I'M POSTING AGAIN
what I've already posted. Your assignment for the next
week has already appeared basically. We're sort of in between
things, reading-wise. Just keep at The End of the West.
For Monday I want five object portraits taking hints from
Stein, only yours will be one hundred words each. See info
below. I want a typed version of the five portraits--illogical,
made out of words that somehow come to you pondering
each OBJECT but let the language get absurd (see Stein's
stuff in handout). Anyway, one typed version will go with
the poems you have written (so far, including this multi-
sectioned portrait poem, that will make 9 poems). Another
will--however you find to do it--go into your collage book
(it must be included by March 10).
Read to p. 61 in the Dickman book for Wednesday (17th)
and come prepared to have an opinion (be open-minded).
After reading the Capps poems it appears more needs to be
said about concrete language and local detail, metaphor, and
I'll do that in the next week or two, using examples.
For Monday bring your collage books because we will work on
them--we will work on getting the portrait poems in them (even
though you have until March 10) and work on the Found.com
assignment, which is due the 17th. Either way, we want you to
have 12 pages of collage stuff.
Therefore, bring a printout from Found.com along with
the usual stuff (Elizabeth, can you bring that glue gun again?),
and bring a version of the object poem so you can cut it up or
simply afix it into the book as well. Again, it's not due right
away but the poem itself needs to be done and why not
get going oon it) Also, TRY to bring an appropriate image or two,
somehow related to the Found.com material and related to
your object poem (which will have five parts, to repeat), or related
to your Post Secret peice for that matter. You can google images
for example and print them out. Or just find some in
magazines or whatever.
(I really like much of the progress on the collage books--Kelly's
alphabet arrangments, Nicole's doctored old "love" letter, etc.)
On Feb 17 (Wed), we do the computer lab again, and we'll
write, obviously. It will be a surprise.
Remember your collage book is due with 12 pages completed
by Wednesday. All your accumulated poems will be due
very soon, so keep up (they'll be due on Feb 22).
Sooo. For Monday, Feb 15, you need to have the completed
object poem finished and bring a copy to class (the hard copy should
be done) and you need to bring Found.com text to class along with
your collage stuff. If you finish all this stuff on the weekend good
for you--you can proceed just creating toward the complete collage
book.
On Feb 17 we will go to the computer lab--you will hand in your
collage book with twelve pages, and will have read to page
61 in Dickman book.
So here, right below this line of words, is what I posted
last week, again posted here.
I want to assign, for one of your collage book pages the
following: Go to this site--Found.com. Find a found note
or list and use it by placing the text in the center
of the page. Surround it with whatever you feel fits. Your
collage books will be handed in on this day (the 17th).
Due Feb 17.
*
Extra assignment two: Go to Post Secret. Make your own
postcard in the spirit of the postcards at post secret. Of course,
these are anonymous, so you can creat one that is fictional
or doesn't embarrass you. Create text and combine it
with images etc that further add to the meaning of that text.
It can emphasize the text, give it an ironic spin, etc. Past
this postcard to one of your collage book pages.
Due March 10
*
Take five objects in your home and write self-portraits of them,
in block form, 100 words each. Then, try to incorporate the
images of these objects (google-image and print) into the pages
of your collage book along with the texts (either cut up or placed
squarely on the page).
Poem/portrait text due Feb 15, and included as part of your
collage-book March 10.
***
Friday, February 12, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
FICTION IN POETRY
I've been pondering the POV expressed in class about the
C. K. Williams poem, that it MUST somehow be true, although
my entire THESIS, especially for those who have had
me more than once, is that the poet uses a persona that
IS NOT THE POET, although in essence there is an element
of the autobiographical in place. But then I think of, say,
Frank Bidart's highly admired "Herbert White," a poem I've
taught numerous times. Anyway, all things being equal,
I'm curious as to why we can accept a book like Silence of the
Lambs (I'm pretty sure no one has arrested Thomas Harris
for his fictional creation) and not assume that author had to
commit the murders portrayed there in order to write about them.
I mean, Harris must have really wanted a Hannibal Lecter
type to be living amongst us--he survives to kill again and again . . .
And of course we know that is not the case. We give LICENSE . . .
It's the same thing--the poet chooses a POV character
that is far far from the norm and speaks from it in order
to broaden perspectives. Williams uses--here comes a far-out
concept--a thing called THE IMAGINATION. This is what
Norman Dubie does pretty much in every poem he writes. This is
what the director does in the film Henry Fool. Anyway, the
assumption that somehow a poet can't use similar fictions (as
novelists and filmmakers do) to explore the dark side of the world,
or that which is at first glance somehow SHOCKING, is one of
poetry's great potentials and one of its great problems
right now (still!! In 2010!). Poems are not little memoirs of precious
FACT. And yet poems remain open to extreme prejudice. I'm trying
to argue to give poets the same right to explore subject matter,
however uncomfortable it might make a reader, other artists
have access too without causing us the blink of an eye.
In essence, an artist can't write or express views about a subject
without having experienced it? Really? REALLY?
I must say it was a bit depressing to run into that old,
antiquated attitude--I thought it had mostly disappeared in
these here parts . . .
***
Okay, well here's simply a good poem from class, posted below.
