[New-Poetry] Why Bly
d.kellogg at neu.edu
d.kellogg at neu.edu
Sun Nov 5 12:50:42 EST 2006
Does anybody remember the McGrath poem called something like "Driving
North Through Minnesota I Run Across one of Robert Bly's Poems?" It's one
of the great parodies of Bly's excesses (and they are many), but it's
kindly done, I think.
David Kellogg
Director, Advanced Writing in the Disciplines
Department of English
465 Holmes Hall
Northeastern University
Boston, MA 02115
new-poetry-request at wiz.cath.vt.edu
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11/05/2006 12:00 PM
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New-Poetry Digest, Vol 29, Issue 5
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: Re: New-Poetry Digest, Vol 28, Issue 25 (Anny Ballardini)
2. Why Bly (David Graham)
3. Re: Why Bly (JforJames at aol.com)
4. Mystery unearthed in poet's front yard (JforJames at aol.com)
5. Re: Why Bly (Helen Ruggieri)
6. Why Bly (David Graham)
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Message: 1
Date: Sat, 4 Nov 2006 18:58:49 +0100
From: "Anny Ballardini" <anny.ballardini at tin.it>
Subject: Re: [New-Poetry] Re: New-Poetry Digest, Vol 28, Issue 25
To: "New Poetry" <new-poetry at wiz.cath.vt.edu>
Message-ID: <006001c7003a$e1977090$d5a83252 at ANNY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Lovely response...
Said this way I am with you in cruising around Hal's books...
If you want to cry, I did, see Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes
otherwise I dearly recommend much of what you can find by Calvino
I recopied the collected work by Montale, it would be hard to read through
with my writing
Savinio DeChirico, the brother of DeChirico, worte a book I have here in
Italian: Home: Life
and I think it was Witold Gombrowicz who wrote Pornography, a book I
thought was excellent
I can't remember whom to thank but I have here, today with my mail:
Derek Attridge's Poetic Rhythm
and guess guess:
The BEWER'S DICTIONARY OF PHRASE AND FABLE
that arrived wrapped up in paper, then in plastic then in polysterene and
finally in a big white box! Jeex
Much more practical and less expensive Powell's, Attridge was sent in a
neatly sealed big sort of cardboard envelope, professional and clean.
----- Original Message -----
From: David Baratier
To: Anny Ballardini ; new-poetry at wiz.cath.vt.edu
Sent: Saturday, November 04, 2006 5:24 PM
Subject: Re: [New-Poetry] Re: New-Poetry Digest, Vol 28, Issue 25
Hi Anny--
Sorry for the delay, been sick. Hey, no problem, I was hoping my
response would generate some obscure reading material for the cold winter
ahead, a comprehensive list, not a book suggested here and there that I
have already read. And I have heard that Halvard might be such a person
who would have read such texts but that might have been pure fantasy. I
guess I will have to write more the next month to have something to read
during this harsh Ohio winter.
Anny Ballardini <anny.ballardini at tin.it> wrote:
thit thot thot,
I like Halvard Johnson's playering ___ what's the problem?
Be well
David Baratier, Editor
Pavement Saw Press
PO Box 6291
Columbus, OH 43206
http://pavementsaw.org
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Message: 2
Date: Sat, 4 Nov 2006 15:05:13 -0600
From: David Graham <grahamd at ripon.edu>
Subject: [New-Poetry] Why Bly
To: "NewPoetry: Contemporary Poetry News & Views"
<new-poetry at wiz.cath.vt.edu>
Message-ID: <5A2A55EB-46A7-4711-8E0F-1930ADCFFF72 at ripon.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
On Nov 3, 2006, at 11:28 AM, Helen Ruggieri wrote:
> I'll second Writing the Australian Crawl and add in (why do people
> dislike him these days)
> Robert Bly's News of the Universe.
============
Oh, people have *always* disliked Robert Bly! Probably goes back to
the 1950s, and his journal of that name, in which he fairly
mercilessly skewered many famous poets. And then his long-time habit
of doing readings for creative writing programs while ridiculing such
programs incessantly. (And failing to mention his own M.F.A.)
But there are many other reasons, including some fairly silly
pronouncements over the years, some dubious liberties taken in
translations, and (of course) his relatively recent status as best-
selling author.
But I've always enjoyed Bly greatly, and think that his poetry is
getting even better as he ages. I've taught *News of the Universe* a
number of times; while his literary and social history sometimes
needs to be taken with a grain of salt, his taste in poetry is really
fine. Whatever you think of his own poetry, I'd say he's a brilliant
editor. His editions of William Stafford and David Ignatow, for
instance--they each do a masterful job of separating wheat from chaff.
