Search Results for: ashbery

on Ashbery and Academic Poetry (Stephen Dunn)

“Poets who defy making sense and do it deliberately and often brilliantly (as Ashbery can) are making a kind of sense, and may be extending the range of what poetry can do, though they ensure that poetry’s audience will be … Continue reading

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2010 Theme: I Like What I Like

aka I am what I am aka taking the guilt out of guilty pleasures My second theme for 2010 is to double or treble my efforts to reinforce my defense against the pressure to conform aesthetically to please others. Some … Continue reading

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December Distraction: Best American Poetry 2009

As Jared notes, our “December Distraction” is going to be the 2009 Best American Poetry anthology. On the whole, I’ve found enough gems in every volume of the Best American Poetry series to make it worth the very reasonable cover … Continue reading

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Poetry and Protest in Iran

[image courtesy of .faramarz] From Harriet: Poetry still plays an integral part in Iranian life, even in the midst of the protests and chaos.  In a widely circulated blog post out of Tehran, a protester notes: “Placards that people carried … Continue reading

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"Messenger of Tyranny" (Pierre Reverdy)

[photo by Gavatron] “Messenger of Tyranny” He spits sparks on the night, cinders, love, lightning, broken wings, hate, stars and gold coins which hasten away. He sighs of remorse on the night. At the breath of silence, he grapples with … Continue reading

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BAP 2004 (19): “Bad Modernism” by Michael Davidson

I’m not schooled enough on schools to be completely sure what is going on here. Bad as in no good, bad as in “bad dog” or bad as in that “bad mofo” Shaft? Maybe all of them. As I read, … Continue reading

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BAP 2004 (6): “Wolf Ridge” by John Ashbery

It’s perhaps instructive that just before I posted this entry I realized I’d neglected to put the title of the poem in the entry title. I’m not sure that it matters. It’s another good Ashbery poem like so many others. … Continue reading

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An Apt Gift

I received an unexpected gift today– a copy of the Paris Review 25th Anniversary Issue. The person who gave it to me had no idea what they were giving me. To her it was an outstanding copy of a magazine … Continue reading

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