My Father –
McKenzie Sanders
Today, my father said
he went out to get batteries
for the remote control
helicopter I bought him
for Christmas.
Too bad he forgot that was the gift
for my brother.
He went out of the room,
slamming the doors
behind him –
“went there”
a year and a half ago
tomorrow.
The immigration office
said, if they don’t take
the car back, you can just
cancel the insurance and
return the plates and
sell it back for –
My father would have been
a great consultant.
But he had no choice
but to go back home.
I've been pondering the POV expressed in class about the
C. K. Williams poem, that it MUST somehow be true, although
my entire THESIS, especially for those who have had
me more than once, is that the poet uses a persona that
IS NOT THE POET, although in essence there is an element
of the autobiographical in place. But then I think of, say,
Frank Bidart's highly admired "Herbert White," a poem I've
taught numerous times. Anyway, all things being equal,
I'm curious as to why we can accept a book like Silence of the
Lambs (I'm pretty sure no one has arrested Thomas Harris
for his fictional creation) and not assume that author had to
commit the murders portrayed there in order to write about them.
I mean, Harris must have really wanted a Hannibal Lecter
type to be living amongst us--he survives to kill again and again . . .
And of course we know that is not the case. We give LICENSE . . .
It's the same thing--the poet chooses a POV character
that is far far from the norm and speaks from it in order
to broaden perspectives. Williams uses--here comes a far-out
concept--a thing called THE IMAGINATION. This is what
Norman Dubie does pretty much in every poem he writes. This is
what the director does in the film Henry Fool. Anyway, the
assumption that somehow a poet can't use similar fictions (as
novelists and filmmakers do) to explore the dark side of the world,
or that which is at first glance somehow SHOCKING, is one of
poetry's great potentials and one of its great problems
right now (still!! In 2010!). Poems are not little memoirs of precious
FACT. And yet poems remain open to extreme prejudice. I'm trying
to argue to give poets the same right to explore subject matter,
however uncomfortable it might make a reader, other artists
have access too without causing us the blink of an eye.
In essence, an artist can't write or express views about a subject
without having experienced it? Really? REALLY?
I must say it was a bit depressing to run into that old,
antiquated attitude--I thought it had mostly disappeared in
these here parts . . .
***
Okay, well here's simply a good poem from class, posted below.
My Father –
McKenzie Sanders
Today, my father said
he went out to get batteries
for the remote control
helicopter I bought him
for Christmas.
Too bad he forgot that was the gift
for my brother.
He went out of the room,
slamming the doors
behind him –
“went there”
a year and a half ago
tomorrow.
The immigration office
said, if they don’t take
the car back, you can just
cancel the insurance and
return the plates and
sell it back for –
My father would have been
a great consultant.
But he had no choice
but to go back home.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
EXTRA NOTE (posted on Super Bowl Sunday)
I want to assign, for one of your collage book pages the
following: Go to this site--Found.com. Find a found note
or list and use it by placing the text in the center
of the page. Surround it with whatever you feel fits.
Due Feb 17.
*
Extra assignment two: Go to Post Secret. Make your own
postcard in the spirit of the postcards at post secret. Of course,
these are anonymous, so you can creat one that is fictional
or doesn't embarrass you. Create text and combine it
with images etc that further add to the meaning of that text.
It can emphasize the text, give it an ironic spin, etc. Past
this postcard to one of your collage book pages.
Due March 10
*
Take five objects in your home and write self-portraits of them,
in block form, 100 words each. Then, try to incorporate the
images of these objects (google-image and print) into the pages
of your collage book along with the texts (either cut up or placed
squarely on the page).
Poem/portrait text due Feb 15, and included as part of your
collage-book March 10.
***
The test will cover these pages:
Also, the quiz on Abstract Expressionism will cover the following
pages. Pages 9 through 14. Also, pp 26-27, pp 34-35, 36-37,
38-39, 40-41, 42-43, 46-47, 50-51, 52-53, 54-55, 56-57,
60-61, 66-67, 68-69.
I want to assign, for one of your collage book pages the
following: Go to this site--Found.com. Find a found note
or list and use it by placing the text in the center
of the page. Surround it with whatever you feel fits.
Due Feb 17.
*
Extra assignment two: Go to Post Secret. Make your own
postcard in the spirit of the postcards at post secret. Of course,
these are anonymous, so you can creat one that is fictional
or doesn't embarrass you. Create text and combine it
with images etc that further add to the meaning of that text.
It can emphasize the text, give it an ironic spin, etc. Past
this postcard to one of your collage book pages.
Due March 10
*
Take five objects in your home and write self-portraits of them,
in block form, 100 words each. Then, try to incorporate the
images of these objects (google-image and print) into the pages
of your collage book along with the texts (either cut up or placed
squarely on the page).
Poem/portrait text due Feb 15, and included as part of your
collage-book March 10.
***
The test will cover these pages:
Also, the quiz on Abstract Expressionism will cover the following
pages. Pages 9 through 14. Also, pp 26-27, pp 34-35, 36-37,
38-39, 40-41, 42-43, 46-47, 50-51, 52-53, 54-55, 56-57,
60-61, 66-67, 68-69.
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