|
|
|
August 2000 Poet's Statement
This August, the third time I have participated in this enchanting/exhausting
ritual, I had my best experience to date. There was a level of consistency
that was very satisfying. It left September ALMOST poem-less with all
the damn typing I had to do, (& with the simple task of survival, but
that is another story).
My thanks to Danika for continuing to coordinate the festivities, to
Stephanie Skuramy partnerfor putting up w/ such irresponsible,
important, childish nonsense, to Tod McCoy whose website expertise and
effort on our behalf is commendable and to the other participants.
Again, my list of August inspirations is large & I may forget one or
two and exclude one inspiration whose intent was not admirable. My travels
seem mundane when compared to SOME participants, but my home town of Chicago
did also inspire some good work.
So, thanks, in no particular order to:
Ralph Blum, Diane di Prima, Jerome Rothenberg, William Carlos Williams,
Robert Duncan, Thelonious Monk, Don Harmon, David Francis, John & Roberta
Olson & the rest of the Subtext Collective, John Hogue, Herbert Marcuse,
Bud Powell, The Chicago White Sox!!! - Stanley Kubrick, Carl Sandburg,
Lillian Too, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Keith Jarrett, Clayton Eshleman
& Sulfur, Charles Olson, Sharon Doubiago & always, the Rebel Lion.
As usual, all these poems were written spontaneously and the only changes
have been cosmetic, like commas, or other punctuation. Most of the poems
were written in Projective Verse, using the breath line & syllable as
the poem's structure. There were a coupla acrostics, at least one pantoum
and NO SESTINAS! I often used lines by other poets as a starting point
and kind of divination. Next yr I may write at 5:15 as I am getting too
old for this.
Paul E. Nelson
1AM 10.2.00
Auburn, WA
|