The word “experimental” attracts me. I am interested in deviation (and I enjoy the sense of science [and thus procedure] that can come with the word). I would say that I am interested in reading (and writing) the experimental. But as with “beauty,” “experimental” can be primarily subjective. I wish to advocate use of the […]
When titles have an “or”
May 31, 2014 by
Oftentimes when a sentence features an “or,” the sentence is listing alternatives (typically exclusive of each other). In the case of a title, however, the “or” seems to be functioning in a different way. To help demonstrate what I mean, consider the title of an Eliza Haywood novel, “Love in Excess; or, the Fatal Enquiry.” […]
Why I do not tend to favor one-word titles
March 18, 2014 by
At times, I do use one-word titles for poems. I do. But I am a bit hesitant to do so, for a few reasons. For one, one-word titles for poems are plentiful, and some words are used plentifully. “Nocturne” would be an example of this. (Which, I admit, I titled a poem some years ago.) […]
Thoughts on titles
March 18, 2014 by
The titles of poems can have a variety of purposes (or possibly purposelessness). Sometimes they are the last thing written. Sometimes they are the first thing. Sometimes they will be an “untitled.” A title can be brief. A title can be one word, a phrase, a sentence—a title could push the boundaries of normative forms […]
Why making constraint-based erasures can be good for children
February 5, 2014 by
In a previous post, I discussed my procedure in introducing some upper elementary children to constraint-based erasure poetry. I think that, besides the benefits of creating poetry lateral to the self, this type of engagement with books may be doubly beneficial for children (or any learner). A constraint-based erasure can be done with any text; […]
The term “Constraint-based Erasure”
February 5, 2014 by
In recent posts and upcoming posts, I have or will use the term “constraint-based erasure.” I wish to offer a definition for this term. To do so, I must first explain “erasure” and “constraint-based.” An erasure involves removing (or covering) portions of an original. The medium may be visual or textual—or both. For a fine […]
Brief Thoughts on the Prose Poem Form
December 30, 2013 by
I believe the prose poem can be an ideal form of expressing complexity: it exists as a “lump” of being, not spaced into digested piecemeal. While a sentence itself is a linear existence, other sentences function directly lateral to that sentence. I think the prose poem can express simultaneity, as there isn’t the overt sequential […]
When writing of Place, consider various meanings of the term “Location”
December 30, 2013 by
I think writing of place should explore location in as many senses of the word as possible. Geographic location: the urban, the landscape, with the entrance of wildlife and domestic animals if accurate. Location in time: beginnings, endings, in-betweens, and memory’s effect in urging recontextualizing. Location relative to another person: understandings and misperceptions, intimacies and […]
A Brief Statement on the Desire for Risk
December 30, 2013 by
Below is a “bias statement” written in the beginning of the Fall 2013 semester. … Dislikes. I dislike it when a poem does not seem to engage in any risks. That is, when it looks, smells, tastes, feels like what readers expect from typical poem-ness. When it uses phrases that sound like something easily said […]
Thoughts on Successful Puns
November 29, 2013 by
The pun seems to be something people tend to have strong, divisive emotions about: pun as fun or pun as repellent. I would like to make a point about successful puns: they are not “merely language play” (assuming “mere” language play is possible: if it is still language, then it is still conveying a meaning […]