Poetic Asides with Robert Lee Brewer - Saturday, July 14, 2007

One thing I would like to do with this blog is present a picture of the different poetic forms available to poets. I will lump all these in the Poetic Forms category in the left-hand toolbar. By knowing the different forms, you can experiment and ultimately grow as a poet and as a writer.

In this post, let's look at Abstract or Sound Poetry. Apparently, abstract was a term used by Dame Edith Sitwell to describe poems in her book Facade. There are different definitions provided below, but this form of poetry is more about how sounds, rhythms, and textures evoke emotions than about the actual meanings of words.

For instance:

My rat-a-tat-tat hat
was smacked and whacked
by Thedulius Jack-a-bat-snat
while holding his gat.

Obviously, the draw of these lines is the sounds produced more than figuring out who is doing what. Abstract or Sound Poetry is definitely a fun form to play around with.

And as promised, here are some definitions to check out (for poets who need meanings):

Poetry Craft Tips | Poetic Forms

7/14/2007 9:19:27 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Friday, July 13, 2007

Friday SPAM poetry prompt #713
Posted by Nancy

SPAM prompt line: tired of being like that

This prompt is for a poem of self-examination. We all have habits, patterns, attitudes we want to change (or know we should change in the name of self-improvement). Write a poem of three stanzas, six lines per stanza, with the final line of each stanza using "tired of being like that" as the basis for a refrain. The first two stanzas describe the feelings, viewpoints, actions that you're tired of; the third stanza hypothesizes what you could/should do about it all (but still closing with the "tired of being like that" refrain, with whatever spin you want to give it).

If you're one of those poets who recoil from using "I" in a poem, write about yourself in the third person. And don't limit your self-analysis to the typical negative personality traits (tired of being lazy, pessimistic, overindulgent, crabby, fat--oops, that's my list). Maybe you're a go-to kind of person and you're sick of it. Maybe you try hard to look on the bright side in every situation and you're sick of it. Maybe you're a good little boy or girl who continually toes the line and does the "right thing," always, and you're sick of THAT. Tell the world how you're fed up with being good (or at least that person you're writing about is).

ALTERNATE PROMPT: If you're uncomfortable with writing in a confessional mode, use the same approach to write about a family member, friend, co-worker, or someone you've observed while you're out shopping, sitting in a coffee shop, or even watching TV.

EXPERIMENTS WHILE REVISING: Try a version where the "tired of being ~~that way~~ like that" line opens each stanza instead of closing it. Or remove the line entirely from the poem and see if you can make the poem stand on its own without it.

--Nancy

Poetry Prompts

7/13/2007 11:10:33 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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The Power of Poetry and an OpEd on Philip Booth
Posted by Robert

"The Power of Poetry," by Christopher Dickey for On Faith, discusses poetry in relation to religion. During the piece, Dickey does not appear to favor one religion over the other, but instead looks at the lyricism found within the original version of the various texts and how the poetry of the language is meant to move as much as the meanings behind the words.

***

The Bangor Daily News presents an OpEd, "Henry L. Miller: Philip Booth and his poetry." In the piece, Miller looks at one of Maine's more accomplished poets, emphasizing Booth's sensitivity for being observant and paying attention to detail--both in writing and sailing.

***

Also, a quick personal note: I posted a new poem by new poet Bob Boston at http://faultymindbomb.blogspot.com.

Best,

Robert

Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poets

7/13/2007 10:54:56 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Thursday, July 12, 2007

Cut IT Out!
Posted by Robert

If you found "Put THAT Thing Away!" helpful at all, or at least interesting, then you should know another one of my pet peeves is the use of the word "it" in poems. I only became a stickler for "it" in the past few years, and I think my writing has benefitted from "it"--or the lack of "it," that is.

Let me show with an example. (Again, these examples I use are not meant to win any awards. They serve as a way to see how playing around can produce different results.)

Version 1:

"Listening"

It's easier said than done.
It's so easy to let it all
fall apart whenever it makes
sense, like when somebody
wants to dominate it
all the time. I mean, is it
so hard to practice it once
in a while?

