Writing is hard

...even for Dorothy Parker.

"...all I have is a pile of paper covered with wrong words. Can only keep at it and hope..."

52 Cleveland Haiku (52)

One year of haiku:

city turns from white to green,

circles back to white.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Community vs. cash?

In a recent conversation on poetry, one poet told me that community is "absolutely necessary" to her creative process. She was specifically speaking about a close group of a few fellow writers, but since that conversation, I've been mulling over the concept of a poetry "community."

Anyone relatively active in poetry readings in Northeast Ohio would confirm the presence of a poetry "community" in the Cleveland area, and many who attend readings regularly would also probably attest to the importance of such a community. But I'm wondering exactly what aspect (or aspects) of "community" poets feel is necessary to the creative process.

Open mics and regular readings provide an open forum, but doesn't "community" imply more than that. More formalized groups with paid memberships--like the lately departed Lit--provide workshops, classes, and regular publications, but many of those groups seem to be struggling, or like The-Lit, going under. It's easy to blame it on the economy--people don't have the money to pay for writing association memberships right now. But I have to wonder if such groups might also be going under because they're becoming obsolete, no longer meeting the needs of poets in 2012.

So now I'm wondering if you would pay for membership in a poetry organization, and what perks you consider to be worth the price of a paid membership. Or do informal gatherings provide you with everything you feel you need in a creative community for free?

(In the interest of full-disclosure, this isn't purely a point of personal interest. As current VP of the Ohio Poetry Association, I'm genuinely interested in feedback on how we could make formal poetry organizations more relevant to members and potential members and what you, as poets, feel are the needs among NE Ohio writers that are not being met right now.)

52 Cleveland Haiku (51)

Pale thin grey line

separating the lake from sky

before New Year's dawn.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Oprah on Poetry (or poets at least)

I just found this, and wonder if anyone else saw this last year:

http://www.oprah.com/style/Spring-Fashion-Modeled-by-Rising-Young-Poets/

I don't know if I'm jealous of these young women for having Oprah's glitter dust scattered their way, or upset that they had to use their bodies, not their words, to obtain said glitter dust, but either way, I think it says something about our culture when the only way poets can receive attention is by modelling clothes well outside the salaries of most poets.

A Visit from the Poetry Police - Year End Edition

Some of the Best of the Year Links:

http://articles.sfgate.com/2011-12-25/books/30553745_1_poem-titles-devotions-robert-pinsky

SF GATE

http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/books/2011/12/18/best-poetry-books/EMwDBZdDcYcbfbVNhLyh6L/story.html

Boston Globe

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/29/144197310/truth-and-beauty-2011s-best-american-poetry

NPR

http://www.rochester.edu/College/translation/threepercent/index.php?id=3175

The 2011 BTBA Poetry Finalists

The Poetry Foundation (including two different CSU titles)

A link to some e-poetry free chapbooks

Argotist ebooks.

Shooting at Penguins

So, apparently the new Penguin Anthology of Twentieth-Century American Poetry, selected and edited by Rita Dove-- former US Poet Laureate, not to mention Akron home-town girl--has been attracting some vicious reviews over her choice of which poets, and which poems, represent the 20th century, centered on Helen Vendler's slam review in The New York Review of Books, asking “Why are we being asked to sample so many poets of little or no lasting value?"

Enough fire has been drawn to attract the attention of the Chronicle of Higher Education: ("Bloodletting Over an Anthology").

John Olsen, in the Tillalia Chronicles, calls the anthology flightless, and says "The Penguin Anthology of 20th Century American Poetry is such a travesty, why bother to say anything about it at all?" He goes on to comment "in view of what a hideous and psychotic landscape the United States has become, should it be that surprising that an anthology of American poetry would exclude, oh, I don’t know, Howl?"

In the Kenyon Review’s blog, poet Amit Majmudar suggests that the problem is that "its title is at odds with its nature." He suggests that the volume might have been fine if it were just Dove's selections of poems she liked, but for an anthology with pretense to some scholarly value as an overview of the century, “the volume comes to seem biased to the point of scholarly unreliability.”

Inclusivity, exclusivity... is it really a "dubious and incoherent selection from the country’s last century of verse."?

Whoa. So much attention! Everybody loves it when poets fight.

52 Cleveland Haiku (50)

In winter darkness

Christmas lights in red and blue

glitter in the rain.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Hoping for a Happy Christmas, Cleveland!

Peace on Earth, good will to men

... and hoping that, whichever holiday you may choose to celebrate, all your wishes come true.

52 Cleveland Haiku (49)

Half-frozen mud
crunchy under my feet;
footprints fill with snow.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Smile, it's a Simile

"John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met."

Check out the 56 best/worst similes evah.

These were identified "as having been written by high schoolers", although in fact they actually originate from the Washington Post's Style International Analogy contest. Still, how can you argue with this:

"It hurt the way your tongue hurts after you accidentally staple it to the wall."

"The baseball player stepped out of the box and spit like a fountain statue of a Greek god that scratches itself a lot and spits brown, rusty tobacco water and refuses to sign autographs for all the little Greek kids unless they pay him lots of drachmas."

New 2nd Wednesday poetry series in Cuyahoga Falls

52 Cleveland Haiku (48)

Raindeer skeletons

draped with wire and tiny lights

slowly turn their heads

--Geoffrey A. Landis

How to become famous

"We're here to conquer American Poetry and suck it dry of all glory and juice."

Jim Behrele explains "Poetry And Ruthless Careerism: How To Become The Most Famous Poet In America Overnight."

