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
1482 Views
Re: Poetry:
- 08/11/2010 04:13:38 AM
1026 Views
This is why people dislike you.
- 09/11/2010 07:03:17 PM
1017 Views
Umm...I care?
- 09/11/2010 08:42:55 PM
990 Views
Because you should care about being intelligent, rather than appearing to be intelligent.
- 09/11/2010 10:32:04 PM
1028 Views
Again, why would I care?
- 09/11/2010 10:38:21 PM
1044 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
953 Views
I think it's rather pointless, to be honest.
- 09/11/2010 10:54:17 PM
982 Views
Then why are you even here?
- 09/11/2010 10:59:49 PM
933 Views
I don't know. I thought I'd see how long I could string you along.
- 09/11/2010 11:00:37 PM
858 Views
You're the one who doesn't care.
- 09/11/2010 11:02:11 PM
907 Views
I care only as much as I care. What others think is irrelevant to that.
- 09/11/2010 11:04:15 PM
906 Views
But you're still responding to me.
- 09/11/2010 11:05:37 PM
974 Views
Because I'm stringing you out until you quit.
- 09/11/2010 11:10:18 PM
1019 Views
I'm not going to. I find this entertaining.
- 09/11/2010 11:12:27 PM
963 Views
I do as well. It's fun pretending to be an asshole, I'll admit.
- 09/11/2010 11:17:34 PM
931 Views
Come now, who's pretending?
- 09/11/2010 11:22:18 PM
963 Views
That is officially the last one before I start editing and making them NM. *NM*
- 09/11/2010 11:24:12 PM
440 Views
*NM*
- 09/11/2010 11:24:12 PM
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Me, most of the time
- 09/11/2010 11:40:26 PM
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Keep telling yourself that. *NM*
- 09/11/2010 11:46:34 PM
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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
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Are you 5?
- 09/11/2010 11:14:26 PM
820 Views
Nah
- 09/11/2010 11:15:48 PM
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But you were asked about it originally. That was my point.
- 09/11/2010 11:23:25 PM
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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
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Because I didn't want to spend an hour pulling out a few dozen books.
- 10/11/2010 12:19:55 AM
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Ye gods. Could you people at the very, very least make your messages NM?
- 09/11/2010 11:17:25 PM
925 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
427 Views
*NM*
- 10/11/2010 12:08:59 PM
427 Views
I disagree with your claim that there can be no value in translations.
- 09/11/2010 08:51:20 PM
932 Views
Not "no value", but "different value" is what I would argue
- 09/11/2010 09:55:54 PM
1014 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
1014 Views
My choice, hands down, is to ignore the poetry in languages I don't read.
- 10/11/2010 01:44:32 AM
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An English translation of The Divine Comedy was pivotal to my conversion to Christianity.
- 10/11/2010 11:04:57 AM
868 Views
Ooh, good survey. I've been thinking for a while we needed more poetry discussion.
- 08/11/2010 10:58:24 AM
1090 Views
I think you underestimate the number of translations of the Bible.
- 09/11/2010 01:20:30 AM
1085 Views
Did they just translate logos as... life-light?
- 09/11/2010 07:14:28 PM
961 Views
Yes. Yes, they did. *NM*
- 09/11/2010 09:56:09 PM
369 Views
I think poetry is largely overrated.
- 08/11/2010 06:12:59 PM
1072 Views
the problem is most good poets are dead and dead people tend to fail at marketing
- 08/11/2010 06:44:18 PM
1008 Views
I like some poetry, but by no means all.
- 09/11/2010 12:28:41 AM
1101 Views
Now that you mention it, The Imperfect Enjoyment might rank among my favourite poems. *NM*
- 09/11/2010 12:46:56 AM
390 Views
*NM*
- 09/11/2010 12:46:56 AM
390 Views
It is excellent
- 09/11/2010 08:16:01 PM
1111 Views
*NM*
Re: Poetry:
- 10/11/2010 04:57:31 PM
921 Views
Re: Nice
- 11/11/2010 01:39:48 AM
1070 Views
Man. . . That voice? Yeah. He should be reading me stories every night.
- 11/11/2010 11:57:02 AM
1144 Views
Re: Man. . . That voice? Yeah. He should be reading me stories every night.
- 12/11/2010 04:36:22 AM
1897 Views