The dynamic lecture Tara Betts delivered at AWP14 in Seattle, “Life is Good: How hip-hop channels duende,” is now up at Poetry. Betts beautifully weaves details from her personal life, hip-hop culture and lyrics, and quotations from Lorca on duende into a poignant affirmation on life (facing death) and the power of art. When I consider duende and hip-hop, I see … Continue reading
Category Archives: Poetry Pairings
Poems in Conversation
Linda Pastan’s “Why Are Your Poems So Dark” Isn’t the moon dark too, most of the time? and Jack Gilbert’s “A Brief for the Defense” We must admit there will be music despite everything. I met a friend for coffee a couple of weeks ago. The discussion began with us sharing our guilt over enjoying things … Continue reading
Poetry Pairing: Secret Lives
It’s no secret that Stephen Dunn’s poem “A Secret Life” is a favorite of mine. Why you need to have one is not much more mysterious than why you don’t say what you think at the birth of an ugly baby. A recent Newsweek article reveals Gabriel García Márquez’s secret muse and shares the following about the … Continue reading
Poetry Pairing: Forms of Precipitation
The stunning essay “Rain” by Peter Kline in Ploughshares made me think of Mary Ruefle’s poem “Snow,” as both are electric and ripe with sensuality. Both make me wish for rain or snow–I wouldn’t discriminate. And like Peter Kline, because I reside in a city where both rain and snow are scarce, I would be lacking in the appropriate … Continue reading
Poetry Pairing: The Babies and Prose Poems
It’s the first day of National Poetry Day, so what better day than today to post a new poetry pairing? I’ve been devouring everything I can find about prose poems lately. I’ve been writing a lot of them, too. A couple of weeks ago, I asked people to share their favorite prose poems on Twitter, … Continue reading
