A Writer's Notebook, Day Two-Hundred-And-Ninety-Seven
This morning, I had a bit of trouble with my inspiration, but I did get two poems written, and this evening I wrote at least one that I quite like. The other is cute, but fairly simple and silly. That has value, certainly, but it is a minor sort of piece, and that is fine. The other, however, I think is something I've been trying to crack for a long time, and I feel quite good about it.
It is a poem that is largely about grief, and it takes cues from a number of works I admire greatly, in particular "The Day Lady Died" by Frank O'Hara, and "The River Merchant's Wife, A Letter" by Li Po, via the Pound translation. Those are both poems that use a certain way of describing internal experience via the details that are shared, which is largely the technique I am following in the new piece. I think it is quite effective, though it is still a first draft.
In addition to that, I also did a bunch more work on my second chapbook, including coming up with a whole list of new titles, and working on the order again. I think that I might have a good sense of how to put the book together, now. It is a much more somber collection than the first one, but I think the work I selected to include are resonant in a way that makes them a cohesive whole. This book has a much more serious undertone, and I think it is a set of poems that have a strong contemporary resonance. Many of the pieces are political, to some degree, and others are about grief and loss, but I also include a number of poems that are positive, and even those that are not often are attempting to point towards an alternative. I feel that the arch of the book moves towards something positive, or at least a bit hopeful. Indeed, the second to last poem is largely a metaphor about how their is always hope, and the last is kind of an after-note, in a way, as it is literally about an encore at a jazz concert. It is, I think, an effective way to close out the book that ends it on a note of possibility.
I still have much more work to do in terms of getting that manuscript finalized. I do have several titles that I came up with, some of which I think are quite good, though I want to be sure I pick a title that will fit the collection. The title is a sort of promise, or at least it is a signpost of a kind, relating to what the reader will discover within. While some of the titles on my list may be very good, they may not fit with the collection as a whole, or might have the wrong sense about them. In making the choice, I want to be offering potential readers an enticement, and one that is based upon what the book will actually provide. It is no good to have a reader pick up the book because of the title and then find that it is nothing they expected or want. Of course, the title does not need to reflect all the poems, but it sets a stage, and that means it needs to at least reflect the book overall.
As well, I am still doing some small work to revise a few of the poems. I found a few places, as I was reviewing the work to consider possible titles (I am using lines from individual poems, a common technique, and one that avoids naming the book after a certain poem, which puts a lot of pressure on that single piece) where things could be clarified slightly, or where the music needs a boost. It is mostly small issues, but I plan to do a bunch of that work tomorrow. All in all, I feel that it is coming together well and I am eager to finish and send out the manuscript.
It is a poem that is largely about grief, and it takes cues from a number of works I admire greatly, in particular "The Day Lady Died" by Frank O'Hara, and "The River Merchant's Wife, A Letter" by Li Po, via the Pound translation. Those are both poems that use a certain way of describing internal experience via the details that are shared, which is largely the technique I am following in the new piece. I think it is quite effective, though it is still a first draft.
In addition to that, I also did a bunch more work on my second chapbook, including coming up with a whole list of new titles, and working on the order again. I think that I might have a good sense of how to put the book together, now. It is a much more somber collection than the first one, but I think the work I selected to include are resonant in a way that makes them a cohesive whole. This book has a much more serious undertone, and I think it is a set of poems that have a strong contemporary resonance. Many of the pieces are political, to some degree, and others are about grief and loss, but I also include a number of poems that are positive, and even those that are not often are attempting to point towards an alternative. I feel that the arch of the book moves towards something positive, or at least a bit hopeful. Indeed, the second to last poem is largely a metaphor about how their is always hope, and the last is kind of an after-note, in a way, as it is literally about an encore at a jazz concert. It is, I think, an effective way to close out the book that ends it on a note of possibility.
I still have much more work to do in terms of getting that manuscript finalized. I do have several titles that I came up with, some of which I think are quite good, though I want to be sure I pick a title that will fit the collection. The title is a sort of promise, or at least it is a signpost of a kind, relating to what the reader will discover within. While some of the titles on my list may be very good, they may not fit with the collection as a whole, or might have the wrong sense about them. In making the choice, I want to be offering potential readers an enticement, and one that is based upon what the book will actually provide. It is no good to have a reader pick up the book because of the title and then find that it is nothing they expected or want. Of course, the title does not need to reflect all the poems, but it sets a stage, and that means it needs to at least reflect the book overall.
As well, I am still doing some small work to revise a few of the poems. I found a few places, as I was reviewing the work to consider possible titles (I am using lines from individual poems, a common technique, and one that avoids naming the book after a certain poem, which puts a lot of pressure on that single piece) where things could be clarified slightly, or where the music needs a boost. It is mostly small issues, but I plan to do a bunch of that work tomorrow. All in all, I feel that it is coming together well and I am eager to finish and send out the manuscript.
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