Ugh. That's some pretty "it"-plagued poetry going on there. And while I might be able to tell that the first "it" might refer to the title "Listening," I get totally confused after that. Here's a 2nd version after cutting some of the "it" clutter out.

Version 2:

"Listening"

Is easier said than done.
It's so easy to let conversations
crumble whenever somebody
wants to dominate the talking
time. I mean, is it so hard
to practice listening once in a while?

Ridding this poem of "it"s resulted in some language changes and 2 less lines. Concise is always nice in poetry. But there's still room to remove "it" completely.

Version 3:

"Listening"

Is easier said than done;
conversations crumble
when someone wants to hog
the talking time. I mean,
is listening so difficult?

So yeah, this won't win any awards, but the piece is even more specific and more concise as a result of cutting "it" out of the poem. Imagine if you had a really good poem with a couple "it"s lurking in the shadows: You could turn that really good poem into a great one.

"It" takes a little work and patience, but "it"'s totally worth "it."

Best,

Robert

Advice | Personal Updates | Poetry Craft Tips

7/12/2007 5:17:21 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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A Poet Laureate and a Well-Known Poet
Posted by Robert

Today, I've got two interesting pieces on poets.

In "Poet laureate shares her love of poetry," by Jennifer Bhargava for The Kansas City Star, the new Kansas poet laureate, Denise Low, is profiled. Low plans to focus on getting Kansas teens reading "contemporary" poetry, which I've mentioned before (and will mention again) is an important way to build an appreciation of poetry in this country.

Denise Low has two Web sites of interest:

***

In "Poetry Amidst the Kultursmog: An Interview With David Yezzi," by Bernard Chapin for mensnewsdaily.com, Yezzi, the well-known poet and Executive Editor of The New Criterion, gives some very candid answers to some very pointed questions about poetry and poets.

Poetry News | Poets

7/12/2007 12:26:39 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Literary Agents for Poets; National Book Festival; and a Report on Poetry in 2007
Posted by Robert

"Literary Agents for Poets," by Victoria Strauss from the Writer Beware blog, breaks down why "reputable" literary agents are never interested in "unknown" poets. This post also includes many links to other information of interest to poets as well.

***

Poets Jack Prelutsky, Kevin Prufer, Jon Stallworth, Anne Stevenson, and Diane Thiel will be reading at the 2007 National Book Festival on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on September 29.

Source: Library of Congress

***

"A report on poetry in 2007," by Todd Swift from Eyewear, looks at the current state of poetry in the United Kingdom from Swift's 20 years of experience as a writer, editor, etc. Swift also hypothesizes on why poetry is where it is.

Advice | General | Poetry News | Poetry Publishing

7/11/2007 12:55:52 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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PIKEVILLE REVIEW closes
Posted by Nancy

I've received word from editor Sydney C. England that Pikeville Review is closing down. According to the e-mail, "…our small volunteer staff could not continue providing this service." Pikeville Review was verified for the 2008 edition of Poet's Market (on sale next month), so please make a note of this closure in your copy.

I'm planning to post a list of journals and presses that were listed as "out of business" in the 2008 Poet's general index. As I receive additional news of closures, I'll repost the list with each update. Watch for it in the next week or two.

--Nancy

Journal Closings | Poetry News | Poetry Publishing | Poet's Market updates

7/11/2007 9:57:57 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Put THAT Thing Away!
Posted by Robert

Be careful; it's easy to do. That is, it's easy to write in a way that overuses that word "that." Or in other words, it's easy to overuse the word "that."

Look: I used to be a major offender myself. Of all places, a techincal writing course helped me improve my "that" problem across the board, not to mention turn me into a list consistency freak.

Here's a sample of how "that" can slow down a poem in a bad way:

The man ran miles and miles
for that woman that could've
done so much for him so that
he wasn't sure what he'd do
now that he spent his nights
alone listening to that same
old Louis Armstrong record
playing that "Mack the Knife"
song.

