“Ideally, magazines should be supported by their subscribers. But our educational system doesn’t produce such audiences. We publish poetry; we don’t read it. We like it performed for us so that it will, with the poet, take the plane. And we like our few books autographed, because they will, one day, be worth more to our heirs and our assigns.” — William H. Gass, “The Shears of the Censor,” from Tests of Time
How do I autograph my ebook?
March 27th, 2012 · 5 Comments
Tags: Lit & Crit
5 responses so far ↓
1 Averil Dean // Mar 27, 2012 at 11:40 am
That’s a good point. I was never taught about poetry in school, so the entire concept seemed out of reach. A couple of years ago I read an essay about how poetry should be experienced as a work of art, an abstraction, more to be felt than dissected. What a revelation. Now I have several books’ worth at home, all very well read.
I’m trying to teach my youngest about poetry. Thank god for Poe, guaranteed to hold the attention of a 10-year-old boy.
2 Tetman Callis // Mar 27, 2012 at 12:11 pm
It may be worth noting the poetry began as a performance art. Maybe if it were taught that way in the public schools, more children would learn to appreciate it.
Also, forms of poetry vary widely, as you know. “The Raven” and “Annabel Lee” are examples of wonderful performance poems; much modernist and post-modernist poetry, maybe not so much.
If I felt myself competent to make an argument for it, I might argue that Lord Byron marked the pinnacle of English-language poetry and it’s all been pretty much downhill in the two centuries since his heyday.
3 Averil Dean // Mar 27, 2012 at 2:32 pm
Yes to the performance art. I don’t have the voice for reading poetry (think Luna Lovegood) but I discovered many of Poe’s works on YouTube, read by Vincent Price and James Earl Jones, etc. Very cool.
The little guy is tearing it up on the Kindle as well. I got a new one for my birthday and gave him the old. I think he’s attracted to the modernity of the format so I’m trying to go with it and use whatever works to entice him into reading.
4 Tetman Callis // Mar 27, 2012 at 3:03 pm
VP and JEJ are two perfect voices for one interpretation of Poe. I wonder how Lady Gaga would do “Annabel Lee”? And I bet Michelle Obama reading “The Raven” would be an interesting twist.
5 Averil Dean // Mar 27, 2012 at 6:31 pm
I’d like to hear Gaga read “The Tell-Tale Heart”. Off-track if we’re thinking of poetry, but how cool would it be.
I’d melt if Alan Rickman would read me Neruda. Holy mother of god. Actually, Rickman could read me his grocery list and I’d ask him to repeat it. Slowly.
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