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Sunday, July 09, 2006

Unraveling at the Name

This is not fair because I'm tired and I don't want to get involved with my description. But I began reading Jenny Factor's book again last night. Then more today. Each time I begin, I don't want to stop. Why didn't it affect me this way in L.A. is what I wonder. And how does she do it - those long lines and those hidden rhymes and those weird forms (pantoums? canzones on fisting - geez) - it's such a pleasure to be a candid voyeur on the speaker's experiences (there - I've divorced it from the personal). All of it is one knitting, parceled out in patches of poems. It's so fluid. It's got this elegance and sophistication and seamlessness to it all - I cannot imagine that she stopped and made the first revision. That's how it reads: one piece, uninterrupted.

4 comments:

nolapoet said...

Jenny is one of the most talented young poets out there. I hope she has another book on the way.

Robin

Unknown said...

Robin - you are so right - not that I have a wide expanse of knowledge. Her writing also stands out in a way that's *different* in addition to everything else I've said. It reminds me of the Palitino font.

Jenny is at Antioch btw - and I hope she stays!

Unknown said...

that's *Palatino* -- half its beauty is in the way the name appears -- spelled correctly

nolapoet said...

Oh, she is?! That's great news!!! Please give her my best when you see her!