I’ve got two poems in the new issue of DMQ Review – This Was My New England and Quite at Home, a cento. I’m pleased with both of these poems and think this is a really good issue of DMQ. The artwork is terrific – bold and a little folky.
Concerning a recent bit of criticism that my poems don’t touch relationships, I can only say that indeed many of my poems spring from solitude and often focus on the ordinary everyday, including a whole series of poems I’m forever at work on about household objects, including the whisk, the toaster, and bad toothbrushes.
If you want tear-jerkers I must beg you to look elsewhere, but that my poems ignore human relationships isn’t true. Take My New England, for example – what is the poem about if not a disappointing love affair? Why would someone flee for Canada, to escape foliage season?
Other poems of mine that deal with emotions and relationships, for easy reference:
The thin line between pain and ecstasy!
Human stupidity!
Sibling rivalry!
Relentless despair!
Grandmother elegy!
Resilience!
Desire and loneliness!
Optimism amidst adversity!
Another failed relationship!
Shit, I could put together a whole book of gush.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
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8 comments:
I love not only your description of the world around me but your commentary on the world around me. What I would find fun to read would be an annoted version of some of your poems, as we get here, but not just the typical annotation, something along the lines of a Nabokov, Pale Fire version of things.
BTW, the entries regarding the boabab, did you read, The Little Prince?
I love your blunt, irreverent approach to writing. Those 2 poems in DMQ are so unique. I don't think anyone writes quite like you do. And Bad Toothbrushes is raw and angry and as vile as I feel about my trashy self sometimes. I've read some of the poems in your list, but I enjoyed reading them again. They ARE about relationship. I like that you're not all posey pansyish.
"Dumpy man whistling like happiness itself." - great line.
The weird thing about writing (or speaking for that matter) is that we have no control about what people think.
...I meant no control OVER - not about...
I've read some of the Little Prince, but not all of it. Are there Baobabs in it?
Kass, you are right about controlling what people think. Can't be done.
over and out.
Maybe you should take up humorous
writing as well, Sarah. Not that you
are not doing it already. I tell everyone who is the least bit literary about your blog. My favorite line in a long time is "Why would someone flee for Canada - to escape foliage season?"
johanna
Thanks Johanna.
Of course there are other reasons to flee for Canada besides a failed relationship or a distaste for foliage season. There's health care and gun control, if I'm not mistaken.
...and curling too. I agree with Johanna regarding your sense of humor, Sarah. It's there in the mix of your voice quite a bit. Not long ago I was reminded of your writing while reading some Lydia Davis and Jim Shepard A piece for Mc
Sweeney's would be nice. Save me the crust.
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