Poetry Hut Blog

Poetry News:

1. — Shackled Magazine Editors Harm Literature; Says Tom Masson, Who Deplores the Ownership of Magazines by Brokers and Soap-Makers Who Make “Hired Men” Editors - By Joyce Kilmer. —
2. — Nazi Claim May Thwart Bukowski Landmark —
3. — Argentine poet Juan Gelman wins Spain’s prestigious Cervantes Prize —
4. — Visual artist Ann Hamilton and poet Henri Cole, both from Columbus, Ohio, received the USA Fellowships —
5. — Poem Headstone Uncovered at Courthouse —
6. — Everson came of age as a poet with his friends Jack Spicer, Robin Blaser and Robert Duncan, the core members of the Berkeley Renaissance poets —

Poetry News:

1. — Nothing But Itself Can Harm American Poetry; May Riley Smith Thinks Magazines Fail to Benefit It, Because They Do Not Demand a High Order of Verse — By Joyce Kilmer —
2. — Entries wanted for ‘Dylan Days’ creative writing contest —
3. — Flash of bad sex wins late Norman Mailer coveted book prize —
4. — Candle Vigil For Taslima —
5. — His own religion … the Blake window in St Mary’s Church, Battersea —
6. — After two previous nominations, Domanski earns Governor General’s Literary Award for latest collection —
7. — Any hope of life to come is removed; this place is born of the loss of her father and her mother’s betrayal —

My mom is still in ICU but stable after surgery and a couple blood transfusions. Thanks for your good wishes.

***

I can’t help it. I’m rubbing my hands together in anticipation.

Poetry News:

1. — Poets Marched in the Van of Irish Revolt; Pearse and MacDOnagh, Executed Last Week, Well Known for Their Verse;;-Other Writers Prominent in Sinn Fein Ranks — By Joyce Kilmer —
2. — Interview: Author Kim Addonizio is fearless in verse and prose —
3. — The search continues for Missouri’s first poet laureate —
4. — Eleanor Rees enjoys the engagement with specific, sensual experience in the responses to this month’s workshop —
5. — American leaders have a history of writing, and inspiring, poetry that is mediocre or just plain bad. Ariel Ramchandani encourages poets, and presidents, to do better when the next inauguration comes round … —
6. — View from the lab: Science’s debt to William Blake —
7. — Bombed Baghdad book market turns the page —
8. — Workshop practices poetry as one of the healing arts —
9. — Kipling’s India home to become museum —
10. — Anne Shelby embraces Appalachian language in her daily life, writing and music —
11. — Ondaatje, Domanski win Governor General’s Lit Awards —
12. — The Iron Man who had a heart after all —

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Poetry News:

1. — How Does the New Poetry Differ from the Old?; Amy Lowell Laments the Lack of Authoritative Criticism in America — Says No One Should Make a Living by Writing — By Joyce Kilmer —
2. — it’s impossible not to ask some hard questions about his status and whether it is deserved —
3. — In a poem of this sort one is trying to record the precise instant when a thing outward and objective transforms itself, or darts into a thing inward and subjective —
4. — BJP seeks political refugee status for Taslima —
5. — Havana-born, Chicago-based writer Achy Obejas first won a NEA grant for her poetry in 1986 —
6. — As good as life gets —
7. — Love, Ted —
8. — Many thought that Ivor Gurney’s claim to be ‘England’s first war poet’ was a symptom of his insanity —

My mom is intensive care again, so I may stop blogging (without much notice).

