this gave me hope (to be a poet/artist/human [not] functioning in our society) again.
I think it is still relevant to be a true individual (i.e. working outside (as much as possible) societal norms, like writing poetry/particpating in poetic communities) doing things people see as a waste of time. Because what,for example my parents (but lots of people really) think are useful ways of spending time are watching television, buying jetskis, working jobs you hate to accumulate more capital so you can buy more things that require capital to support. Like Thoreau said so long ago (to paraphrase) we work, not to own things, but so those things may own us. The machines are free, we are the slaves. I love Blackburn's vicious hatred of the those capitalist structures.
Honestly, take a look at the first picture of Paul Blackburn, read his Statement (aloud) : (twice) and take another look at the picture at the end of the statement. That smile and curl of hair between two rocks personally affirms one thing -- "the possibility of warmth & contact in the human relationship :" on the web - through time.. "this is how dead men talk to eachother"
alex - nicely put about hope and [not]functioning in our society.. sure does nice to this world that we poets exist whether publically acclaimed or not -- a lot of times it is more important to simply exist (in)visibily because a lot of the poets who came before us are invisible now and they are still talking and we are still talking to them. they hear our conversation - oh they do -
I'm a freelance writer living in Ashland, Oregon. My stories and poems have appeared in Uncle John's Bathroom Reader, Prick of the Spindle, the Anthology of the Awkward and Troubles Swapped for Something Fresh: Manifestos and Unmanifestos, and numerous other magazines, newspapers and websites. My creative nonfiction story, Stranded in Kosmas, was nominated for inclusion in The Best of Creative Nonfiction Volume 3 by W.W. Norton. When I'm not writing, I take solace in uncomfortable silences.
3 comments:
that was fucking amazing.
this gave me hope (to be a poet/artist/human [not] functioning in our society) again.
I think it is still relevant to be a true individual (i.e. working outside (as much as possible) societal norms, like writing poetry/particpating in poetic communities) doing things people see as a waste of time. Because what,for example my parents (but lots of people really) think are useful ways of spending time are watching television, buying jetskis, working jobs you hate to accumulate more capital so you can buy more things that require capital to support. Like Thoreau said so long ago (to paraphrase) we work, not to own things, but so those things may own us. The machines are free, we are the slaves. I love Blackburn's vicious hatred of the those capitalist structures.
(rant complete)
you are my Obama for today.
Honestly, take a look at the first picture of Paul Blackburn, read his Statement (aloud) : (twice) and take another look at the picture at the end of the statement. That smile and curl of hair between two rocks personally affirms one thing --
"the possibility of warmth & contact
in the human relationship :"
on the web - through time.. "this is how dead men talk to eachother"
alex - nicely put about hope and [not]functioning in our society.. sure does nice to this world that we poets exist whether publically acclaimed or not -- a lot of times it is more important to simply exist (in)visibily because a lot of the poets who came before us are invisible now and they are still talking and we are still talking to them. they hear our conversation - oh they do -
Just to tie things together a bit, (community class and all) here are three light poems that Jackson Mac Low wrote for Paul Blackburn.
http://jacketmagazine.com/12/blac-mac-l.html
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