Hey fellow writers! I hope your writing and all of your other endeavors are going well. I’d like to bring to your attention several poets you should investigate.
Susan Browne: a poet with a realist approach. Her poetry is the furthest from abstract, it screams its messages and stories. She teaches at Diablo Valley College (never heard of that). Her chapbook “Buddha’s Dogs” explores some profound and intriguing aspects of her past with tongue-in-cheek humor and unique perspectives.
Charles Harper Webb: goes by his full name because there are “so many” Charles Webb’s and even another Charles H. Webb in the writing world. Born in Philadelphia, he wrote “romantic dithyrambs” to any girl who caught his eye. After a brief career in psychotherapy, Webb returned to his true love, writing poetry. His poems are raw, powerful, and bizarre, a sure treat to read.
Hooray it is summer at last! For me, this means unbearable heat in Florida, but I won’t have to face it this summer as I will be leaving for South Africa in 8 days!! Upon my return, I almost immediately leave for Yale Summer Session. So I will be spending very little time in the Florida heat this summer. I also really look forward to reading a lot. Along with my assigned summer reading, I will be reading two books that my English teacher so kindly gave to me, including the Collected Poems of Raymond Carver.Raymond Carver was an acclaimed short story writer and poet. By his death in 1988, he had over a dozen publications. His writing has been described as minimalist but vibrant. He once said, “I began as a poet, my first publication was a poem. So I suppose on my tombstone I’d be very pleased if they put ‘Poet and short-story writer-and occasional essayist’ in that order.” His style and tone are very personal and as inviting as an intimate conversation between friends. When I read his poems, I feel as if Carver himself was sitting in my room recollecting moments in his life. I strongly suggest you research Carver and purchase one of his collections. He portrays a certain message I believe we should listen to, realism in poetry is a powerful force.I also suggest reading the famous E.E. Cummings. Often seen as “e.e. cummings,” the preeminent author is known for his seemingly random capitalizations, spacing, syntax, and grammar. I have viewed much of his work is partly visual art. The ways parenthesis appear and semi-colons bisect lines augment already provocative and beautiful poetry with invitations to read the poem from a different perspective. His often studied poem, “l(a” demonstrates his ingenious use of punctuation:l(a leaffa ll s)onel iness Here, the parenthesis hold a visual, almost as if signifying that it is the internal reflection. On the outside, loneliness stands separate from the dividing power of the parenthesis, literally making the word isolated. Lastly, I do not recommend solely to read the works of the adulated and accomplished. Scurry through the website www.wordriot.org, the homepage of an online literary magazine. They accept poetry, flash fiction, and even creative non-fiction. Before I submitted several poems to them a few days ago, I came across some modest talents. The poetry section holds poems from writers with extensive biographies packed with writing experience, and many others from writers with little to their name other than pure talent. Rather than just submit to WordRiot, read the works of those it published. Look for styles you admire and jot them down. The next time you write, try to incorporate the aspects you wish to emulate. If they seem to not fit you, continue to filter through writing strategies until you like one that fits you and your developing style. I’ll let you know if I get published in WordRiot… Keep up the reading!
