of them published. I’ve been told that the average number of submissions a poem must go through before acceptance is usually about 10. That’s just a guideline, not a hard rule. You might get lucky and find that editor who “gets” your poem in the first try. The point is you have to circulate your poems far and wide until you find that editor or editors who like what you’re doing. That takes dedication and effort—something I’ve been missing.
3) What are some misconceptions that people have about either poetry or poets?
I’ve noticed that some people think poems should be treated like puzzles or riddles that need to be solved. I think this idea comes from teachers who ask their students to interpret the poem. Students are given the assignment to put the poem into their own words and explain what the poem means. I realize the teacher is trying to develop reading, writing, and critical thinking skills, however, it gives the students the wrong impression. Poems are not made out of ideas; poems are made of words. Often poets use specific words that can not be substituted by the student’s own words. The poem is a unique creation that can’t be summarized or dissected. In a way, you kill the poem when you try to explain it. Also people get a bad taste about poetry when they think you only read it to figure it out.
Ideally, poetry readers should enjoy the words and phrases for themselves. Sure, you need to be attentive to the text to get a sense of what effect the poem is striving for. But you shouldn’t feel as though you have to study the poem for hours to “get it”.
Another misconception people might have is that there is a universal quality scale that can be used to judge the merits of poetry. While there are great guidelines out there for what constitutes good craft in literary poetry, there is no such universal scale for judging whether a poem is good. Sure, the poem might be characterized by originality, brevity, metric grace, and pleasing word choice, yet still not be universally praised as “great.”
The reality is that the judging of quality in poetry, just like the visual arts and music, is largely subjective. Almost always it comes down to the personal preference of the critic or reader. What means the world to one person can mean nothing to another. Because there is no “absolute” in judging poetry, it is very important that poets and poetry readers identify for themselves what they like and why. Only once you understand and know your preferences can you judge for yourself the merits of what you have written or what you are reading. The reign of subjectivity and diversity is no excuse for “anything goes.” Instead you must choose where to plant your stakes and then diligently tend to your tent poles.
Perhaps you will find a few like minded folks who share some of your preferences, and if you are lucky, maybe they will offer you useful and constructive feedback on your work. At the very least, it is up to you to construct in your imagination that ideal reader for your poems. Accept that very few may ever salute what you do, but that’s also true for everyone else. I’ve also realized that trying to please all the possible critics is impossible, trying to go that way leads to insanity
4) What tips do you have for intermediate level poets, such as myself, for improving on writing skills?
Three things: read, Read, and READ! In order to improve in any style of writing, you need to read lots of that genre. In the case of poetry, you ought to read the classics, such as Shakespeare, Spenser, Keats, and others. You also need to read the contemporary poets! I tend to buy Best American Poetry each year and read through the anthology to discover new voices that interest me. Some of my favorite poets writing now include: Ken Babstock, Seamus Heaney, Mark Strand, Billy Collins, Frank Bidart, and Natasha Trethewey. You will never know what is truly possible in poetry until you expose yourself to those who have come before. As you find poetry you enjoy, imitate it. Write poems that sound like those poems. In that way you will learn techniques. Eventually you find your own voice by toying with the voices of others.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Friday Spontaneous Poem: 'Jesus as a teenager . . . '
Last week, Ron Self sent me the following challenge: "Jesus as a teenager . . . "
Here's what I came up with this afternoon:
Jesus as a Teenager
for Ron Self
“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”
---John 21:25
At the dawn of creation, God gave teenagers survival instincts--
a supernatural sense for the patsies who would never tell,
a radar for the abettors young and old who would cover up,
and a gift for schmoozing every slippery way out of scalding water.
Oh, but the Hebrew teens at the dawn of A.D. were especially loved,
at least those podunk Nazarene punks who grew up with Jesus.
When they stole their parents Passover skins and got stinking drunk,
Jesus passed his hands over their heads and filtered them sober.
And we all know why those wineskins were never missed.
When those boys played too rough near the street and one went under
the crushing wheels of the chariot, Jesus was there to inflate his torso.
When he caught Bennie Barnabus deflowering the prim and proper Pricilla,
Jesus turned back time and orchestrated an escort. The Son of God
was a handy to have around, although at the time they couldn’t say why.
There was just something mystical about that gawky youth
who spent his days seated on the temple steps, his head in a scroll.
Those God-given instincts reigned in their jibes, sealed their mouths.
