Poetry Quotes

There's been a thing going around where tagged poet bloggers share at least ten quotes about poetry. Nick Bruno did far more than his share -- here, here, and here. I haven't been tagged, which is probably just as well, at this point. Favourites from his lists include

“Poetry is thoughts that breathe, and words that burn.”
--Thomas Gray

Poetry; Imaginary gardens with real toads in them.
--Marianne Moore

Always be a poet, even in prose.
--Charles Baudelaire

If a poet is anybody, he is somebody to whom things made matter very little - somebody who is obsessed by Making.
--e. e. cummings

To be a poet is a condition, not a profession.
--Robert Frost

A poet is a man who manages, in a lifetime of standing out in thunderstorms, to be struck by lightning five or six times.
--Randall Jarrell
(How about once or twice?)

Poetry isn't written from the idea down. It's written from the phrase, line and stanza up, which is different from what your teacher taught you to do in school.
--Margaret Atwood

A poet is a man who puts up a ladder to a star and climbs it while playing a violin.
--Edmond de Goncourt

The courage of the poet is to keep ajar the door that leads into madness.
--Christopher Morley

Interesting that he didn't include that too oft quoted thing from Emily D. about poetry taking the top of your head off. Maybe that's why she never went outside: all that exposed brain was pretty unsightly.

ONE (somewhat past due) POLITICAL POEM

US of A

Prisoners naked, tied on the blood-spattered floor. Attacked by dogs. Woman grinning, thumbs up for the camera. My tax dollars go towards that, my tax dollars. Money-laundered dirty money, filthy shit-streaked pus-slathered money. All you shiny sleek people in your shiny sleek buildings have filthy shit-streaked pus-slathered money in your veins. Don’t deny it! It’s in my veins too, in the branded booze, in the TV images in my daily bread. And when I see your precision-controlled slaughters, when I see your deep mass graves funded by my money I cringe at every word I write, every laundered word, every lent, laundered syllable that went through the mouths of others and was shit-streaked and pus-slathered by every sewage system and smoke stack on this planet, choking in the fumes of its exhaust.

This one I wrote in a white heat after being sickened by recently released pictures from these Abu-Graib prison photos that Pris first drew my attention to. Of course the prose poem underwent quite a few refinements in revision -- the "precision controlled" slaughters, the "TV images in my daily bread" (an image derived from FS, by the way) are things I added over the following year. Some of the discussion by Americans there and elsewhere (this was the second wave of pictures released from the prison) revolved around the guilt feelings from their tax dollars funding this debacle. I suppose that discussion invaded my psyche. As I wrote, I found myself being swept almost involuntarily into taking on the point of the point of view of one of those indignant Americans in the poem. As a Canadian, of course, my tax dollars didn't go directly to support the atrocities in Abu Graib, as far as I know. Yet I find we Canadians have far too easy a time absolving ourselves of any responsibility for the vile excesses of American Empire with which we are not only complicit, but aid and abet. Plenty of blood is spilled to ensure that most of us stay comfortable, have lots of fun and burn lots of gas doing it. ETC. That's why I made the title so it could read us of A.

Over the last several months, this poem was turned back from a number of slush piles and now seems old news. As discussed here. As Andrew suggested, I've sent several past due (but still relevant) political poems for consideration by Mr. Slaughter, but somehow, his name notwithstanding, I couldn't imagine this one gracing his distinguished but mild-mannered review. I'm really not sure where I could send this one. All the reviews seem too mild mannered. So I put it here.

Odd (seems now) how natural it felt to partake in our culture's age-old revulsion for bodily functions to express my abhorrence for the evils of Abu Graib. Shit really shouldn't be insulted that way. Of course, our decorous leaders -- in public at least -- practically never say the word, even though their mouths are often full of it.

What kind of bohemian are you?

Came across some fascinating Wikipedia reading about the origin of the term "Bohemian".

Interesting that the article lists my own area, Mile End, Montreal (good photo essay here, by the way) as a contemporary Bohemia. It certainly was when I moved here, although now embourgeoisement -- otherwise known as gentrification -- has made it more difficult to actually set up that lifestyle here. (People who moved into rent controlled apartments years ago, like me, hang onto them -- and the lifestyle possibilities that go with -- for dear life.)

The website of a book called "A Bohemian Manifesto: A field guide to living on the edge" describes five types of Bohemian: the Nouveau, Gypsy, Beat, Zen, and Dandy. This makes for some glib but entertaining sociology.

It seems under those criteria my partner & I are a blend of Zen with an element of Nouveau and -- hate to say it -- a slight touch of Dandy. Actually at my stage of life, I tend to live it more than look it ... for better and for worse.

Some ArtieGoldibilia...