It's funny how once you get started on "that" word "that," it's often hard to stop. In line 2, "that" even took the place of what should be a "who." "That" is a very typical "that" problem, in fact. With a little cleaning, this could read as:

The man ran miles and miles
for the woman who could've
done so much for him he
wasn't sure what he'd do
now that he spent his nights
alone listening to the same
old Louis Armstrong record
playing "Mack the Knife."

This little piece went from 6 uses of "that" to 1 through some simple clean up. While this piece is just an example and not meant to win any awards for great writing, it is definitely tighter for doing a "that" scan.

So be on the lookout for "that," because it could improve your writing just like "that." (Oh jeez, I'm coming up with some horrible "that" jokes, eh?)

Best,

Robert

Advice | Poetry Craft Tips

7/10/2007 2:03:09 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [3]

We "heart" Brian Klems!
Posted by Nancy

For some reason we're having all kinds of tech troubles the past few days with the blogging software. (If you click on a link that takes you someplace unexpected, you've run into an example.) Brian started blogging before we did with his Questions and Quandaries blog, so he's been offering us the benefit of his experience. For instance, he spotted that the system wiped out our "posted by" lines after post titles, so it's hard to tell who's posting what without additional signatures. We'll get that fixed ASAP (and thanks, Brian).

He's even more helpful when it comes to questions about writing and publishing. Be sure to check out Questions and Quandaries. (I think it's listed as The Mythical Land of Experts and More on the navigation bar. Hey, Brian--another tech glitch?)

--Nancy

General

7/10/2007 11:57:16 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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A PROMPT RESPONSE: #629 Short Sausage Man
Posted by Nancy

As promised, I'm going to try to write a poem for every Friday SPAM prompt I post. I've finally written one for the first prompt, "don't want no short sausage man" (go here for the original June 29 prompt). I've never attempted a blues poem before, but this prompt line just seemed to demand it. Of course, I'm not sure blues poems are supposed to be humorous, so my apologies if I've sullied the tradition:

SHORT SAUSAGE MAN BLUES

Don't want, don't want no short sausage man.

Don't want his tiny links messing up my frying pan.

Don't want him in my kitchen with his pound of greasy meat.

Go back, sausage man, go back out on the street.

I found him on the corner, trying to sell his wares.

I bought what he was selling, and he followed me upstairs.

He's not that bad a looker, though he's short as he can be.

Size isn't everything--that's my philosophy.

But he's got a nasty temper, and his cooking's not that good.

He's got a nasty temper, and his cooking's not that good.

Don't want him in my kitchen. Don't want him in my neighborhood.

I don't want him, don't want no short sausage man.

No, I don't want, don't want no short sausage man.

That man and his sausage are heading for my garbage can.

NOTE: Yes, as I maintained here, I do now consider this poem disqualified for submission to journals that don't accept previously published poems. That's okay. I don't plan to submit any of my "SPAM prompt" poetry for publication; this is more about exploring how a poem can be inspired by a prompt, and having some fun while I'm at it.

--Nancy

Personal Updates | Poetry Prompts

7/10/2007 9:30:33 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, July 09, 2007

The New 7 Wonders of the World Announced
Posted by Robert

The New 7 Wonders of the World was recently announced, and I thought it might be a good exercise for poets to try choosing a wonder and writing a poem inspired by it. Of course, ambitious poets could write a poem for each new wonder, or even one poem that incorporates all seven.

I've included the list below with links to pictures:

General | Poetry Prompts

7/9/2007 12:40:19 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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The Ghazal and Bad Boy Poetry
Posted by Robert

From Desicritics.org, "The Ghazal-An Odd Sort of Poetry," by Deepa Krishnan, is a nice tribute to poet Mirza Ghalib, as well as an educated discussion on the ghazal form of poetry. As I'm sure most poets do, I was thinking of the ghazal in relation to my own work as I read.

