From the category archives:

poetry

Examples of Season-Tone in Literature (part two)

In the previous article, I wrote about the use of season-words in haiku and the possibility of conveying season through tone rather than the use of weighted words. The subject of tone relates to all writing, not exclusively haiku, so I thought I would provide some useful examples of the use of tone in works [...]

A Tonal Approach to Season Words in Haiku (part one)

The tradition of haiku is historically a Japanese one, and the tradition in English is so formally different it might be best to simply use a different term. I have heard that Gary Snyder calls this form simply ‘short poems.’ It is marvelous that the spirit of haiku is not exclusively a Japanese one; it [...]

Should I Write About My Dreams?

Last night before bed I read Decalogue for a Young Writer by Carlos Fuentes. In it, he mentions that he usually plans the next day’s writing before going to bed. He then writes first thing in the morning, following the advice of Alfonso Reyes, who quoted Goethe saying: “The writer must take the cream off [...]

Interview for Joseph Scapellato’s Senior Portfolio Class at Susquehanna

Joe Scapellato interviewed me for the class he’s teaching. He asked some very interesting questions pertinent to senior-year undergraduate English – Creative Writing majors. Here are the results of the interview: 1. Okay, let’s talk about your senior year of undergrad. Do you remember how you were feeling? Where did you think you were headed? [...]

‘Padding and Contrivance’ – Syllable-Counting for Haiku Poetry in English

Haiku is a poetic form most of us have some experience with. This Japanese form which found its way only about a hundred years ago to those writing in English merits a much closer investigation. The form contains useful lessons for most (if not all) writers. J.W. Hackett’s suggestions for beginners and others writing haiku in [...]

Poem – check out Verse Wisconsin

Check out Verse Wisconsin here: http://www.versewisconsin.org/issue102/poems102/webber.html For our October retreat in Italy, click here: http://www.summerwritingretreat.com

Notes Toward a New Rhetoric – Francis Christensen – Quote

The end is to enhance life–to give the self (the soul) body by wedding it to the world, to give the world life by wedding it to the self. Or, more simply, to teach to see, for that, as Conrad maintained, is everything.

Richard Diebenkorn’s Artist Statement

This is one of the most genius statements ever made about modern painting. It applies to writing as well. Your questions concern groups of artists and their changing attitudes, which I take for granted and about which I’m not very interested. What interests me is that a few strong painters are at work, some of [...]

Jimmy Santiago Baca’s “Meditations on the South Valley”

What a great book. Here’s an example: Catholic holidays Franciscan nuns bussed us to Jemez mountain parks. The old yellow bus gagged round tree tangled curves and looming walls of stone, canyon depths flashed mesquite enfolding green hills between green hills, until at the mountaintop, I summed layers and layers of distant dustland drift, as [...]