Some reflections on political poems

If you write a political poem, there is a good chance that it will lose its topicality, or at least become somewhat dated, by the time it gets published (if indeed it does reach that fortunate end). I am thinking of a poem or three of mine which have , because contexts have shifted somewhat, gone past their political "due date" languishing for months in slush piles of various magazines. The slowness of reviews to consider, accept, and publish work acts itself as a sort of censor. This aside from the unwillingness of many reviews to venture into unsafe territory (call it middleclassness, apolitical bias, what you will.) If you need to rush a poem into print so that it have the impact of timeliness, you have to be either some kind of celebrity (at least in the poetry world), or lucky. The alternative is self publication -- blog or otherwise -- with its inherent limitations.

P.S. This post provoked some good discussion which has helped clarify my own views on this subject. Just click on "comments" below... Bravo, Rob, Andrew, Jill & Pearl!

One Clever Dude

Check out this New York Times article (+ video) on the phenomenal net-based success of this independent singer-songwriter. On his website: "Code Monkey" has become a major hit among the somewhat nerdy crowd that frequents his site, but "Tom Cruise Crazy" also gets my vote as a highly intelligent yet touching song. This man seems clued into the right formulas on many levels, besides sheer songwriting craft; besides being absolutely driven, he's one very clever dude.

Quebec City

Some pics of a two-day trip late last week to la belle ville. Click on them and they'll fill your computer screen.
Restaurants in the old city...
The oldest stone church in Canada (dates from the early 1620's).
... rue Petit Champlain, one of Canada's oldest streets (now given over almost entirely to glitzy tourist shops... no one in the picture, by the way, that I know..."just people", as we so errantly say. I hope none of them minds the possibility of being spotted by a boss or partner!)
A picture of YT at one of the outdoor cafes in the Old City. Got some great pictures of my parter on this trip, but she doesn't like pictures of herself flying all over the world. So you have to settle for this rather drowsy-looking version of myself.
Rue St-Jean, a commercial street I prefer to stroll along to the picturesque but dolled-up streets within the walls of the old town. In a used bookstore here, I picked up a copy of Baudelaire's Petits Poëmes en prose (Le Spleen de Paris), which I had read already a few times in English translation... that night, in our hotel room, gained a valuable insight into B.'s creative process by looking over his lists of "poemes a faire" -- subjects to write on -- and "symboles et moralites", which were included in this fine edition. An obvious architectural shaping idea that it had never occured to me to do. Started my own list of "poemes a faire" for my own prose poems. And wrote a draft of one about looking through a window at night...
... in particular this window, in our B&B hotel room in the old town.
My favourite bronze statue in a town with a fair number of them. This outside a church on rue St-Jean which has been turned into public library.

The Quebec Report

For this year's Canadian League of Poet's Annual General Meeting (which takes place in Edmonton -- and I'll be there), one of my little tasks as the League's Quebec Rep was to write a report on what went on in the province poetry-wise since last the last AGM. It will be included in the League newsletter.

In writing this draft, one of my chief aims was to relate the news without becoming too smarmy. Smarminess is a major pitfall in this sort of tribute-making. I also deliberately included news of a number of considerable Quebec anglo poets who are not, at the present time, LCP members; this to provide a more complete picture and prevent an excess of self-congratulatory insularity; in other words, more smarminess.

For those who are not interested in our provincial scene (which actually means, but for a brief escapade at the Festival de la Poesie de Trois Rivieres, the city of Montreal, or rather a certain Anglo town within it about the size of London, Ontario) I suggest you scroll down. But just skimming through the names makes for quite an impressive litany of literary production-- just a small indication of how absolutely fecund, telluric, and pullulating this corner of the world is. (See? I've fallen into it already. No, I must keep my guard.)

To look up any of the LCP members mentioned below, most of their bios and links can be found in this member's list.

NEWS FROM QUEBEC

by Brian Campbell

This year saw plenty of productivity on the part of Quebec LCP members and other poets. Clearly, Anglo literary publication does not falter dans la belle province. English language spoken word and poetry readings also continue to make vital contributions to Quebec’s cultural scene.

This past year, Stephanie Bolster published two chapbooks: Past The Roman Arena And The Cedar Of Lebanon with Delirium Press and Biodöme with above/ground press. Her first GG’s award winning book, White Stone: The Alice Poems will appear in French with Les Editions du Noroït in Autumn 2007, translated by Daniel Canty.

Compromis, the translation by Florence Buathier of Maxianne Berger’s How We Negotiate, was published by Écrits des forges in October.

Last October also saw the publication and launch of the anthology Freedom: In Support of Prisoners of Conscience, edited by Endre Farkas, Elias Letelier and Carolyn Marie Souaid. FREEDOM includes Canada’s poet laureate Pauline Michel, former laureate George Bowering, Carolyn Marie Souaid, Endre Farkas, Elias Letelier, Geoffrey Cook, Jorge Etcheverry, Katherine Beeman, and Caesar Castellio. For more information, see www.poetas.com

Catherine Kidd launched a new dvd/book 'Bipolar Bear' this past November. This year also saw the publication of her long-awaited novel, Missing the Ark (conundum press, Montreal), launched at this April’s Blue Metropolis festival.

