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----- Original Message ----- From: "Thomas Fallon" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Sunday, March 06, 2005 12:46 PM Subject: Re: & in Fantastic Providence > 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 > Just a short note to say that basically I get nothing out of poetry readings and go to them as a social event. I read the words on the page but it is useful to have the poet's voice in your mind when you do it.