Man, brilliant connections in this article which is alive with intersection. Thanks for putting the time into this and sharing it.
On short poems with big hit count: makes sense as social-media's negative impact on our ability to sustain long form reading. Short poems appeal to short attention spans. Yet, as you well express there is more virtue to a small poem than this current cultural mishap. I read haiku daily and often read only one or two a day to let them grow in me; which speaks to the largeness of a tiny poem that you mention.
On drawing like a child and on erasure: one of the reasons I primarily draw direct with ink is to avoid reliance on erasure. This causes me to pay better attention and to be freer and to learn to welcome the 'mistakes'. It also, flat out, reminds me of being a kid drawing and how alive to myself I felt then. Discovery lines left in, lines another might erase are surprisingly informative, even beautiful. Non erased lines are music for this non musician. They also speak to a before-time, before outer and inner critics rule, before self doubt, before un-self-awareness. And, they serve as a reminder that everything matters.
On writing tiny poems: I do. I'm unschooled and will not be mistaken for a 'real' poet any day soon. It's just that, it is a way for me to process and express. The can be like a simple sketch, a line drawing, a doodled note to be pinned to the fridge or left on the counter. Short poems demand an economy of expression (not evident in this comment LOL) which demands attention and crushes preciousness because some words or phrase or entire lines must be killed off to ensure what needs to be said is said. I love the phrase, tiny poems. It 'erases' pretense. I'd not come across it before. Did that internet search thing and wow, it's a Thing.
Drawing, writing tiny poems, sharing them in some public form or just privately as with journal writing - why do it? The answer can't be any better than what that one kid said, "When you make yourself so you don’t forget yourself."
Devin, I don’t know where else to put this: I have read many of your essays on running, endurance, dysmorphia and was reminded of them while reading this essay in Granta today: Endurance by
Maartje Scheltens. I could not figure out how to link it, it hope you will make effort to find it. Beautifully written, with musical accompaniment if you so desire. I aspire to her writing, as well as yours.
Ironically, and/or quite to the point, I read the poem and felt quite satisfied, then eyeballed the long scroll of prose that followed and thought to myself, “tldr, move along,” but then started reading and got pleasantly drawn in. I’m still only halfway through it. Will I go back and finish the whole thing? Possibly, probably!
You should send this to the school, so Tyler and his friends can see what you did of them.
Man, brilliant connections in this article which is alive with intersection. Thanks for putting the time into this and sharing it.
On short poems with big hit count: makes sense as social-media's negative impact on our ability to sustain long form reading. Short poems appeal to short attention spans. Yet, as you well express there is more virtue to a small poem than this current cultural mishap. I read haiku daily and often read only one or two a day to let them grow in me; which speaks to the largeness of a tiny poem that you mention.
On drawing like a child and on erasure: one of the reasons I primarily draw direct with ink is to avoid reliance on erasure. This causes me to pay better attention and to be freer and to learn to welcome the 'mistakes'. It also, flat out, reminds me of being a kid drawing and how alive to myself I felt then. Discovery lines left in, lines another might erase are surprisingly informative, even beautiful. Non erased lines are music for this non musician. They also speak to a before-time, before outer and inner critics rule, before self doubt, before un-self-awareness. And, they serve as a reminder that everything matters.
On writing tiny poems: I do. I'm unschooled and will not be mistaken for a 'real' poet any day soon. It's just that, it is a way for me to process and express. The can be like a simple sketch, a line drawing, a doodled note to be pinned to the fridge or left on the counter. Short poems demand an economy of expression (not evident in this comment LOL) which demands attention and crushes preciousness because some words or phrase or entire lines must be killed off to ensure what needs to be said is said. I love the phrase, tiny poems. It 'erases' pretense. I'd not come across it before. Did that internet search thing and wow, it's a Thing.
Drawing, writing tiny poems, sharing them in some public form or just privately as with journal writing - why do it? The answer can't be any better than what that one kid said, "When you make yourself so you don’t forget yourself."
May you thrive,
It is no small thing, your nourishing words. Thank you, over and over.
Devin, I don’t know where else to put this: I have read many of your essays on running, endurance, dysmorphia and was reminded of them while reading this essay in Granta today: Endurance by
Maartje Scheltens. I could not figure out how to link it, it hope you will make effort to find it. Beautifully written, with musical accompaniment if you so desire. I aspire to her writing, as well as yours.
Peace,
Liza
Ironically, and/or quite to the point, I read the poem and felt quite satisfied, then eyeballed the long scroll of prose that followed and thought to myself, “tldr, move along,” but then started reading and got pleasantly drawn in. I’m still only halfway through it. Will I go back and finish the whole thing? Possibly, probably!