World Class Poetry Blog

Aaaaah - Around The Literary Blogosphere (A Carnival)
27 November 2007, the poet @ 8:25 pm

While reading my favorite blogs and news stories the last couple of days, I’ve noticed there are quite a few noticeable notables. I’d just like to mention a few:

First, the names of the Best New Poets of 2007 have finally been published. Publishers are beginning to take nominations for 2008.

The Virginia Quarterly Review clues us in on the submission review process. Yesterday on VQR: Gore, Bush, and tete-a-tetes.

The 50 Books/50 Covers competition.

Sally Vickers praises Paul Muldoon’s The End of the Poem.

Ron Silliman on Jean Valentine. As usual, Silliman is exacting in his analysis. If I could choose a critic of my poetry, I’d want it to be Silliman.

Howard Junker on Absinthe.

Nancy Breen shares how (and how not to) submit greeting card verse.

John Hewitt updates us on the status of his novel.

The New York Times lists the 100 notable books of 2007, including Time and Materials by former poet laureate Robert Hass. Any idea how many more are books of poetry?

Jim Harrison talks about Charles Bukowski.

An interview with the woman who wonders What Is This Thing Called Love?

There are still poets against the war. Really?

W.S. Merwin, 80 and still going strong.

The Kenyon Review announces two winners of Pushcart Prizes. “Bicameral” by Linda Gregerson and “War Lullaby” by Meghan O’Rourke, which is simply fabulous. O’Rourke writes for Slate.

Yesterday, KR blew me away with a brilliant critical analysis on the state of the book review in American culture. Noting that many daily newspapers that once published book reviews now do not, or have cut the space allotted for such reviews, the market response has been to make us all reviewers. Amazon allows anyone and everyone to post reviews of books, but are those reviews reliable? You can vote on the reviews to let the reviewer, Amazon, and everyone else know whether certain reviews helped you or not. Personally, I miss the days when experts who can speak the language of form gave us an intelligible defense of their biases. They may not have been perfect - can you say “haughty culture?” - but at least they were informative and stimulating, unlike those Amazon reviews, which can often be scathing and lacking in depth or meaning. Yes, the way we give (and receive) reviews have changed, but that doesn’t mean we should surrender.

Speaking of reviews, if you have a book or a chapbook that you’d like reviewed for the eyes of thousands, let me know. Like Joan Didion, if I like it I’ll review it. If I don’t then I won’t mention it. How much more fair can I be?

Finally, Deborah Ager at 32 Poems shared links to the art work of Ron Mueck. These sculptures are absolutely stunning.

And now, your thoughts?

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