The Daily Rumpus
Get Overly Personal Emails
From Stephen Elliott
Harriet, aka the Poetry Foundation blog, has posted an excerpt of the Rumpus Poetry Book Club’s recent chat with T. R. Hummer. Watch as I learn what the Bald Man Fallacy is and more. Fortunately, they didn’t quote my alternate reading of the poem.
...moreAustin Kleon’s Newspaper Blackout site (along the same lines as his book) is worth checking out. He’s also a more than fair Twitterer.
Via Harriet, Andrea Lingenfelter talks about “teaching Bay Area children to translate from Chinese and do concrete poetry—at the same time!” I’ve just recently (like, hours ago) seen some very similar work, and it’s fascinating stuff.
...moreTara Betts found herself attacked by a particularly ignorant political blogger named Debbie Schlussel over her class at UrbanWordNYC. Betts’s response is elegant, measured, and powerful, everything the attack was not. Update: I have been told that Schlussel’s attack was directed at the idea of hip-hop pedagogy and the associated program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
...moreMost of the excitement this week is in Denver at the AWP Conference, but there’s still plenty to talk about in poetry.
For instance, have you been keeping up with our National Poetry Month project? We’re only a third of a way through April, so there’s plenty of time to catch up on your reading.
...moreI’m always interested in new and engaging ways to bring writing to people, so with that in mind, Diagram’s 10th Anniversary issue is out–well, it’s not an issue, exactly. It’s a deck of cards. But I bought it, and everyone I’ve shown it to so far has been impressed.
...moreHappy 121st Birthday, T.S. Eliot. Edward Byrne talks about Eliot’s careful control of where and how his poetry appeared, especially as regards anthologies.
Joel Brouwer explores the concept of the speed review. What I want to know is why I’m not getting more books in the mail.
...moreWelcome to Saturday night. Hope you like what I’ve dug up for you this week.
Okay, this first one isn’t technically poetry, but if you’re interested in Bright Star, Jane Campion’s film about John Keats, Abigail Deutsch has compiled a bunch of reviews.
...moreBritain’s Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy has commissioned some war poetry for today as the Afghan war rages and the official inquiry into the Iraq War begins.
Joel Brouwer commemorates the 25th anniversary of the “What Is a Poet?” symposium held in Tuscaloosa Alabama in 1984.
...moreStarting off, I want to thank Jeremy Hatch or subbing in for me last week, both on this column and as Saturday Editor. Great job, dude.
Seth Abramson writes a lot about MFA programs and, by extension, the PhD in Creative Writing.
...moreBarbara Jane Reyes has a good response to the New Yorker article on MFA programs I posted earlier.
At Harriet, Don Share takes on poetry reviews, even though he’s tired of the whole story. I took his post as an opportunity to expound on my own reviewing policies, both as reviewer and editor.
...moreA movie about poets? I’m amazed that it got made in the first place.
We linked to it earlier this week, but I think it bears relinking–Martin Earl’s observation on how women seem to be the real groundbreakers in contemporary poetry.
...more
Poetry is good for your face, but you need to make sure you rub it all the way in.
Harriet, the Poetry Foundation’s blog, is having some problems with commenters. I wonder why we don’t?
Steven Fama has a few choice words for the Pulitzer Committee.
...more
Happy Saturday, everyone. Here’s your poetry fix for the night.
The Times Online discovers a link between poetry and Facebook. Guess who else is on Facebook.
Part 2 of 4 on the modes of poetry.
The nature of poetry readings from Mark Doty.
...more
Harriet wants to know what stereotypes you associate with poets. This could get funny.
Speaking of funny, the comment thread in this piece about Ugly Duckling Press is wonderful, especially the suggestion that the press is being funded by the CIA.
...more
I guess it just took a little time for the poetry blogs to realize that David Orr had been in the NYTBR smack-talking about the lack of greatness in poetry today, because this week, there were lots of responses, from suggestions for Orr to add to his reading list to negations of the importance of greatness to spit-takes.