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
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