"Now, you might think that because there are more poets than ever, there might be more opportunities for poets than ever. And you'd be correct. If your fondest wish is to become the next totally obscure minor poet on the block, well, you're probably already successful at that. This literary landscape has proven itself infinitely capable of absorbing countless interchangeable artists, all doing roughly the same thing in relative anonymity: just happily plucking away until death at the grindstone, making no great cultural headway, bouncing poems off their friends and an audience of about 40 people. A totally fine little life for an artist, to be sure. No grand expectations from the world to sit up and listen. One can live out one's days quite satisfied to create something enjoyed by a genial cult. But that's not why any of us are here tonight."

Turn On. SPIT.

Bilgare meets Keillor

Cleveland Poet Captures NPR's Heart

According to the Cleveland Scene,

"Like “jumbo shrimp,” “famous poet” is pretty much an oxymoron. Still, if any contemporary Cleveland wordsmith is poised to make that leap, it's George Bilgere."

Bilgere will read live on A Prairie Home Companion at 6 p.m. this Saturday, December 10; catch it live on NPR stations WCPN 90.3 or WKSU 89.7.

52 Cleveland Haiku (47)

Geese fly noisily

across the pale morning sky;

the moon, silently.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Metaphors in Popular Music

A lot of my students, when asked whether or not poetry is necessary, respond with the idea that it is, if only for entertainment value. When prompted to go further, they argue that song lyrics are a form of poetry, and that music is entertainment. The discussion moves from there, and usually I prompt them to come to class armed with lyrics they feel are poetry. Inevitably, the ones that seem to be most poetic--rich in rhythm, metaphor, lyricism, etc.--are those of rap songs, often underground rap songs. Pop songs tend to be trite, at best, and despite lectures on imagery vs. abstraction, students defend them with thoughts like "well, you have to understand what she means. It's like interpretation."

That being said, to slam all pop lyrics as trite and unpoetic would be unfair. For example, Paul Simon greens me with envy every time I hear the opening line of "Graceland":

"The Mississippi Delta was shining like a national guitar"

which he later follows up with "My traveling companions are ghosts in empty pockets."

These two lines, in a song concerning a pilgrimage to Elvis's home and a search for community and redemption, are poignant.


or what about R.E.M.'s tribute to Kurt Cobain, "Let Me In," which begins:

"All those stars slip down like butter/and promises to keep."

The double vehicle of that simile, surreal and heartbroken at the same time, is another jealous moment for me as a writer. Also, the allusion to Patti Smith should not go unmentioned, either.

So, what are some other really excellent metaphors or similes (not just brilliant imagery) from pop music (not rap...that should probably be a different post topic) and why do you feel that they are particularly poignant. How do the vehicles of these figures illuminate the tenor in some way, or establish a particular tone that works even with out being sung or with musical accompaniment?

52 Cleveland Haiku (46)

Cleveland Thanksgiving

All the couches full

all the uncles drunk

football on the lawn

--Geoffrey A. Landis

52 Cleveland Haiku (45)

November roses

the last late blooms of summer--

wistful memories

--Geoffrey A. Landis

52 Cleveland Haiku (44)

Goose on Parma porch

warmly dressed in brown and orange:

must be football fan.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

52 Cleveland Haiku (43)

Fried baloney

with onions, cheese, two fried eggs:

Hinckley Tavern lunch.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for high school sophomores and juniors

Know any high-school age poets? This from the Kenyon Review:

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

The eighth annual Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers will begin accepting entries in November. The prize, which is open to high school sophomores and juniors throughout the world, is juried by David Baker, KR‘s poetry editor.

Nearly 600 entries were received last year, with the winner, Natalie Landers of Tarrant, Alabama, receiving a full scholarship to KR’s popular Young Writers summer workshop. The top two runners-up received partial scholarships to attend the summer workshop, and all three poets were published in the Fall 2011 issue of The Kenyon Review.

Students are invited to submit one poem via an online submission system. Visit KR’s Web site for a link to the contest submission page at that time. The contest will close on November 30.

High school teachers are encouraged to pass along this information to sophomores and juniors.

Guess What? We're All Rich!!!

According to this article, we as poets are raking it in, at almost $4,000 above average. So, the question is, how many of you are making money--like big money--off your poetry. If you are, what secrets do you have to impart. If you're not, why do you think that is?

Friday Poetry Spectacular in Canton!

The First Friday poetry event in Canton is always fun, but this coming Friday it's going all out.

The Poetry Spectacular will be happening all over the Arts District at Canton First Friday's Noteworthy November, happening November 4th. Here's a line-up for the multiple poetic performances throughout the evening:

• 5:30 PM - Diane Borsenik will be at the Canton Museum of Art (1001 Market Ave. N.)
• 6:00 PM - Jen Pezzo will be at MOLA Gallery (336 4th St. NW)
• 6:30 PM - Peter Hessman will be at Lynda Tuttle's Art Center (209 6th St. NW)
• 7:00 PM - Mary Turzillo will be at Carpe Diem Coffee (215 Market Ave. N.)
• 7:30 PM - AKeem Jamal Rollins will be at Elemental Arts (236 Walnut Ave. NE)
• 8:00 PM - Geoffrey Landis will be at MOLA Gallery (336 4th St. NW)
• 8:30 PM - T.M. Gottl will be at Lynda Tuttle's Art Center (209 6th St. NW)
• 9:00 PM - Arianna Cheree will be at Carpe Diem Coffee (215 Market Ave. N.)

And it's all embedded in the monthly Canton First-Friday art's festival, which will be going on all around. Visit http://cantonfirstfriday.com for a printable map and complete schedule of November's First Friday performances and events.

Check out their Facebook event page.

(No poetry slam at First Friday this month; but the First Friday Poetry Slam will resume in December with featured poet Zach Ashley.) And, this is all made possible thanks to Arts in Stark!