Jay, thanks for sharing this archive post. I guess I wasn't familiar with your poetry at all. As per my recent essay, I am getting over my fear of the genre one poem at a time. For me, poetry needs to be read aloud. I need the expressive feeling behind the words that comes from listening actively. Enjoy your upcoming travels.
Thanks, Matthew. And that's great that you have a clear understanding of your preferred entry point into a poem, it's sounded expression. It all begins in that personal relationship.
Jay, thank you so much for referencing Brendan Constantine. His reading/performance of "The Opposites Game" is marvelous. The poem on its own is fantastic; when read by its author, it is doubly so. There are poets who should not read their work aloud (except to themselves) and then there are the rare Brendan Constantines. What a tremendous teacher he must be.
Your pointers, which you apply to yourself, about selecting appropriate poems to read to an audience (and knowing who that audience comprises) and thinking about how to read them, are excellent reminders to us all.
I had set this piece aside to read after a difficult meeting today, because I knew it was going to be a treat of an invitation to enjoy the full act of literary creation - and I was not wrong! The reminder here that art's page presence is but one piece of the fuller experience - for the creator, and for the audience - was a beautiful, gentle nudge to enjoy the process and wonder of it all.
I hope you feel better soon, Jay, but please never feel that you're giving us "less" with another opportunity to read and sit with past work like this.
_Waiting for Word_ -- one of favorite collections of poetry and I had the pleasure of hearing you read from this book and meeting you. I too am recovering--me, from a surgical procedure, but up and running again soon--so I've been a bit late to you. Do forgive. Love, Mary
Thanks, Mary, and, goodness, nothing to forgive -- such a great writer friend and supporter. But surgery -- I trust by your response here your recovering well. I'm looking to your upcoming novel serialization!
I am recovering, a bit more slowly than I'd like. I suspect I'll post some interviews first that I prepared before going under the knife -- and gave me some time to chill and get better. Love you ...
Jay, thanks for sharing this archive post. I guess I wasn't familiar with your poetry at all. As per my recent essay, I am getting over my fear of the genre one poem at a time. For me, poetry needs to be read aloud. I need the expressive feeling behind the words that comes from listening actively. Enjoy your upcoming travels.
Thanks, Matthew. And that's great that you have a clear understanding of your preferred entry point into a poem, it's sounded expression. It all begins in that personal relationship.
Jay, thank you so much for referencing Brendan Constantine. His reading/performance of "The Opposites Game" is marvelous. The poem on its own is fantastic; when read by its author, it is doubly so. There are poets who should not read their work aloud (except to themselves) and then there are the rare Brendan Constantines. What a tremendous teacher he must be.
Your pointers, which you apply to yourself, about selecting appropriate poems to read to an audience (and knowing who that audience comprises) and thinking about how to read them, are excellent reminders to us all.
I'm so glad you agree about Brendan. I viewed the live video again and he's so good! I'm envious. :)
Every reading is its own artful creation isn't it, requiring all the same creative judgments?
I had set this piece aside to read after a difficult meeting today, because I knew it was going to be a treat of an invitation to enjoy the full act of literary creation - and I was not wrong! The reminder here that art's page presence is but one piece of the fuller experience - for the creator, and for the audience - was a beautiful, gentle nudge to enjoy the process and wonder of it all.
I hope you feel better soon, Jay, but please never feel that you're giving us "less" with another opportunity to read and sit with past work like this.
Thanks M L. I'm glad I could provide some recompense for that difficult meeting, which I hope resolved better than it may have started.
_Waiting for Word_ -- one of favorite collections of poetry and I had the pleasure of hearing you read from this book and meeting you. I too am recovering--me, from a surgical procedure, but up and running again soon--so I've been a bit late to you. Do forgive. Love, Mary
Thanks, Mary, and, goodness, nothing to forgive -- such a great writer friend and supporter. But surgery -- I trust by your response here your recovering well. I'm looking to your upcoming novel serialization!
I am recovering, a bit more slowly than I'd like. I suspect I'll post some interviews first that I prepared before going under the knife -- and gave me some time to chill and get better. Love you ...
❤️ Let me know if there's anything . . .