Do you think that poetry deserves a wider readership?
Hm. Not really, I think. But you know, I haven't ever been very interested in form, so I don't appreciate the skill - even though I realise it takes great skill. You have to learn to appreciate it, though, and I - well, there are two kinds of art, right?, and I've been slightly opposed to the kind of you have to learn to like. I've felt - I've felt that art should be almost immediately accessible, instead of hiding. I've started to prefer subtlety, though. I guess I'm learning almost despite myself.
Do bookstores with no designated poetry section but entire shelves full of Ayn Rand and Bibles make you angry?
I've never seen one, but I'm sure one or two Bibles would be sufficient.
If you had a beautiful little bookstore and could stock it with whatever you wanted, wouldn't you have a section devoted to poetry?
Definitely!
Why is poetry important?
I actually don't think it is. I enjoy it, I like having it around, but it's not more (or less) important than prose. Literature in general is an essential tool for cultural memory; prose/poetry is probably the best mechanism for making sense of and gaining perspective on even those of our experiences that seem beyond normal analysis.
Also:
What are your favorite poems?
The poems I've read the most are Zampano's Pelican Poems (MZD).
Who are your favorite poets?
Probably Bukowski. I really like Mark Haddon, as well.
How did you discover them?
Picking up random books in shops and reading a few pages.
Why should I read them? I am compiling a christmas list, and need to know.
I can't really sell it to you.
There's a good chance that you won't like either Bukowski or Haddon; they both get a lot of shit from the elite.
"All the worlds are in the sky
and some of them keep me from falling."
-- Charlie Mystery, age 5
and some of them keep me from falling."
-- Charlie Mystery, age 5
Poetry:
- 08/11/2010 02:07:39 AM
1558 Views
Re: Poetry:
- 08/11/2010 04:13:38 AM
1039 Views
This is why people dislike you.
- 09/11/2010 07:03:17 PM
1028 Views
Umm...I care?
- 09/11/2010 08:42:55 PM
1001 Views
Because you should care about being intelligent, rather than appearing to be intelligent.
- 09/11/2010 10:32:04 PM
1038 Views
Again, why would I care?
- 09/11/2010 10:38:21 PM
1052 Views
No one can make you care about being decent, or intelligent, or a viable member of the community.
- 09/11/2010 10:41:34 PM
962 Views
I think it's rather pointless, to be honest.
- 09/11/2010 10:54:17 PM
988 Views
Then why are you even here?
- 09/11/2010 10:59:49 PM
942 Views
I don't know. I thought I'd see how long I could string you along.
- 09/11/2010 11:00:37 PM
872 Views
You're the one who doesn't care.
- 09/11/2010 11:02:11 PM
918 Views
I care only as much as I care. What others think is irrelevant to that.
- 09/11/2010 11:04:15 PM
918 Views
But you're still responding to me.
- 09/11/2010 11:05:37 PM
987 Views
Because I'm stringing you out until you quit.
- 09/11/2010 11:10:18 PM
1030 Views
I'm not going to. I find this entertaining.
- 09/11/2010 11:12:27 PM
975 Views
I do as well. It's fun pretending to be an asshole, I'll admit.
- 09/11/2010 11:17:34 PM
943 Views
Come now, who's pretending?
- 09/11/2010 11:22:18 PM
970 Views
That is officially the last one before I start editing and making them NM. *NM*
- 09/11/2010 11:24:12 PM
450 Views
*NM*
- 09/11/2010 11:24:12 PM
450 Views
Me, most of the time
- 09/11/2010 11:40:26 PM
956 Views
Keep telling yourself that. *NM*
- 09/11/2010 11:46:34 PM
832 Views
Why would I? It's not something I think much about these days. Again, what others think is trivial. *NM*
- 10/11/2010 12:01:03 AM
476 Views
Are you 5?
- 09/11/2010 11:14:26 PM
833 Views
Nah
- 09/11/2010 11:15:48 PM
1086 Views
But you were asked about it originally. That was my point.
- 09/11/2010 11:23:25 PM
877 Views
And I was evasive about it at the time. When pressed, I answered more fully.
- 09/11/2010 11:48:27 PM
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Why be evasive?
- 10/11/2010 12:16:19 AM
1063 Views
Because I didn't want to spend an hour pulling out a few dozen books.
- 10/11/2010 12:19:55 AM
1078 Views
Ye gods. Could you people at the very, very least make your messages NM?
- 09/11/2010 11:17:25 PM
935 Views
*NM*
I must say, I'm glad you all decided to play up when I was having an evening off. 
*NM*
- 10/11/2010 12:08:59 PM
430 Views
*NM*
- 10/11/2010 12:08:59 PM
430 Views
I disagree with your claim that there can be no value in translations.
- 09/11/2010 08:51:20 PM
945 Views
Not "no value", but "different value" is what I would argue
- 09/11/2010 09:55:54 PM
1026 Views
I don't disagree, but you can't possibly learn all languages, yet you can read translations of all.
- 09/11/2010 10:56:58 PM
1024 Views
My choice, hands down, is to ignore the poetry in languages I don't read.
- 10/11/2010 01:44:32 AM
960 Views
An English translation of The Divine Comedy was pivotal to my conversion to Christianity.
- 10/11/2010 11:04:57 AM
875 Views
Ooh, good survey. I've been thinking for a while we needed more poetry discussion.
- 08/11/2010 10:58:24 AM
1099 Views
I think you underestimate the number of translations of the Bible.
- 09/11/2010 01:20:30 AM
1094 Views
Did they just translate logos as... life-light?
- 09/11/2010 07:14:28 PM
971 Views
Yes. Yes, they did. *NM*
- 09/11/2010 09:56:09 PM
372 Views
I think poetry is largely overrated.
- 08/11/2010 06:12:59 PM
1080 Views
the problem is most good poets are dead and dead people tend to fail at marketing
- 08/11/2010 06:44:18 PM
1020 Views
I like some poetry, but by no means all.
- 09/11/2010 12:28:41 AM
1112 Views
Now that you mention it, The Imperfect Enjoyment might rank among my favourite poems. *NM*
- 09/11/2010 12:46:56 AM
394 Views
*NM*
- 09/11/2010 12:46:56 AM
394 Views
It is excellent
- 09/11/2010 08:16:01 PM
1115 Views
*NM*
Re: Poetry:
- 10/11/2010 04:57:31 PM
931 Views
Re: Nice
- 11/11/2010 01:39:48 AM
1078 Views
Man. . . That voice? Yeah. He should be reading me stories every night.
- 11/11/2010 11:57:02 AM
1172 Views
Re: Man. . . That voice? Yeah. He should be reading me stories every night.
- 12/11/2010 04:36:22 AM
1909 Views