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
|