Line tamer.
National Poetry Month has begun. There are already more readings than I can attend as friends send me notes informing me that they’ll be reading here, reading there. I’ll hit what I can. And save my mixed feelings about this month for another post. Last night I attended a pre-reading cocktail party at Katy Lederer’s Read More …
My friend Troy rang me up Saturday morning. He had an extra ticket to Matthew Bourne’s interpretation of Edward Scissorhands at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. I met him at BAM, we trudged the slushy streets to brunch, and then settled in to what was a pleasant but somewhat underwhelming performance of one of my Read More …
I discovered two poets at the Tribute to Carcanet Press event the other night that have me excited. The first is Mimi Khalvati, whose work was adeptly read by Marilyn Hacker. I have some of her books on order and will say more when I’ve had a chance to see and process them on the Read More …
David Yezzi read this poem last night at the PSA’s Tribute to Carcanet Press event. The poem is by Sophie Hannah. It’s a bit of an anthem: If People Disapprove Of You. Make being disapproved of your hobby. Make being disapproved of your aim. Devise new ways of scoring points In the Being Disapproved Of Read More …
Another “morning after” post, this time to sum up the Pushcart Prize reading at the Baruch Performing Arts Center to celebrate Bill Henderson, founder and publisher of the Pushcart Press, and the new book The Best Poems from 30 Years of the Pushcart Prize. The line-up, reading in alphabetical order: Lucille Clifton, Billy Collins, Maxine Kumin, Read More …
Back from Atlanta, where I went partly because the annual AWP Conference was being held there this year, but mainly to run away someplace warmer for a long weekend. I had a wonderful travel companion, Troy, who lived in Atlanta for many years and was able to give me the insider’s tour of hot spots Read More …
Just a note to say I have two poems (“Square Dance” and “Euclid on the Erotic Postulate”) and a poetics essay (“On the Transformative Power of Hybrid Forms”) in Issue 7 of Memorious.
Returned to the Great Hall at Cooper Union last night for Auden’s Centennial celebration presented by the Poetry Society of America. The program presented his work in a chronological manner, starting with “Taller To-day” from 1928, hitting highlights such as “In Memory of W. B. Yeats” and “September 1, 1939” and ending with “The More Read More …
I saw Sonnet Repertory Theatre, Inc.’s excellent production of Shakespeare’sThe Tempest last night at the 45th Street Theatre. They made interesting use of video, projecting water effects superimposed over the eyes of the key players at the beginning, almost as if we were Prospero looking into the waters and divining future events to come. A Read More …
Conversations overhead in the elevator: 1. Morning. Two trenchcoated, suit and tie men bemoan the cold. They pause and the one says “I didn’t even do my hair today.” The other says “Because of your hat? You can always fix it in the bathroom.” 2. Afternoon. Two men, different from the first set, discuss their Read More …