Hi Aaron, Thanks for the encouraging word. I think what I miss most in much contemporary poetry is the music. It's part of my definition of what a poem is. Even when working in formal measures that are a kind of music themselves, it's easy to fall into the "flat style," as I think JV Cunningham called it. So thank you for being so attuned to that aspect of poetry.
As for my gaping void of new work over the past 15 years, I knew that would come up. I can't claim parenting as an excuse, since I don't have any kids; and I can't claim building a business as an excuse because everybody works; and now I can't even temporize and say I'm saving up my creative energy for my golden years because my retirement fund is a pile of equity ashes so I'll be working for the rest of my life. I guess I'll just have to admit that Tim Murphy was right when he said, "You're lazy!"
I'm going to take this topic up again when I have more time. Right now I'm trying to close up shop. But thanks for raising the question. It's a good one!
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