Poetry News:

1. — Our Rich Authors Make Cheap Literature; Ida M. Tarbell Laments Tendency of Some of Our Modern Writers to Sacrifice Their Independence and Self-Respect for the Sake of High Prices By Joyce Kilmer —
2. — Controversial Bangladeshi feminist writer Taslima Nasreen has been flown out of the Indian city of Calcutta after violent protests by Muslims —
3. — Nor was it a simple matter to find a poem that would serve as the essential illustration of Ashbery’s quality —
4. — It is not poetry that lasts but good poems, a critical difference. —
5. — The Chilean Pablo Neruda (1904-1973), one of the world’s most popular writers, found his gift early in his prolific career —
6. — NYT’s 100 Notable Books of the Year —
7. — Facebook is removing profiles of small Canadian publishers —
8. — Prize rewards younger poet’s technique, vision —
9. — Matthew Higgs … explores language as a visual-art medium that is also directly linked to poetry —
10. — Think Global, Read Local —
11. — Keats’s Secret: Exploring the Real Power of the Imagination —
12. — Paul Roche, Poet in Bloomsbury Group, Is Dead at 91 —
13. — Here are three of the five nominees for this year’s Governor General’s Award for poetry, each a many-layered reading experience —
14. — Later this month the winner of the annual Literary Review Bad Sex awards will be announced, and this year’s contenders are just as bad at sex as all the rest —
15. — The City of Cambridge’s Poet Populist contest is marred by ballot and voting irregularities

Hope you had a good Thanksgiving. We went to our friend Erma’s and it was fun and delicious. After dinner, there was a many-hour jam session & I even played bass on one song — “Killer Joe” because it is really easy and I don’t really play anymore, LOL.

Public service announcement:

Seeking poets who might have an extra copy of their chapbook or book they’d be willing to donate to a lucky student. Each week, during my 8-week undergraduate poetry class, there will be a drawing to see who wins the book a poet has been generous enough to donate. The winner will be responsible for reading your book, reviewing it, and selecting a favorite poem to read to the class the following week. If you like, contact information and book price should be included so that others in the class can buy your book. Students will be STRONGLY encouraged to buy the books of poets who, after all, were kind enough to contribute a book to their education. If you’re willing, please send your book (autographed would be nice) and contact and price details to:

Jeff Winke
Upper Iowa University - Milwaukee Center
620 S 76th St.
Milwaukee, WI 53214

Happy Thanksgiving — I’ll be back on Monday.

Things I am grateful for:

My family and friends.

I can read.

Caffeine.

My neighbors aren’t assholes.

Lucidity.

Head above water.

11-year-olds can’t vote

Feeding the birds.

My car works.

Health getting better.

I have good bosses.

  My government is effective.  

I don’t have to go to the laundromat to do laundry.

The poetry world — real and online.

ps. today is the Feast Day of St. Cecilia, the Patron Saint of musicians. And poets.

Hymn to St. Cecilia by Benjamin Britten (Words by W. H. Auden)

Poetry News:

1. — American Literature Is Going to the Dogs; It Is the Fault of Magazines, Says Henry Holt, Who Laments Their Exploitation of Names and Accuses Government of Unduly Favoring Them - By Joyce Kilmer. —
2. — 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, Fun… What’s a Fib? Math plus poetry. —
3. — Women dominate the contenders, and immigration is the prevailing theme in this year’s shortlists for the erstwhile Whitbread awards —
4. — Artists pay tribute to Lorca at poet’s home —
5. — The gulagtestimonial —
6. — 7 things you should know about: being a poet —
7. — An eminent intellectual historian leads the reader on a pleasant ramble through Modernist art and literature —
8. — Clashes in Kolkata over Taslima Nasreen & Unprecedented vandalism in Kolkata, army called in —
9. — Absolutely Alexie —

mmmmm pumpkin pie

Poetry News:

1. — Poets’ Opportunities Greater than Ever Before; Arthur Guiterman Tells How to Make a Living Out of Verse and Gives a List of Don’ts for Aspiring Poets ;- Advises Writing on Topical Themes By Joyce Kilmer. —
2. — Defending the M.F.A. [link good for a few days] —
3. — Mr. Wilson’s work was less effective in two vocal pieces, “Four Short Poems of Louis Zukofsky” and “Lotus Dam,” based on a poem by Les Murray —
4. — Just in time for Thanksgiving, hear delectable poems from Stanley Kunitz, W.S. Merwin, Yusef Komunyakaa, Galway Kinnell, and Philip Levine —
5. — He won the 2005 Lannan Literary Poetry Fellowship and has made presentations at more than 300 national conferences, universities and prisons —
6. — NEA May Funnel Addtional Funding to Artist Colonies —

