This is my first post. Sorry it's taken me so long.
I'm sad I didn't see you all (or, most of you) at AWP.
I'm sad about other things, too. But mainly I've been wondering why whenever I try to write more poetry, I get more sad. About the world, I mean. You know how intelligence is often depicted by a negative outlook? For example, we deconstruct, we tear apart, we analyze, we cut things down. But where is the building up? Of course the world is sad and scary and there is a lot to be angry about. (Also, the VIDA report: so there is that, too, to be angry about.) [These posts can't include links? Here's the report: http://vidaweb.org/the-count-2010]
Why is it that I'm trying to write poetry, which means I'm reading lots of interesting, intelligent, difficult poetry books, but I'm also trying to live a happy life, which means I'm reading fluffy self-love/self-help stuff, and "The Consolations of Philosophy" by Alain de Botton, etc etc. I'm doing this to keep my head above the water level. But where are the books of poetry that do this as well? Seriously, do any of you have any suggestions for happy or funny or light-hearted poetry books that are STILL intelligent and NOT Billy Collins?
Or do any of you have this problem, too? Maybe you have some words of advice?
6 comments:
It's funny. I think I have a somewhat different temperament. I don't generally feel sad, unless there is something definitely to be sad about, like I have just left home again and I miss everyone and am scared of losing them. When I read a sad poem, I still do not feel sad; sometimes I feel relieved, because the sadness which I cannot or do not often feel is being felt by someone else, and I feel it from them; they help me to feel sadness which I do not often usually comfortably acknowledge, and that makes me feel happy. I want to write a smiley face here or some symbol that means me reading a sad poem and feeling happier afterward. It's not just the sad content that makes me feel happy; it's the sad content matched with a rhythm that feels intelligent, profound, or supremely natural. However, I do not usually listen to sad music because of exactly what you are describing-- it makes me too sad.
I realize that I am not answering your question, but I am still happy to be responding, because I think I have been in my work space for six hours and I have not done any work aside from a few Moodle updates for my classes, a kind of necessary time-wasting work that is done because I cannot manage to pull myself into any of the creative projects which are supposedly the center of my life, and which have a lot of promise if someone would just work on them.
I wonder if this is lack of progress is because I haven't had any coffee today, or because I'm dehydrated, or if all this idleness is actually completely necessary for some other stage of productivity.
Okay, back to poetry. Maybe I don't read very dark poetry. I find that Poetry (magazine) usually fits my required sadness level. Often I feel like the poems in there are trying to make sense of a sad world and put it right again. Also, if you don't like the poems in an issue or feel discombobulated by them, the reviews are always really good; they're kind of like a trusted teacher or guide stepping in to telling you to remember to think critically in positive directions no matter what it seems like art is trying to do to you.
Or maybe I could have just written the ole "in order to create you must destroy"
We must choose what we want to destroy and when.
I also just realized that happy poems make me sad. Because I find that many happy poems are usually either: smug (boo) or they are so accepting of life and death that it's heartbreaking (yay, but, weep)
I will be a visitor... the best one 'cos I just love poems and I know it's going to be a good blog to follow it.
I have not done any work aside from a few Moodle updates for my classes, a kind of necessary time-wasting work that is done because I cannot manage to pull myself into any of the creative projects which are supposedly the center of my life, and which have a lot of promise if someone would just work on them.
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