Bryan Sentes came out with his second trade edition, Ladonian Magnitudes, at the end of last year (DC Books).

Brian Campbell – it feels strange to refer to myself in the third person -- launched his translation of Francisco Santos’ Undressing the Night: Selected Poems (Editorial Lunes: Costa Rica) this June. Santos is a Nicaraguan poet who lives in Toronto. The book is also being launched at this year’s AGM.

Erin Mouré published her fifteenth collection, O Cadoiro (House of Anansi, 2007.)

Carolyn Zonailo published her new book, the moon with mars in her arms, (the title is all lower case), with Ekstasis Editions in Victoria, BC, and placed her literary papers at Simon Fraser University.

Stephen Morrissey continues to publish on-line chapbooks at www.coraclepress.com and has several new titles on the site, including associate member Claudia Morrison’s The Rhythm of Loss.

Fortner Anderson launched two mini-cd’s, He sings and six silk purses, which have tracked well on campus radio.

Montreal-based DC Books, which prominently features poetry in its publishing lists, celebrated its 20^th Anniversary with a reading/launch at April’s Blue Metropolis Festival. Poets featured were Todd Swift (who launched his fourth poetry collection, Winter Tennis, at this event) and Jason Camlot, whose New and Selected Poems was launched a month earlier.

Other prominent Quebec-based poets who produced books over the past year included David Solway, whose Reaching for Clear: The Poetry of Rhys Savarin adds to his translations, Ann Diamond who published a novel called Static Control, and Susan Elmslie, whose I, Nadja and Other Poems (Brick Books) won the Quebec Writer’s Federation 2006 A.M. Klein Award for Poetry.

Kelly Norah Drukker, a recently-joined associate member, was the 2^nd place winner of the 2006 CBC Literary Award for Poetry. Yours truly (Brian Campbell) was a finalist for said award.

On the reading scene, the Atwater Poetry Project featured, among others, Ray Hsu, Gail Scott, and Fred Wah.

The Poetry and Prose Reading series (at Montreal’s Yellow Door and, on occasion, the Visual Arts Centre) continued apace, every month on the first Thursday of each month. Quebec members featured there included Anne Cimon, Carole Marie Souaid, Claudia Morrison, Joshua Auerbach, Geoffry Cook, Carolyn Zonailo, Kelly Nora Drukker. Out-of-province members included Catherine Owen and rob mclennan…

With Ilona Martonfi, the host of that series, Carolyn Zonailo organizes Lovers and Others reading series, now in its sixth or seventh year. This year it was at O'Regans Pub on Bishop in Montreal.

Words and Music, Montreal’s spoken word nexus, also continued to spotlight some of Quebec’s hottest talents. Most evenings were hosted by Ian Ferrier. Catherine Kidd, Fortner Anderson and ex-member Asa Boxer, were among the many poets and spoken word artists featured.

Carolyn Marie Souaid was particularly active this year. She & Endre Farkas collaborated to produce the radio poem "Blood is Blood" which was aired on CBC Radio One's Outfront on December 18^th. Carolyn was also featured in the Quebec Writer’s Federation “Writer’s Out Loud” series in the month of September. She, along with Maxianne Berger and Rae Marie Taylor, also read in Trois-Rivières for the 22nd Festival internationale de la poésie, in October.

The League of Canadian Poets (W)Rites of Spring reading/fundraiser at Montreal’s Depanneur Café was the first of its sort in Quebec in a few years. It was a small but joyous event, attracting an audience of 18 (including the 9 performers: on croit à l’egalité!) and raising after expenses $60 for the league. Featured readers included Kelly Norah Drukker, Maxianne Berger, Brian Campbell, Stephen Morrissey, Carolyn Zonailo, Ian Ferrier, and Jennifer Boire. Paul Serralheiro (jazz guitar) provided the music and backup for Mr. Ferrier. Special thanks go to Maxianne, who set up the evening for me while I made an emergency trip to a medical clinic.

The saddest news I have to relate is the passing of Artie Gold, author of a number of remarkable collections including City Flowers, Before Romantic Words, and his selected The Beautiful Chemical Waltz. A memorial reading packed Montreal’s Word bookstore this April. The benefit for me is that I discovered a brilliant poet I wish I had known when he was alive. For a touching memoir, see Stephen Morrissey’s Remembering Artie Gold at www.coraclepress.com

Some hopeful news on the Alzheimer's front. Some interesting confirmation, too, on the regenerative powers of a stimulating environment.

My own father, though, is probably too far gone to benefit: he is unable to verbalize anymore, and has to be fed by orderlies. Fortunately, Toronto's Sunnybrooke Veteran's Hospital is an excellent facility, and like the other veterans there (he served on the front lines in WWII) he is treated with respect.