***

From the William & Mary Web site, "Victorian Poetry's Bad Boy," by Erin Zagurski, profiles scholar Terry Meyers and his pursuit of gaining more recognition for Victorian poet (and bad boy), Algernon Charles Swinburne. I'm always appreciative of scholars who work to keep lesser known poets from completely disappearing into the ether. Even if you're not interested in Victorian poets, the article itself is very interesting.

General | Poetry News

7/9/2007 11:02:42 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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News from poet Jared Carter
Posted by Nancy

I received an e-mail from Jared Carter over the weekend sharing the good news that his latest book, Cross this Bridge at a Walk (Wind Publications), is a poetry finalist for "Best Books of Indiana 2007." Poet's Market featured Jared in an Insider Report in the 2005 edition. Not only is he a wonderful poet, he's a lovely gentleman besides, and I loved Cross this Bridge at a Walk.

On the Jared Carter website, the book description says, "Its sixteen narrative poems recount incidents in America's history from the Revolution to the present, with cameo appearances by Mother Ann Lee, Emily Dickinson, Scott Joplin, and Bix Beiderbecke." The site includes sample poems from Cross this Bridge at a Walk, plus a generous selection of some of Jared Carter's earlier poems, not to mention lots of background information on the poet himself. If you're not familiar with Jared Carter's poetry, his website is an ideal introduction.

Regarding the "Best Books of Indiana 2007" awards, Jared says, "A number of books by Indiana authors or about Indiana, published between January 1 and December 31 of 2006, were among this year’s finalists. Categories include poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and children/young adult. Winners in the four categories will be announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday 19 July. If it’s geographically possible for you to attend, Diane and I would be most grateful. We’d love to see you there, and have a chance to say hello…The awards, now in their third year, are still relatively new. A large turn-out would give a considerable boost to contemporary poetry in Indiana, and also to the awards program…if you can’t make it, send us some good vibrations!" More information about the "Best Books of Indiana" awards may be found on their website.

If you're within driving distance of Indianapolis and want to attend, here are the particulars: The event is Thursday, July 19, at 3 p.m. at The Indiana State Library (140 N. Senate Avenue, Indianapolis 46204, west of the Statehouse); or check the library's website. You can also e-mail Ms. Dawn Lipp, coordinator, or phone her at (317)232-3699.

Congratulations to Jared Carter on a fine book and his "Best Books of Indiana 2007" finalist status--and best wishes for happy news at the awards ceremony.

--Nancy

Poetry News | Poets

7/9/2007 10:04:01 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Friday, July 06, 2007

Industrial Designers, Russian Poetry, and Britney Spears?!?
Posted by Robert

It must be Friday.

First off is "Emptying Space to Let Something In: What can poetry teach designers?," by Xanthe Matychak for CORE77, Industrial Design Supersite. The title pretty much says it all. I enjoyed reading this piece, and it makes me ponder the following question: If designers can learn from poets, and specifically Margaret Atwood, shouldn't poets be able to learn from designers?

The answer is, "Of course."

***

"The 'raging bull' of Russian poetry," by Dalia Karpel for Haaretz.com is a very interesting profile of an early 20th century Russian poet Vladimir Mayakovsky. To this day, there is speculation as to whether the poet's death in his 30's was a suicide or political assassination. This is a longer article, though well worth the read.

***

And since I only cover the most serious of breaking poetry news, I just had to share "Britney Spears attacks mother in a poem," by Jeannette Walls for MSNBC. According to the piece, Britney wrote a bitter poem to her mother, Lynne Spears, titled "Dear Mama."

It's not yet known if this poem will lead to a full-fledged collection of bitter poetry (maybe even with an accompanying CD set to music).

(p.s. That was a joke.)

(p.p.s. I think.)

General | Poetry News

7/6/2007 11:35:33 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Friday SPAM poetry prompt #706
Posted by Nancy

SPAM prompt line: Big summer sale

Write fifteen statements that begin "Big summer sale." (The number is arbitrary. If you can't come up with 15 or want to keep going after 15, that's fine.) When you're done, without reading what you've written, go through and delete "Big summer sale" from every line. Now take a look at what you have left and create a poem from that.

