I once met a journal editor who said he’d never publish a poem with the word “soul” in it. I thought it was extreme. Sure, it’s an overused word, but what if it was the right word for the poem?
I asked my poetic friend what was the reason for that decision. He said, “Because there [...]
George Carlin was one of the funniest comedians of his time. And he had a fabulous way with words. Enjoy this video from Mr. G.C. himself:
Over at the National Endowment for the Arts, Dana Gioia is at it again – helping the Bush Administration with one more overspending scandal. And you thought poetry was exempt from the excesses of capitalism!
And on the lighter side of verse, mzbarbielicious – no, seriously, that’s Mz. Barbielicious (and her uno el friendo) – tells [...]
Here’s a good review. And it makes me want to read the book.
Introduction to sci-fi poetry.
The Wergle Flomp winner.
PoemTalk (John Ashbery)
Mary Biddinger, editor of Barn Owl Review, asks, “What are your written or unwritten rules.” The responses, on her blog, are very interesting reading. Mine is here:
Allen’s Rules For Writing Poetry
First, I have no rules.
I don’t follow other people’s rules
If there is a rule that I’m supposed to follow then I break it.
If I’m expected [...]
Some interesting reading online this week:
Silliman’s back (unlike AC/DC) in black and white.
Enjoy The Second Coming. It’s been Finnished.
And yet, another Amazon boycott.
The Jewish geniuses a la Andy Warhol.
Meet President Iambic Dimeter with a pyrrhic dangler.
Capitalist poetry. Solicitation anyone?
Time to prepare a submission. Later.
Found in the margins – what musicians read.
Is Billy bowing out?
Relief from the pain of war.
John Updike on American Art.
Poetry for the joy of God.
Out of the mouths of babes.
$4 per gallon gasoline and a poem on a train.
Debauchery rules.
On the state of writing careers.
A rich bitch a la carte.
Should writers be marketers?
I had to laugh. The comment was simply funny.
Literary agent Barbara Bauer is suing Wikipedia. Evidently, she thinks the online quasi-encyclopedia is guilty of libel because one of its editors called her the “dumbest of the 20 worst (literary) agents”. In actuality, it wasn’t Wikipedia at all that first let the cat out of the [...]
Actor John Lithgow recites poetry at USC.
A self avowed hobby poet.
You’ll love these gut-busting metaphors. They had me in tears. My favorite:
14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other [...]
Funny! Thanks to Edward Byrne, I came upon this treat from the early years of Hugh Laurie. It’s called “Poetry Prize.” British humor is fabulous!
For Barbie fans! A video clip (you’ll have to view it on Jezebel’s site) of Goth Barbie. Warning: Tell your little girls to leave the room. There is some objectionable material, [...]