I was quite pleased with the openness and conversational quality of Dee Cohen’s “Dismantled” and the way she made the distant mountains rise out of the rubble for me. But mostly I was taken with her line (paraphrased) in a reply to the critters that she thought her poems had become more like telegrams and “Dismantled” was an attempt to move away from that. After reading other poets work in the workshop setting, it seems to me there is a mummification process that takes place from the first draft to last that leaves me feeling I am searching for signs of life in a catacomb with only a penlight; and why is it my obligation, as a reader, to bring the penlight in the first place? Why are poets like Billy Collins given short shrift for being conversational and prosey – and accorded lesser standing among his peers—and yet he is or was the poet laureate of the United States?
This is not intended to disparage the craftsmanship of people far-far more talented than me but to welcome the idea of making poetry more accessible to more peopleand expand the market for poetry.
Dick Morgan
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Threaded Mode
