I'm glad you're glad, Tom, but I still don't just how Creeley
was terrible. Did he stutter and sputter? Did he doze off
in mid-stanza? Did he read a lot of crap?
Hal
{ I am glad Creeley, or any poet, helped launch you, or anyone
{ in poetry. I am glad that you liked his reading.
{
{ Three people have disagreed with me, which does not mean
{ he was not terrible when I read with him, but it means he was
{ good at other times. I did not contradict them.
{
{ I walked out on Heaney. He was bored and it came across
{ as he spoke to a full house of an Ivy League university.
{
{ Tom
{
{ >I'm sort of with Doug here, Tom. Not only because it was one of
{ >his readings way back in the mid-sixties that launched me into
{ >the writing of poetry, but because I heard him do quite a nice
{ >reading in Baltimore just a few (well, maybe several) years ago.
{ >Maybe you could tell us just how he was terrible.
{ >
{ >Hal
{ >
{ >{ I wish I had been there with you to hear Creeley. I was reading
{ >{ on the same program that he was. (I will not vouch for my own
{ >{ reading.) He, honestly, was terrible. But, perhaps I am being
{ >{ unfair to him and should allow him an off night?
{ >{
{ >{ Tom
{ >{
{ >{ >Although I'm not a great fan of Heaney & am a great fan of Creeley, I
{ >{ >must disagree about both, at least in terms of my experience. The time
{ >{ >I've heard Heaney read I enjoyed his presence & his reading, but have
{ >{ >to add that most of the audience were also in a worshipping mode. The
{ >{ >one time I heard Creeley read, to an audience of about a thousand, he
{ >{ >turned that huge crowd into a couple of people across a small table in
{ >{ >someone's living room, & presented a sense of intimacy that was
{ >{ >amazing. Indeed, that is one of the greatest readings I have ever
{ >{ >attended, & I have attended a lot.
{ >{ >
{ >{ >I do agree that it helps if you know some of the poet's work, even if
{ >{ >not the poems s/he is reading that day.
{ >{ >
{ >{ >Doug
{ >{ >On 6-Mar-05, at 5:46 AM, Thomas Fallon wrote:
{ >{ >
{ >{ >>If I am hearing a poem for the first time, I have a difficult time
{ >{ >>understanding it as it is read by the poet. It is there and then
{ >{ >>gone. The spoken word does fly. I do not have the necessary
{ >{ >>time to think about the poem which has some depth of thought
{ >{ >>so I lose the poem completely.
{ >{ >>
{ >{ >>Most poets I've heard, including Seamus Heaney and Robert
{ >{ >>Creeley, do not read well. I don't really care if they do, but
{ >{ >>think they should educate themselves for their readers' sake.
{ >{ >>You expect poor readers at open mikes, but not on the
{ >{ >>international level.
{ >{ >>
{ >{ >>The two best poets I've heard introduced each poem well and
{ >{ >>read only short poems which did not have great depth of thought.
{ >{ >>They were not poems lacking in quality, however, and the poets'
{ >{ >>reading did enhance the poems.
{ >{ >>
{ >{ >>I have only enjoyed reading myself with a group with whom I am
{ >{ >>familiar. I do not mean close friends. I have definitely benefited
{ >{ >>from all my readings with the changes because of the changes
{ >{ >>I have made to the poems, even as I read.
{ >{ >>
{ >{ >>Tom
{ >{ >>
{ >{ >>>Thanks Alison.
{ >{ >>>
{ >{ >>>The poetry reading is beginning to strike me as a very strange art
{ >{ >>>form.
{ >{ >>> For years I didn't enjoy them but I went anyway. Then I heard Alan
{ >{ >>>Dugan. Now I'm interested but mostly more to see the
{ >{ >>>behavior/approach
{ >{ >>>of the poet. Generally I can't really follow/hear the poetry that
{ >{ >>>well.
{ >{ >>> It's a very strange art form: the poet is almost a sacred relic of
{ >{ >>>the
{ >{ >>>poetry. That's the only excuse. Mercifully it's short. Also: the
{ >{ >>>poetry audience is unusual in that it's very heavy on poets, sometimes
{ >{ >>>exclusively
{ >{ >>>so. Sometimes readings give me time to think. Yet I love doing them
{ >{ >>>myself. Still I think they're hard enough to enjoy. I'm actually
{ >{ >>>quite
{ >{ >>>afraid of the audience when I'm attending a reading, but not when I'm
{ >{ >>>reading myself.
{ >{ >>>
{ >{ >>>Mairead
{ >{ >>>
{ >{ >>>>>> [log in to unmask] 03/05/05 7:20 PM >>>
{ >{ >>>On 6/3/05 3:08 AM, "Mairead Byrne" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
{ >{ >>>
{ >{ >>>> Bob Perelman & Mairead Byrne read in Mike Gizzi & Mike Magee's
{ >{ >>>DownCity
{ >{ >>>> Series at Tazza, Westminster Street, on Tuesday March 8th at 7pm.
{ >{ >>>>
{ >{ >>>> The Poetry Reading -- I mean what *is* that about???
{ >{ >>>
{ >{ >>>Have fun, Mairead - would love to be there.
{ >{ >>>
{ >{ >>>And what _is_ it about? Any ideas?
{ >{ >>>
{ >{ >>>Best
{ >{ >>>
{ >{ >>>A
{ >{ >>>
{ >{ >>>
{ >{ >>>Alison Croggon
{ >{ >>>
{ >{ >>>Blog: http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com
{ >{ >>>Editor, Masthead: http://masthead.net.au
{ >{ >>>Home page: http://alisoncroggon.com
{ >{ >>
{ >{ >>
{ >{ >>--
{ >{ >>Visit the Maine Poetry website for classic and contemporary
{ >{ >>Maine poets, poems, books, etc. - http://www.mainepoetry.com
{ >{ >>
{ >{ >
{ >{ >
{ >{ >Douglas Barbour
{ >{ >Department of English
{ >{ >University of Alberta
{ >{ >Edmonton Alberta T6G 2E5 Canada
{ >{ >(780) 436 3320
{ >{ >http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/dbhome.htm
{ >{ >
{ >{ >care to be more
{ >{ >precise about whatever
{ >{ >it is you are
{ >{ >saying, I said
{ >{ >
{ >{ > Bill Manhire
{ >{
{ >{
{ >{ --
{ >{ Visit the Maine Poetry website for classic and contemporary
{ >{ Maine poets, poems, books, etc. - http://www.mainepoetry.com
{
{
{ --
{ Visit the Maine Poetry website for classic and contemporary
{ Maine poets, poems, books, etc. - http://www.mainepoetry.com
|