Tag Archives: Whitman

On Faith, Not-Faith, Poetry & Death*

A poet is constantly in a state of reassessment as long as he desires to be a vital presence, whether on the page or in the world.   So I have continuously and obsessively turned the object, the diamond of poetry, … Continue reading

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On Little Songs & Lyrics to Genji

Next month, S4N Books releases my first full-length collection of poems, Little Songs & Lyrics to Genji.  Actually, the book contains not one full-length collection, but two long sequences.  The first, “Little Songs,” is a series of sonnet-like poems presented … Continue reading

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On “Can Creative Writing Be Taught?”

This week in the New Yorker Louis Menand reviews a book called The Program Era by Marc McGurl.  According to Menand, the book attempts to make the argument – and I’m simplifying here – that the proliferation of creative writing programs has not only affected the way we write … Continue reading

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The Dead Don’t Sing

I was feeling pretty awful the other day.  It was the 17th.  I know that because I picked up my Book of Common Prayer, turned to the psalm reading in the psalter for the 17th day, and read psalm 88. … Continue reading

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