==========================================
David Graham
grahamd at ripon.edu
Home Page:
http://www.ripon.edu/faculty/GrahamD/index.html
Poetry Library:
http://www.ripon.edu/faculty/GrahamD/poetrylib.html
==========================================
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Message: 3
Date: Sat, 4 Nov 2006 19:41:37 EST
From: JforJames at aol.com
Subject: Re: [New-Poetry] Why Bly
To: new-poetry at wiz.cath.vt.edu
Message-ID: <bdc.657af40.327e8d41 at aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
In a message dated 11/4/2006 4:03:58 PM Eastern Standard Time,
grahamd at ripon.edu writes:
I've taught *News of the Universe* a number of times; while his literary
and
social history sometimes needs to be taken with a grain of salt, his
taste
in poetry is really fine
Yes, I think Bly, with books like this and others, was largely responsible
for increasing interest in poetry in translation. However liberal his own
translations were, I think many international (panhistoriic) poets were
first introduced to US readers by Bly. And those translations/poets
changed
contemporary US poetry during the 70s and 80s especially.
His readings were often more like one-man shows (bazooki in hand)
and I found him a captivating character. I learned a lot from him...not
something I can say about many other poets who I have heard read.
Another book/essay that I htink has held up well is "Leaping Poetry."
Probably one of the better explanation of the ineffable powers of lyric
poetry
that I've seen.
Finnegan
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Message: 4
Date: Sat, 4 Nov 2006 19:43:40 EST
From: JforJames at aol.com
Subject: [New-Poetry] Mystery unearthed in poet's front yard
To: new-poetry at wiz.cath.vt.edu
Message-ID: <51d.a212805.327e8dbc at aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
_http://www.elpasotimes.com/living/ci_4600264_
(http://www.elpasotimes.com/living/ci_4600264)
Mystery unearthed in poet's front yard
By Adam Gorlick / Associated Press
Article Launched:11/04/2006 12:00:00 AM MST
AMHERST, Mass. -- For Emily Dickinson, death was never very far from the
imagination. The topic fueled her writing, making for some of the most
memorable
lyrics in American poetry.
Now, death is posinga puzzle for the caretakers of her homestead.
While making improvements to the grounds of the Emily Dickinson Museum on
Halloween, workers unearthed the gravestone of one of the poet's
relatives.
But what Gen. Thomas Gilbert's headstone was doing under 18 inches of dirt
in Dickinson's front yard has some experts stumped
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Message: 5
Date: Sun, 5 Nov 2006 10:12:14 -0500
From: "Helen Ruggieri" <hruggier at localnet.com>
Subject: Re: [New-Poetry] Why Bly
To: "NewPoetry: Contemporary Poetry News & Views"
<new-poetry at wiz.cath.vt.edu>
Message-ID: <005801c700ec$c7711fb0$750a9942 at Helen>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
He also had an essay called A Wrong Turning in American Poetry which was a
really interesting take on
mid-century poetry.
----- Original Message -----
From: JforJames at aol.com
To: new-poetry at wiz.cath.vt.edu
Sent: Saturday, November 04, 2006 7:41 PM
Subject: Re: [New-Poetry] Why Bly
In a message dated 11/4/2006 4:03:58 PM Eastern Standard Time,
grahamd at ripon.edu writes:
I've taught *News of the Universe* a number of times; while his
literary and social history sometimes needs to be taken with a grain of
salt, his taste in poetry is really fine
Yes, I think Bly, with books like this and others, was largely
responsible
for increasing interest in poetry in translation. However liberal his
own
translations were, I think many international (panhistoriic) poets were
first introduced to US readers by Bly. And those translations/poets
changed contemporary US poetry during the 70s and 80s especially.
His readings were often more like one-man shows (bazooki in hand)
and I found him a captivating character. I learned a lot from him...not
something I can say about many other poets who I have heard read.
Another book/essay that I htink has held up well is "Leaping Poetry."
Probably one of the better explanation of the ineffable powers of lyric
poetry that I've seen.
Finnegan
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Message: 6
Date: Sun, 5 Nov 2006 10:50:52 -0600
From: David Graham <grahamd at ripon.edu>
Subject: [New-Poetry] Why Bly
To: "NewPoetry & Views" <new-poetry at wiz.cath.vt.edu>
Message-ID: <97B73D8D-09E6-4BA4-9BE4-6CB86A47A46B at ripon.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
The Scandal
The day the minister ran off with the choir director
The bindlestiffs felt some gaiety in their arms.
Spike-pitchers threw their bundles higher on the load
And the County Assessor drove with a tiny smile.
Actually the minister's wife felt relieved that morning,
Though afraid too. She walked out by the slough,
And admired the beaver's house, partly above
Water, partly beneath. That seemed right.
The minister felt dizzy as the two of them drove
For hours: country music and the loose ribbon
Mingled in his mind with the *Song of Songs*.
They stopped at a small motel near Bismarck.
For the threshers, the stubble was still dry,
The oat dust itchy, the big belt needed grease,
The loads pulled up to the machine. This story happens
Over and over, and it's a good story.
--Robert Bly. *Morning Poems*. HarperCollins, 1997.
==========================================
David Graham
grahamd at ripon.edu
Home Page:
http://www.ripon.edu/faculty/GrahamD/index.html
Poetry Library:
http://www.ripon.edu/faculty/GrahamD/poetrylib.html
==========================================
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