Poetic Lives Online: Links by Brian Spears

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flarfHarriet 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.

From Mark at Culture Industry:
Allen Ginsberg: “First thought best thought.”
Me, to workshop: “First thought (usually) crap.”
My student Michael: “First thought lunch; second thought crap.”

Last week, I linked to Andrew Motion’s thoughts as he retires from the post of England’s Poet Laureate. Columnist David Lister suggests that the Poet Laureate ought to work a bit harder.

We’re in a great era for translation, says the Philadelphia Inquirer. Indeed.

“I would define the poet as prophet in, perhaps, more benign terms: one who writes out of pure desperation. “

And finally, The Writer’s Digest has lined up some impressive guest judges for their April poem-a-day challenge. April is National Poetry Month, and Robert Lee Brewer will be providing a prompt a day for the duration.

Brian Spears


Brian Spears is Senior Poetry Editor of The Rumpus and the author of A Witness in Exile (Louisiana Literature Press, 2011). His poem “Upon Reading That Andromeda Will One Day Devour Triangulum and Come For Us Next” was featured in Season 9 of Motion Poems. More from this author →