http://www.closecallswithnonsense.com/2009/06/30/positive-and-negative/ A poetry blog by Stephen Burt Fri, 23 Jul 2010 04:29:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 http://www.closecallswithnonsense.com/2009/06/30/positive-and-negative/comment-page-1/#comment-234 Donald Brown Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:25:19 +0000 http://www.closecallswithnonsense.com/?p=114#comment-234 Interesting, the comparison to Sexton, a poet I dislike, whereas Seidel (so far) does amuse me (I'd never compare him to Dante or Baudelaire, "merely" Lowell and Eliot). But I think one thing Mlinka leaves out of the account of why he appeals to people who don't read much poetry is: because if his poems are 'confessional,' they're confessional of a life that's interesting and 'shocking' to read about, unlike most poets who spend all their poems talking about a) their lives and family, b) what they've been reading, c) local flora and fauna, d) places they've traveled to. The best thing about Seidel is that his poems don't reek of the writing circle, the MFA crit, the cribbed from the poet we should all try to sound like. Actually, he reminds me of Bukowski, which is not intended as a slam, though it could be. Interesting, the comparison to Sexton, a poet I dislike, whereas Seidel (so far) does amuse me (I’d never compare him to Dante or Baudelaire, “merely” Lowell and Eliot). But I think one thing Mlinka leaves out of the account of why he appeals to people who don’t read much poetry is: because if his poems are ‘confessional,’ they’re confessional of a life that’s interesting and ’shocking’ to read about, unlike most poets who spend all their poems talking about a) their lives and family, b) what they’ve been reading, c) local flora and fauna, d) places they’ve traveled to. The best thing about Seidel is that his poems don’t reek of the writing circle, the MFA crit, the cribbed from the poet we should all try to sound like. Actually, he reminds me of Bukowski, which is not intended as a slam, though it could be.

]]> http://www.closecallswithnonsense.com/2009/06/30/positive-and-negative/comment-page-1/#comment-233 christopher Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:29:57 +0000 http://www.closecallswithnonsense.com/?p=114#comment-233 I'm really looking forward to Doug's posts! I’m really looking forward to Doug’s posts!

]]>