What a whole new world I'm finding!
Here is what is torture: every day, I open a box from amazon.com or Powell's or half.com (sorry authors & small presses-I'm a grad student with no money to spare) and there's a book that I just dive right into! Today, Marilyn Hacker - Deseseperanto - sounds like a new language - oh but within seconds, I'm hooked. And the torture part - there's Hacker and Mary Oliver and there's a book of ekphraisak poetry and there's Jenny Factor and there's Passing and there's Carol Potter's book and and and, I have to finish HD's Trilogy. I'm sick to death of mythological allusions and spare verse. Enough already! This is the torture.
6 comments:
Wow, Ann, you're reading all my favorite stuff! Could this be EKH's doing?
Robin - ya know - funny you should ask.. it's ekh's doing that I'm even at Antioch! Thank you, Eloise. [But I couldn't get her to stay.] My faculty advisor (Carol Potter) recomnmneded a few titles (Ostriker & Lorde) for my project period. I was already in love with ekh's poetry & Oliver & found Jenny while I was at Antioch. Ekphrasic poetry really appeals to me too. Do you have any suggestions - I'm really open!
Is Eloise leaving?
Carol is a great poet and a nice person--tell her I said howdy. If she recommended Ostriker and Lorde (poetry, criticism, or both?), those are excellent starting points. If you're interested in Ekphrastics, I'd take a look at Gray Jacobik's work, for sure. She is also a painter. I always recommend Marilyn Hacker, because she's a genius in so many ways. Is there some particular aspect of poetry or topic that you are focusing on?
Hi Robin - Focus is what I need.
You asked about areas of interest. I'm intriqued by inter-relatedness, how disparate things are connected. Examples would be language acquisition and poetry interpretation/translation. Also links among certain visual, musical and poetic styles or schools or impulses (such as duende and fado).
Apart from studying part, I want to read contemporary women poets, primarily those who identify as lesbian.
As far as writing, for a couple years, I've thought of writing a (chap)book of ekphrasic (however that's spelled) poems that might encompass the above areas. Or not.
Ekphrastic.
I think you really must read all the Hacker you can. You might also try to acquire proficiency in another language if you aren't fluent now, and read teorists in that language. Sounds like a lot more theory than poetry just yet--I suspect you'll find poets you love as you go.
Lorca and Ali aren't lesbians, but definitely should be part of your reading list, given these priorities. Also James Merrill, I think.
Robin - we are definitely thinking along the same lines. Lorca's one of my favorites & Raging DisUnities just came in today's mail .. tho I didn't know it was an anthology. Thanks for the spelling help!
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