After all what were they going tease? If you keep reading like that
you’ll go blind. Stop playing with that scroll or your hand’ll fall off.
Yet Jesus had no friends, too busy for that, so many sins to undo.
He was so grateful at eighteen when God’s messianic plan for him
finally penetrated his greasy hair and zits, when he finally knew
he could rest at night instead of listening at tent flaps and thatched roofs.
He could take it easy for awhile, slow down, build a bench.
What a relief to know he would undo it all. So what if he had to die . . .
that would be a pretty good rest too.
Keith Badowski
Here's what I came up with this afternoon:
Jesus as a Teenager
for Ron Self
“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”
---John 21:25
At the dawn of creation, God gave teenagers survival instincts--
a supernatural sense for the patsies who would never tell,
a radar for the abettors young and old who would cover up,
and a gift for schmoozing every slippery way out of scalding water.
Oh, but the Hebrew teens at the dawn of A.D. were especially loved,
at least those podunk Nazarene punks who grew up with Jesus.
When they stole their parents Passover skins and got stinking drunk,
Jesus passed his hands over their heads and filtered them sober.
And we all know why those wineskins were never missed.
When those boys played too rough near the street and one went under
the crushing wheels of the chariot, Jesus was there to inflate his torso.
When he caught Bennie Barnabus deflowering the prim and proper Pricilla,
Jesus turned back time and orchestrated an escort. The Son of God
was a handy to have around, although at the time they couldn’t say why.
There was just something mystical about that gawky youth
who spent his days seated on the temple steps, his head in a scroll.
Those God-given instincts reigned in their jibes, sealed their mouths.
After all what were they going tease? If you keep reading like that
you’ll go blind. Stop playing with that scroll or your hand’ll fall off.
Yet Jesus had no friends, too busy for that, so many sins to undo.
He was so grateful at eighteen when God’s messianic plan for him
finally penetrated his greasy hair and zits, when he finally knew
he could rest at night instead of listening at tent flaps and thatched roofs.
He could take it easy for awhile, slow down, build a bench.
What a relief to know he would undo it all. So what if he had to die . . .
that would be a pretty good rest too.
Keith Badowski
Friday, September 12, 2008
Friday Spontaneous Poem: 'Action in France'
From: Steven Shields
Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2008 9:57 AM
To: Keith Badowski
Subject: RE: Poetry Challenge?
Keith, have a look at the first photo in the blog I am keeping for our family history. It's entitled "Action in France" and can be found at http://shieldsfamilyconnection.blogspot.com. There are lots of other photos there too--maybe something else strikes your fancy. This is what I've spent most of my summer doing, most of the past year or two actually. This blog is a small slice of it but maybe will prompt something. Hope all's otherwise well with you and yours--S.
Here's a link to the photo mentioned above.
3rd BN Infirmary, 26th INF. USA
(Charles Thorne, fifth from left)
for Steven Shields
Those coarse white-washed bricks
and the crusty mortar in-between them,
every morning I opened my eyes in the dark
to escape that texture.
All night my dreams skittered like mice—
miniature hearts racing, anxious to preserve fur.
That morning I awoke breathless,
terror stricken that my mouth had scabbed shut.
My fingers sprang to my teeth, my tongue—
still there! Oh, yes,
I’ve patrolled the mouthless rows,
watched ribs stand in for jaws,
seen those who can not sneeze.
As the photographer posed me,
instructed the whole infantry where to place
arms and hands, so our bodies would not repeat,
I kept marching past rows of moaning blankets—
stubs of eroding trench feet poking out,
white pads draped over sightless sockets.
Against the bricks, I couldn’t hear them.
The nurses would tend to the bandages
while I stood stock still, held my breath for 26 and 3—
certain those bricks would grind me to dust.
Keith Badowski
.jpg)
Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2008 9:57 AM
To: Keith Badowski
Subject: RE: Poetry Challenge?
Keith, have a look at the first photo in the blog I am keeping for our family history. It's entitled "Action in France" and can be found at http://shieldsfamilyconnection.blogspot.com. There are lots of other photos there too--maybe something else strikes your fancy. This is what I've spent most of my summer doing, most of the past year or two actually. This blog is a small slice of it but maybe will prompt something. Hope all's otherwise well with you and yours--S.
Here's a link to the photo mentioned above.
