Matt writes:
"to open up another discussion point, what has been everybody's experiences
of writing poem sequences like this?"
and he goes on: "As well as the discipline that James mentions, it must
offer an opportunity to allow poems to work off each other, but I suppose it
carries its own risks, such as repetition. I ask because I've been working
on a series of linked poems and prose pieces about a very obscure historical
character, and have found it both more difficult than writing 'occasional'
poems, but also more rewarding in many ways. I'd be interested to hear
people's thoughts."
Some of most enjoyable writing is sequences, it is probably half of what I
now do: River Transformed, The Many Names for Rain, Lines from Dickens to
name just a few.
As for publishing long poems. I do, but prefer to do so as serials.
MindFire and Fireweed includes a 9 parter, the 4th to be in the winter issue
when it is launched. We do need to recognize the short attention span of
modern readers (who would do John Brown's Body today?) hence serials.
Spring will continue a novel in poetry and portions of another long work out
of Scotland.
As for publishing collaborations, I agree with Gerald. It is the poetry
that determines publication or the lack of, not the partnership. I've
placed the Sun series both with my partner and mine alone.
Smiles and thanks for the topic.
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