Thread: Hidden Gems
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Unread 04-02-2017, 03:07 PM
William A. Baurle William A. Baurle is offline
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Location: Arizona, USA
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John,

Anne Carson is a genius who never fails to astonish me, when I read her, which is not very often, I regret.

This line:

He had on the blue cardigan with the buttons done up all the way to the top.

is amazing because at first glance the reader might be thinking - what the hell, this line is awfully long. But it's a perfect fit and match for the content of the line, where N is talking about dad making sure that his sweater is buttoned up all the way to the top. It would have been contrary to the emotion, and utility, of the line to break it, or to make it shorter.


Gluck's The love of form is a love of endings to me, refers not only to art and poetry, but to the reconciliation with death at the heart of the poem. God or no god, afterlife or oblivion, the human enterprise is fraught with the need to discover, or invent, if necessary, meaning and purpose to life.

I was once comfortable with nihilism, and it gave me tons of freedom; but I much prefer my limited freedom, with respect to my faith, and my approach to the craft of writing poems. I'm a far happier person in the self-inflicted constraints I put on myself. If I give in to my sense of absolute freedom - particularly when I'm manic, like now - I'm bound for disaster, usually winding up in self-harm, and thoughts of suicide. The best thing is to have lived long enough to know it, and to have good friends who offer help and advice.

I have one Van Morrison CD, and that's one of the songs I love. In case you missed it, he sang as a guest with Roger Waters on stage during a performance of The Wall, I think some time in the 90's? He does Dave Gilmour's part, and makes it his own. Waters and the rest are clearly overjoyed.

Sinead O'Connor did the same thing with "Mother". You have to hear her sing, "Mother do you think they'll try to break my balls?" She steals the show, and Roger loves it.

Last edited by William A. Baurle; 04-24-2017 at 11:01 PM.
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