I hope these weren’t some of the toys I sent. But a high probability that, yeah. My condolences. How can somebody suicide-vest-bomb a bunch of little kids? I won’t be sending any more stuff to hand out to the kids over in Iraq (after these school supplies are sent) I don’t think. (My family member is OK.)

***

I have some poetry up at the Dead Mule School of Southern Literature. These poems are formal poems, including a dactylic poem that made electricity come out of my forehead when I was trying to write it, haha. I don’t think I’ll be writing any more dactylic poems anytime soon. So go read my poems and the other poet’s poems & be sure to not miss Dale Wisely’s poems because his poems just kill me.

Thank you for the invitation.

Poetry News:

1. — Do Women Lack Cultivated Literary Taste?; Harry Leon Wilson Thinks They Do and Deplores the Condition of Modern Fiction ;- Criticises Scathingly the Trade Novels Written to Order By Joyce Kilmer —
2. — Rusty Barnes talk about life on the ‘Night Train’ —
3. — “A magazine living to 50?” Le Guin questioned, speaking to the publication’s unusually long run. “It’s like a dog living to 50.” —
4. — “This is not a study about literary reading,” Gioia said. It’s a study about reading of any sort … —
5. — The basic “deck” for uta karuta is the Hyakunin Isshu, a compilation of one hundred poems by one hundred poets originally assembled by the thirteenth-century imperial poet Fujiwara Teika —
6. — Although it’s a difficult business with high turnover, small presses can be successful if run in a businesslike fashion [requires bug me not I think] —

♫ ♫ la la la la la … wow that is stupefyingly ugly. You’d think that Amazon could afford a good industrial designer. Plus it could use a few more buttons.

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Poetry News:

1. — A Genius Whom the War Made and Killed; Rupert Brooke’s Death at the Front Illustrates the Paradox of the Effect on Literature of War, Which Ended His Career and Made Him Immortal By Joyce Kilmer. —
2. — What do you think are the most important elements of writing poetry? —
3. — Four of the most prestigious poetry prizes went to African-American women this year —
4. — Movies based on poems —
5. — Self-confidence is a definite advantage in most areas, but wingless flight is not one of them —
6. — Penguin should be ashamed of itself —
7. — If a more cringe-making book exists than Boris Johnson’s debut volume of poetry, Stuart Jeffries has yet to read it —
8. — Mark Strand’s New Selected Poems includes an evocation of food’s deep meanings, appropriate to the holiday, though the dish is not turkey: —
9. — Reed Whittemore: Telling it slant —
10. — Website of the Week — Poetry Foundation —
11. — One manuscript that escaped the blaze — just barely — contained an untitled poem of more than 3,000 lines —

Rare Spanish Coin Found in Nashville Cemetery. I once found an Imperial German Army uniform button. It was on top of a mole hill in our yard in Nashville on the Cheatham County line. Weird.

Collin kindly nominated Poetry Hut Blog for The Shameless Lions Writing Circle Award. Thanks, that is kind.

These are 5 blogs, poetry and not, that I also nominate:

1. WhimsyLand: Jeffrey Bahr deserves some kind of award for The Futility Review.


2. Geoffrey Chaucer Hath a Blog: just because it always cracks me up & I like Chaucer.


3. rotten peaches: makes me want to do memoir-comics. But mine would look a lot more like a John Callahan cartoon.


4. pitcherlady: for pretty pictures and not-so-pretty pictures that aren’t afraid to shine a light on community problems. If I ever publish a book I’ll ask Susan for a pic. (Yes I realize this award is for writing but…)


5. The Moderate Voice: for its news and political discussion made possible in the blog comments — without a bunch of crappy, angry, name-calling.

