David Orr reviews Robert Hass

I'm not terribly familiar with Orr's reviews or criticism--I just read his article "The Greatness Game" from the New York Times 19 Feb. 2009--but I've think I've found somebody that helps me fold my arms over my chest and turn my face into a wince. Don't misunderstand me; I enjoy his prose and the depth of the sources that influence his argument, but as that argument unfolds, I find myself a little frustrated.

In Orr's review of Hass's latest collection of new and published poems, The Apple Trees at Olema, Orr argues that Hass has written some great poems, but his newer work is reluctant to embrace the "kind of truth" found in earlier work.

Orr writes, "One might say that the problem with Hass’s career is that as he’s gotten older, his poems have been more willing to say 'blackberry, blackberry, blackberry' than to declare, 'There are limits to imagination.'" Fine. I get it. But, Orr, while trying to lessen the criticism with the standard empty rhetoric of "one might say," is still basically claiming that when a poet repeats the word "blackberry" three times it's convenient, but when a poet comments on the conception of imagination, great work is being done.

To this I say "phooey." A great poem doesn't need to embrace truth. It needs to embrace craft. Both would be great, but forced to choose, I'll take craft over truth. It's not that I don't believe that there is truth out there in the universe--call me naive, but I do--it's that I believe craft is where we're going to have the better arguments over greatness. What makes "blackberry, blackberry, blackberry" great? Me first. Then you.

So, why all of this talk about greatness? Underpinning this review is Orr's idea (discussed in more detail in "The Greatness Game") that poetry has become swallowed by a hollow careerism that has lessened the greatness of poetry. By arguing that Hass's newer work is somehow less focused on truth (grand claims?) than his earlier work, Orr further supports his ongoing argument that careerism is reducing the Greatness of contemporary poetry.

My face hurts.

Super-charged Block

A super-charged block of creative writing, that is.

Next week, I'll be part of a marathon of readers at Drexel University's Week of Writing. The marathon of readers begins on Monday at 11AM, and continues until 3PM. It starts again on Tuesday at 12:30, and continues until 3PM. That's over SIX HOURS of creative writing comin' your way.

Can you handle it?!

Here's the full schedule:

Monday, 5/17

11-11:20 Cassandra Hirsch
11:20-11:40 Michael Harris-Peyton; 1st. Poetry, Hon. Fiction
11:40-11:50 Ari Melman; 1st Op-Ed

Noon-12:15 Fred Siegel
12:15-12:20 Lauren Gatto; Hon. Poetry
12:20-12:35 Lisa Farley
12:35-12:50 Paula Marantz Cohen

1-1:05 Carolynn McCormack; Hon. Poetry
1:05-1:20 Marshall Warfield
1:20-1:35 Rachel Wenrick
1:35-1:50 Genevieve Betts

2-2:20 Anjana Santham; 2nd Humor, Hon. Non-Fiction & Op-Ed
2:20-2:35 Rebecca Ingalls
2:35-2:50 Miriam N. Kotzin

Tuesday, 5/18

12:30-12:40 Justin Gero; 1st Humor
12:40-12:55 Lynn Levin
12:55-1:10 Ali Rahman; Hon. Fiction
1:10-1:25 Stacey Ake
1:25-1:40 Valerie Fox
1:40-1:50 Steve Polz; 1st Non-fiction

2-2:20 Don Riggs
2:20-2:30 Maia Livengood; 2nd Non-fiction
2:30-2:45 Kathleen Volk Miller
2:45-3:00 Beth Thorpe

Here's the aforementioned "Super-charged" Block on Monday between 1 and 2:

1-1:05 Carolynn McCormack
1:05-1:20 Marshall Warfield
1:20-1:35 Rachel Wenrick
1:35-1:50 Genevieve Betts

Location: Mandell Theater Lobby in Drexel's MacAlister Hall, 33rd and Chestnut
The silliness of mixing metaphors (marathons, engine blocks) aside, this is going to be a great marathon of writers from Drexel. Don't miss it.

Best New Poets Open Competition for 2010

Kim Addonizio did a god job with the 2009 edition. What will 2010 bring? If you don't have a program or journal to recommend you, the open competition rules are here at bestnewpoets.blogspot.com/2010/03/2010-submissions.html

Hurry--the open competition ends May 20th.

Thinking about Criticism

From imdb's list of "memorable quotes" from Adaptation:

Charlie Kaufman: The only idea more overused than serial killers is multiple personality. On top of that, you explore the notion that cop and criminal are really two aspects of the same person. See every cop movie ever made for other examples of this.
Donald Kaufman: Mom called it "psychologically taut".

The Beauty that is Recordo Obscura

If it's on an album, and it's obscure, it's most likely at, or will be at, Recordo Obscura. Thanks goes to my brother for finding this site. I won't tell you the album from memory-lane that brought us to this site, but I will give you the link.

And just to keep this poetry related: check this out. Ted Hughes recorded an album based on poems from his books Wodwo and Crow.

Old, forgotten, obscure, weird, rare--thanks to Recordo Obscura, it's not forgotten.