Palmu on the Couriers
Brian Palmu has reviewed Peter Richardson's recent book Sympathy for the Couriers in a very unorthodox manner: he goes thru the book poem by poem, giving us a paragraph or two on each. Lately, I'm so much more interested in talking about individual poems than collections; I guess this is one way to do both. Peter's poems deserve the attention and don't get it nearly enough, in my biased opinion. He got his start as a published poet late in the game, but he's miles ahead of most of his contemporaries, never mind mine. And related to the Birney quote I posted in my last entry, he spent a career as an Air Canada ramp hand. Maybe working for a living is good for poetry...
3 comments:
The question isn't 'working for a living' Zach. There isn't a poet in the country who doesn't 'work for a living.' They don't make their money writing poems that's for sure. The question is what they do. Most poets earn their living in academia or teaching school. Some from writing in other venues. There is an argument to be made that such 'ivory tower' jobs removes poets from the mainstream and distances them from the concerns and sensibilities of regular joes and janes which is ultmately bad for poetry-making, making it something esotheric, and generating an audience that is specialized. Perhaps what's missing from poetry is the friction that comes from trying to reconcile the two opposing spheres of a hardscrabble day-job (doctor, banker, insurance executive, farmer, baggage handler, rent-collector,) and the lofty pursuit of art.
Good timing, Glen--see Jason's comment on the Earl Birney quote, posted 15 minutes before yours!
Better said.
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