Enjoyed this column by A.S. Maulucci - poems don't always have to be about something profound. Sometimes the very ordinary can make for extraordinary writing.
On Poetry: Ordinary objects can become beautiful through words - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin
By A.S. Maulucci
For The Norwich Bulletin
Posted Aug 21, 2009 @ 09:19 PM
Most of us form attachments to simple, everyday objects such as a coffee mug, a pen, a Swiss army knife or a pair of scissors. Ordinary things we love to use on a daily basis can be very beautiful and give us a great deal of pleasure. I have a thick Lucite ruler with drawings by Matisse that is not very practical for measuring things, but which I love to hold and use as a weight to keep a book open when I’m taking notes. This ruler has been in my possession for 40 years and has accompanied me through several major relocations. It sits on my desk as I write this.
Another treasured object is a small piece of driftwood picked up on a beach in the Hamptons. It flows like the cresting of a wave and is lovely to look at. It serves no practical purpose, but I have become very attached to it, and it too is well traveled.
Many poets have written poems in celebration of the beauty of simple objects such as these. One of my favorites is a poem by Pablo Neruda called “Ode to My Socks.” FULL COLUMN
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Saturday, August 22, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
The Value in Darkness
There are as many nights as days, and the one is just as long as the other in the year's course. Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word 'happy' would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. - Carl Jung
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Monday, August 17, 2009
Thoughts about Modern Confessional
I’ve always been almost as interested in biographical information and interviews of poets as their work itself. My own twitter bio says, “The Poem Is My Bio.” This evening I read an interesting interview with Rachel Zucker by Publisher’s Weekly.
Zucker speaks of an awkward situation concerning her book The Bad Wife Handbook when her oldest son said to her sheepishly, “I couldn’t sleep last night and I went into the living room and I read your book.” Then he asked, “What does it mean to be a bad wife?” It had never occurred to her that her audience for the book would include her son.
Zucker makes an interesting point concerning writing so frankly about her family. “I have the choice about whether to publish these poems, but I don’t think I had the choice about whether to write them.”
Friday, August 14, 2009
I’ve been diversified
Our office participated in diversity training this morning. So I thought I’d share this thought on the subject of diversity….
“For those who have seen the Earth from space, and for the hundreds and perhaps thousands more who will, the experience most certainly changes your perspective. The things that we share in our world are far more valuable than those which divide us.” ~ Donald Williams
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Wednesday, August 12, 2009
San Francisco Broke
Yes, sadly my San Francisco Snow Globe on my office desk crashed to the floor one day last week. I moved my monarch planner and it pushed a stack of files forward toppling the the city in a bubble to the floor where it exploded with a loud pop; water and sparkles rained all over my carpet.
The globe as a gift a from my son number of years ago. He knows besides being an avid San Francisco Giants fan, I love the city itself. I realized how naked that corner of my desk appeared this afternoon.
The day had a number of other disasters – all survivable but still, it ranks low on my list of great days.
On a brighter note, I have completed a rough draft of a Mission Statement. I just need to refine it a tad bit, but I am close to finished. I’m mostly trying to reduce it (the language) to tighten it up a bit.
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Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Poetry is the art of creating imaginary gardens with real toads. ~ Marianne Moore
I’ve been working in my imaginary gardens tonight, pulling some weeds, planting new words. Watching as it struggles to grow into a place the real toads would inhabit.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Write with a little help from my friend…
If I can take a page from the the Beatles song book and modify it a bit, today was the kick-off of 6 weeks of poetry reading and writing focus for me. As you can see, I wrote with a little help from my friend.
I'm reading from The Philosopher's Club by Kim Addonizio this week and while I've read Kim's poetry before as well as attended a reading by her, this book gives me a different perspective on her voice. It's her very first book and notably a bit different in tone from What is This Thing Called Love?, a newer title that I have of hers.
Evie pictured above, was not as intrusive into my space as it might appear. Actually for much of the time she perched herself on the arm of the couch next to me and I found the gentle purr and occasional nudging with her head against my arm to be comforting.
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