Poetry News:

1. — SERIAL SYSTEM HURTS OUR NOVELS; And Too Many American Writers Want to Own Automobiles, Says George Barr McCutcheon By Joyce Kilmer —
2. — Song of Herself —
3. — Robert Hass — Winner 2007 National Book Awards — Poetry —
4. — How to Win a National Book Award in Five Easy Steps —
5. — Leading Neuroscientist Seeks Neural And Biological Basis For Creativity, Beauty And Love —
6. — creativity has become a feelgood term intended to make us all feel a bit better about what we do —
7. — Kate Light gave a reading on Nov. 13, 2007, in Buttrick Hall as part of the Gertrude Vanderbilt and Harold S. Vanderbilt Visiting Writers Program. This podcast includes selections from her three books - Gravity’s Dream, Open Slowly and Falling Bodies. [links to MP3] —
8. — when the sisters were 17 and 20 years old, they were sent to Nazi forced labor camps … where they wrote these poems —
9. — since somebody published a poem I wrote when I was 19, which has been mocked, thoroughly, I don’t think those are going to be appearing anytime soon —
10. — Scoop: Viggo Mortensen Is Edgar Allan Poe —
11. — Lee Ranaldo Pens Poetry Book Based on E-mail Spam —
12. — Mark Jarman’s newest collection continues to confound a secular critical world —

Have a good weekend — see you next week.

Poetry News:

1. — Says “Vers Libre” Is Prose, Not Poetry; Robert Underwood Johnson Deplores Excesses of Ultra-Modern Writers in Rebellion Against What They Call Tyranny of Form By Joyce Kilmer —
2. — Working Collaboration at The Wave Poetry Farm —
3. — the Supreme Court refused Tuesday to hear an appeal from poet Amiri Baraka —
4. — Two Requiems, different paths —
5. — The Double Life of Robert Louis Stevenson —
6. — Former VT State Poet a finalist for National Book Awards and also winners probably announced here tonight —

Keep your fingers crossed for me today.

Poetry News:

1. — Five years after Ruth Lilly’s $100 million gift to the Poetry Foundation, a mixed verdict —
2. — Singer gives Dickinson’s verse a new voice —
3. — Big brother is reading your poetry —
4. — University of Arkansas Press Poetry Book Wins Virginia Literary Award —
5. — Long-lost Blake watercolours shown for 1st time —
6. — William Matthews Birthday podcast with Sebastian Matthews too [links to MP3 at WPVM] —
7. — Jessica Smith podcast [links to MP3 at WPVM] —

Kate Light is reading tonight at Vanderbilt, Nashvillians.

Hedy Lamarr has joined the Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists, as an historical honorary member.

Yay! A bass poem! I’m still trying for the definitive Bootsy Collins poem. Someday.

Poetry News:

1. — Political rhymes: duple meter vs. iambic pentameter —
2. — the Grand Prize for inspired concept and execution goes to… —
3. — Joe Torre Haiku Contest —
4. — Poet awarded $75,000 fellowship —
5. — This lies at the very heart of Ted Hughes’s vision of life, and made him a much more appropriate laureate for the Thatcher years than sad old Larks in his cycle-clips. —
6. — [ha that kid plagiarized a Tom Lehrer song] —
7. — a sharp reminder that poetry is not merely good thoughts well expressed —
8. — “Evasive Idealism” Handicaps Our Literature; Ellen Glasgow Declares That the American Public Demands Sham Optimism Instead of Straightforward Facing of Life’s Facts By Joyce Kilmer —
9. — Poet Paul Muldoon and Jacki Lyden discover Finnegan’s musicality as they listen to an archival recording of James Joyce reading from his final novel —

FreeRice has two goals:

1. Provide English vocabulary to everyone for free.
2. Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.

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