Which brings to mind an old Mike Nichols / Elaine May
bit (for the punchline of which see just below, but first
imagine a guy trying to get his dime back from a payphone
and losing his argument with the operator).
Hal
"Information cannot argue with a closed mind."
--Mike Nichols and Elaine May
Halvard Johnson
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On Oct 29, 2007, at 11:14 AM, Douglas Barbour wrote:
> Well, yes, certainly, Judy. It's the actual dismissal of the wider
> conventions (ie, an aversion to reading almost anything, let alone
> what has become accepted as 'poetry' through a process which we
> could argue about forever), while, unconsciously following the
> narrow few they know (but dont know they know: Rumsfeld where art
> thou?) that leads to this 'sincere' but lousy verse.
>
> Except that, for their close ones, it probably does work. Mark's (I
> think) point about specific audience(s), perhaps....
>
> Doug
> On 28-Oct-07, at 10:31 AM, Judy Prince wrote:
>
>> Good points, Doug, that I want to skew a bit. Those writers +do+
>> write from heart and experience - using phrases and forms they
>> know (as you point out). Other writers who know more phrases and
>> forms will choose amongst them. +All+ the phrases and forms are
>> "conventions" (a neutral term). Choosing from a breadth of
>> conventions seems optimum; nevertheless, some folks' choosings
>> from their wide knowing create pancake-flat poems. Getting the
>> chance to +know+ many conventions from which to adopt, combine and
>> reject is the treasure.
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Judy
> Douglas Barbour
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>
> Latest book: Continuations (with Sheila E Murphy)
> http://www.uap.ualberta.ca/UAP.asp?LID=41&bookID=664
>
> It's the first lesson, loss.
> Who hasn't tried to learn it
> at the hands of wind or thieves?
>
> Jan Zwicky
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