| Author | Message | ||
| rus bowden
Intermediate Member Username: rusbowden Post Number: 315 Registered: 12-2003 |
Dear Poetry Fans, Poetry & Poets in Rags We have an excellent week, with important poetry news. For the first time, I leave it all to your discovery, because we have some IBPC judge updating to do. It seems so soon, that the prelim e-mail to David Kirby has gone out--but fall is upon us. Of all we already know about his stellar bio, a selection in this year's Best American Poetry 2006, guest edited by Billy Collins, will be a late update for him. He begins his three-month stint reading the poems being workshopped as I write this. But it's so soon that editor/poets Tree Riesener and Peter Krok have delved into their last month of poetry for us, as we await the results for September. They have been exceptional, and my thanks go out to them. Here is the link for your consideration in subscribing or submitting to their journal: The Schuylkill Valley Journal, and be sure to check out Tree's blog. Also, watch for the upcoming announcement of a new book coming out by our former judge, editor and poet John Poch (2004). Keep writing, but read too. Thanks for clicking in. Yours, Rus Our links: IBPC: Poetry & Poets in Rags Poetry & Poets in Rags Blog IBPC Home IBPC Newswire ~~~~~~~~~~~ | ||
| Michael MV
Senior Member Username: michaelv Post Number: 1377 Registered: 11-2003 |
Hi Editor Rus, I'm esp enjoying/appreciating the current. Circa 7 years, Kirby was one of the presenters at a writers' conference I attended. His work(poetry) was part of the reading for a poetry workshop taught by one of the college professors that semester. But, no, I do not know him. Of course, I have read some of his poetry. I like what this Kirby poem says about Art: Fear of Reading I have just finished one novel and am picking up another reluctantly, because I do not want to crowd two sets of characters together, to have the Duchesse de Guermantes sitting down to dinner with Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov or Huck and Jim trying to keep up with Leopold Bloom as he makes his way through the streets of Dublin. At times, art is too much for me. Once the composer Ives said to a fellow who was booing him, "Stop being such a God-damned sissy! Why can't you stand up before fine strong music like this and use your ears like a man!" I am a sissy, though. I walked around in a daze before I read Henry James; afterwards, it all made sense. That is why I am afraid of books: they have saved my life before, surely they could kill me. I wondered/hoped if you would include the Dylan article/issue - Good choice. The Millay is timely for my current projects. The Blake & Li-Young Lee even more so. The latter poet, by the way, I heard read a couple of years ago; the former, always a kindred spirit in my imagination & vision  And I could highlight more, but Thanks for this issue which happens to be tailored to my needs & interest at this time - serendipitous, indeed! But then as I have said before, the PPiR is a valuable resource to the on-line poetry community. In appreciation, Michael (MV) (Message edited by MichaelV on September 20, 2006) | ||
| rus bowden
Intermediate Member Username: rusbowden Post Number: 317 Registered: 12-2003 |
Hi Michael, Terrific comment and commentary to get on Poetry & Poets in Rags. Thanks very much. I try to be true to content, newsworthiness, quality, and so forth, and now you show that a sort of tayloring can happen. I don't cut saved articles lightly, but after pairing, sorting, comparing and consideration. It pays. It may be trite sounding, but if it is only you who benefited this week as you say, then the whole week of effort to bring about the issue is worth it for me. What else am I doing but partnering with some reader hopefully in this way you mention? And a long-time friend on the boards such as you is a great bonus. I am very much looking forward to David Kirby as an IBPC judge. Thank you for finding the poem and sharing it. It confirms and broadens too what I know of his personality through his writings and e-mails spread over time. It takes wit, humility, a wonderful sense of humor, a broad and easily "referenced" based of knowledge, a sensitivity to and friendship with the reader, and on and on, to write a poem like that. It is almost a terrible thing to have such a high expectation, because the only way can be down. But I cannot imagine the online poetry community not falling head over heels for this guy David Kirby as he judges for us. Yours, Rus |
