Oh, And...

[handful_ofdust]

...another wonderful review from xterminal, who finally received my books of poetry and posted his thoughts on Dust Radio first, here (http://xterminal.livejournal.com/674055.html#dust). If I have any caveat, it'd be that I (obviously) don't think mixing free and formal verse is a weakness per se, but that's pretty tiny--thanks so much, man. Stuff like this makes getting out of bed in the morning worth it.;)

Comments

[handful-ofdust.livejournal.com]

Hey, no problem: I see poetry as being somewhat like music--there are no "wrong" opinions, just different/interesting ones. Glad you enjoyed them both so much, one way or another; looking forward to the BUN review, whenever you can force that choice.;)

[xterminal.livejournal.com]

I see poetry as being somewhat like music--there are no "wrong" opinions, just different/interesting ones.

Ah, but I don't. If there aren't strictures, then expressing something as "poetry" rather than prose or song becomes a purely arbitrary choice (and, in current culture, a relatively useless one, since so few people read poetry). But it's my contention that there is a distinction between the two, that there is a "poetic language" distinct from prose and song. And, by extension, that there are things that fall into it. And thus, by further extension, (many more) things that don't. Thus, wrong opinions, like the "poetry" of Maya Angelou or the... well, I can't even attribute the word, we'll call it "scribbling" instead-- often found on alteredthoughts.org (previously gothpoetry.net)...

[handful-ofdust.livejournal.com]

I guess my primary drawback in this conversation would have primarily to do with a lack of classical education in poetic forms and tropes. Luckily, my mother-in-law--who also likes my poetry, and thinks I should write more--gave me books on the subject for Christmas, which I'll hopefully be getting around to any day now. Then maybe I can do some experimentation, and come up with a slightly less "let's agree to disagree!"-type response.

[handful-ofdust.livejournal.com]

Primarily, primary, primariness. My other drawback would, of course, be repetition.;)