1In Uticathe citizensdon’t want to defend themselves in town an epidemic broke outof the instinct of self-preservation the temple of freedomhas been changed into a flea market the senate is deliberatinghow not to be a senate the citizensdon’t want to defend themselvesthey are attending accelerated courseson falling to the knees passively they wait for the … Continue reading Mr. Cogito On Upright Attitudes
Miller in the Times
Miller Williams was the reason I went to Arkansas, and he sat on my thesis committee as well, so I'm glad to see him get a little love from the NY Times for his latest book.His latest collection, “Time and the Tilting Earth,” offers many pleasures. Chief among these are Williams’s way of entwining the … Continue reading Miller in the Times
Regret by John Casteen
REGRETThis life, it is like conductingthe symphony of a warring country;the cellist has been shot through the wrist it’s all in,the horn player has buried his childand sworn off music.The conductor will never hear his piece as he hears it.Sometimes I wake between three and four, these winter nights,clenching tightly the what-is-not-there,and I can’t negotiate … Continue reading Regret by John Casteen
I find myself in a poetry feud
I'm glad to see that Micah Mattix has responded to my criticism of his article from a couple of days ago. His response misses the point, but I'm glad there's a conversation going on. So here's what Mattix didn't like. On his first point, about there being too much money in poetry, he replies:The fact … Continue reading I find myself in a poetry feud
Spring Cleaning
By Melvin DixonFirst goes floordust, then newspapersstacked near the bed. Peanut shellsswept out of hiding between mattressand rug. Toenails clipped.Sprouts of a beard shaved off.With hourly glasses of Deer Park Waterand the barest of food, the bodysheds winter fat and filler.The hair goes next, closeto the gleaming, gleaming skull.You are ready for the sunand the … Continue reading Spring Cleaning
Do what now?
Micah Mattix says he's got the problem with contemporary poetry all figured out--well, he and Tom Bethell of The American Spectator, anyway, and while I can't be certain that TAS's reputation for accuracy in politics extends to poetry, I might make some guesses based on this argument. Are you ready?The problem with contemporary poetry, particularly … Continue reading Do what now?
National Poetry Month
So it's April again, time for a host of news articles which once again reference the opening lines of "The Waste Land." I've been in a dry spell as far as writing goes lately--too many other things crowding out my writing time, though the responsibility is mine. So I'm using this month to generate a … Continue reading National Poetry Month
I’m a Poetry Populist
Before I started doing my weekly column for The Rumpus, my contact with the poetic blogosphere was very limited. I linked to Mark Scroggins's Culture Industry and read his posts more because he's a colleague of mine than anything else. And even though I'm now the Poetry Editor for The Rumpus, I still don't really … Continue reading I’m a Poetry Populist
The Rumpus Interview with Mary Rosenberg
Amy and I have written about the Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg prizes here in the past--they're very generous prizes that started up five years ago and are having a tremendous impact on the world of poetry simply because of the amounts of money involved. The Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Memorial Fund has given out upwards of $650K … Continue reading The Rumpus Interview with Mary Rosenberg
since feeling is first
I first came across E. E. Cummings in high school, like many people have, and he had an immediate effect on me. He was so different from the rest of the stuff I'd been reading in my classes that he shook me to the core, and made me want to write poetry just like his. … Continue reading since feeling is first
Another Poem to Love 