3rd BN Infirmary, 26th INF. USA
(Charles Thorne, fifth from left)
for Steven Shields
Those coarse white-washed bricks
and the crusty mortar in-between them,
every morning I opened my eyes in the dark
to escape that texture.
All night my dreams skittered like mice—
miniature hearts racing, anxious to preserve fur.
That morning I awoke breathless,
terror stricken that my mouth had scabbed shut.
My fingers sprang to my teeth, my tongue—
still there! Oh, yes,
I’ve patrolled the mouthless rows,
watched ribs stand in for jaws,
seen those who can not sneeze.
As the photographer posed me,
instructed the whole infantry where to place
arms and hands, so our bodies would not repeat,
I kept marching past rows of moaning blankets—
stubs of eroding trench feet poking out,
white pads draped over sightless sockets.
Against the bricks, I couldn’t hear them.
The nurses would tend to the bandages
while I stood stock still, held my breath for 26 and 3—
certain those bricks would grind me to dust.
Keith Badowski
.jpg)
Friday Spontaneous Poem: 'Sexy Push Ups in New Fall Colors'
From: Jean Copland
Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2008 9:49 AM
To: Keith Badowski
Subject: Re: Poetry Challenge?
Keith,
Suggestion:
Sexy Push Ups in New Fall Colors - Victoria's Secret
in rhyming couplets.
Jean
Seasonal Marketing Strain
for Jean Copland
When bras must mimic leaves
autumnal orange heaves
beneath silk-cutter’s cuff.
These spinning models slough
saffron and sage like slaw.
Our designers dread the thaw
all those dyes they must expend
and heft of time suspend!
They so rarely know the peace
of hooks undone, release.
Keith Badowski
.jpg)
Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2008 9:49 AM
To: Keith Badowski
Subject: Re: Poetry Challenge?
Keith,
Suggestion:
Sexy Push Ups in New Fall Colors - Victoria's Secret
in rhyming couplets.
Jean
Seasonal Marketing Strain
for Jean Copland
When bras must mimic leaves
autumnal orange heaves
beneath silk-cutter’s cuff.
These spinning models slough
saffron and sage like slaw.
Our designers dread the thaw
all those dyes they must expend
and heft of time suspend!
They so rarely know the peace
of hooks undone, release.
Keith Badowski
.jpg)
Friday Spontaneous Poem: 'a bald man speaking'
From: Brad Tree
Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2008 9:43 AM
To: Keith Badowski
Subject: RE: Poetry Challenge?
a bald man speaking
I will explain my source after I see the poem. I do not want to spoil your process.
Bare Club for Men
for Brad Tree
Whether a bald man is speaking to the cold
that has infected his children
or to the plastic vessel brimming with cough syrup
or to a market square littered with overturned trash cans
or to a ballpark that’s lost its third minor league
or to the valium he’s about to swallow dry,
he has to break the silence despite his baldness,
stomp his foot sometimes for emphasis
and wield his bald tongue.
It’s easy to sympathize with his plight
especially if you already feel badly
for anyone whose daily
chores include scooping kitty litter.
When the bald man is speaking you feel sorry for him,
not because he can’t jump on one foot
and rub his belly, nor because can’t swap
his snobbish tone for newscaster's,
but because you know in your heart of your hearts,
he’s worried
that while he’s speaking
all you’re thinking
about is his glistening
under the compact fluorescents
and not really listening
at all.
Keith Badowski
.jpg)
Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2008 9:43 AM
To: Keith Badowski
Subject: RE: Poetry Challenge?
a bald man speaking
I will explain my source after I see the poem. I do not want to spoil your process.
Bare Club for Men
for Brad Tree
Whether a bald man is speaking to the cold
that has infected his children
or to the plastic vessel brimming with cough syrup
or to a market square littered with overturned trash cans
or to a ballpark that’s lost its third minor league
or to the valium he’s about to swallow dry,
he has to break the silence despite his baldness,
stomp his foot sometimes for emphasis
and wield his bald tongue.
It’s easy to sympathize with his plight
especially if you already feel badly
for anyone whose daily
chores include scooping kitty litter.
When the bald man is speaking you feel sorry for him,
not because he can’t jump on one foot
and rub his belly, nor because can’t swap
his snobbish tone for newscaster's,
but because you know in your heart of your hearts,
he’s worried
that while he’s speaking
all you’re thinking
about is his glistening
under the compact fluorescents
and not really listening
at all.
Keith Badowski
.jpg)
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