Happy writing...

--Nancy

Poetry Prompts

7/6/2007 11:32:09 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [2]

TGIF!
Posted by Robert

In the mail last night, I found a package containing Words Dance 11. Edited by Amanda Oaks, this publication includes my poem "my sinister is sparking," along with poetry by many other good writers like Tammy Trendle, Pris Campbell, Luc Simonic, and S.A. Griffin--just to name a few. From the very first poem by Ray Sweatman to the very last poem by David Smith, it's a great read.

For more information, check out the Words Dance Web site.

***

On my way into work this morning, I sent out another submission--this time to The Sun, which is one of my favorite magazines. Based in Chapel Hill, this magazine always has stunning black & white cover photographs, engaging personal writing, and sometimes one of my favorite writers, Poe Ballantine, makes an appearance.

For more information on this magazine, go to The Sun Web site.

***

Of course, I should also mention that Nancy's Poet's Market is the best resource for poetry leads. The book is available at most local chains and online. Be sure to check out her Web site at http://www.poetsmarket.com and subscribe to her free biweekly newsletter.

Personal Updates | Poetry Publishing

7/6/2007 9:30:51 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Grammar, Perfection, Bus Stops, and Walt Whitman
Posted by Robert

Here's some interesting stuff happening in poetry online recently:

"Egad! Poetry and the grammarian," by Michael Hickey, for the Naples Sun Times is an educational piece on grammar and its importance in poetry. Remember: It's always a good idea to know the rules before you decide to break them.

***

"What's a 'perfect line' in poetry?," by Nick Seddon, from Guardian Unlimited admits this is a "Preposterous question, of course, but appealing all the same." There are many interesting ideas introduced here, but one that stuck out for me is how most people recommend lines from dead poets over living poets.

***

"Poetry to brighten bus stops," by an anonymous reporter for the Watford Observer (England), shows another example of where poetry and bus transportation intersect. Something unique in this case is how actual Watford residents' works are to be featured at Watford bus shelters. What a novel way to spread the joy of poetry! Contemporary and local poetry even!

***

"Walt Whitman and American Independence," by Edward Byrne, from One Poet's Notes recommends a little Walt Whitman to celebrate yesterday's firecracker holiday. Since Whitman is also a favorite of mine, I second the nomination.

Poetry News

7/5/2007 2:11:16 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Some Pre-4th Notes
Posted by Robert

I made a couple submissions today: one to MARGIE and another to Asheville Poetry Review.

These are my first individual poetry submissions since February, which means I've been good for making excuses not to submit during a 4-month stretch of time. But no more; totally getting back to submitting. And as I submit places, I'll be sure to link to their sites--so you can use them as leads for your own submissions.

Submissions to:

MARGIE
Asheville Poetry Review

***

On another note, the little poetry journal I edit Faulty Mindbomb has a new featured poet/poem. I'm always looking for some good additions to my lineup; so feel free to submit there as well.

Go to http://faultymindbomb.blogspot.com

***

Have a happy 4th! (It's my little brother's birthday; that's right, he's a firecracker baby.)

Best,

Robert

Personal Updates | Poetry Publishing

7/3/2007 10:51:05 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Visual Poetry vs. Digital Poetry?
Posted by Robert

There's an interesting tribute to the late visual poet and editor Mary Ellen Solt at dbqp:visualizing poetics.

"Why Suddenly the Visual Poem? Why Suddenly a Death?," by Geof Huth, looks at Mary Ellen Solt and visual poetry, including some thoughts on its relationship to digital poetry.

General

7/3/2007 10:22:21 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, July 02, 2007

The deadline has already passed...
Posted by Robert

...for anyone else interested in entering, but I submitted a manuscript for the 3rd Annual Burnside Review Chapbook Contest to be judged by Dorianne Laux. I'm pretty proud of the entry I put together, but I'm not expecting to win, since I know the competition will be fierce.

To check out the Burnside Review, click here.

Best,

Robert

Personal Updates

7/2/2007 5:11:11 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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