08-21-2023, 11:37 AM
Imagine that I wanted to make a movie full of 90's pop culture references that others may or may not get. Should I not make that movie because not everyone will get every reference? Surely a well done movie would have something to offer even if folks didn't get each and every reference.
Can I tell you a story? I had a piece here once that I would point to as a good representation of my overall aesthetic. I tried and tried to revise it because I had people badgering me that they weren't 'getting the point,' 'couldn't find the meaning,' as if poetry has a Point, Meaning, Truth, Answers...all the capital letters. My poetry is intended to introduce a scene or the framework of a story (and it's not important that every reference be grasped to take something away) -- it's snapshots, it's impressions, not explication. There is meaning, but not one single meaning that, if you don't get that singular meaning, then you've failed or the author has failed. At any rate, I revised this particular poem to absolute death over the objections of others because I believed that I had to reach every single reader or I had failed my job as an author. I tried to make up story lines out of nowhere (that never existed to begin with) but it didn't work, and I almost destroyed the poem in the process. Finally, Leanne told me that it was a good poem and locked it in a cabinet where I couldn't destroy it.
My pieces aren't riddles, didactic, or rhetoric. There's really no way to fail as a reader when you come to my poems other than to get frustrated that there's no singular point. If I've done my job, I've created a world where you can touch things, play around, look around and wonder. That's a successful poem for me. There's no reason to feel stupid or dejected if you don't "get the point" because there's no one single meaning. It's a snapshot to facilitate the imaginative wanderings of the reader.
I don't belong in this forum if people are not interested in this kind of poetry. No hard feelings, but we will part ways. I will meet you in your aesthetic if I know what it is. I will help you try to achieve your own goals on your own terms. I welcome people to talk about what good poetry is for you so that I know how to help you. For instance, I would never badger Mark to include more layers of complexity or add a little mystery to his writing because I know that it's not his style.
I am an intentional author who doesn't just slap something that I wrote on the back of a napkin and then put it into serious, full of half-baked thoughts and typos. People can help me edit by telling me what is working for them and why or I can't revise.
This is not aimed at anyone in particular. It's how I've been feeling since I got here, and it's just now coming to a head because I'm at an inflection point. Writing is a solitary activity, and I need companionship along the way. I recognize that people might hate me from the 'before times,' or think I'm an un-talented, overly precious drama queen. Many people have come to this conclusion. What I want more than anything from this forum is to be well read, and I would do the same for you.
Anyway, this is a lot, so I thank you for your time.
Lizzie
Can I tell you a story? I had a piece here once that I would point to as a good representation of my overall aesthetic. I tried and tried to revise it because I had people badgering me that they weren't 'getting the point,' 'couldn't find the meaning,' as if poetry has a Point, Meaning, Truth, Answers...all the capital letters. My poetry is intended to introduce a scene or the framework of a story (and it's not important that every reference be grasped to take something away) -- it's snapshots, it's impressions, not explication. There is meaning, but not one single meaning that, if you don't get that singular meaning, then you've failed or the author has failed. At any rate, I revised this particular poem to absolute death over the objections of others because I believed that I had to reach every single reader or I had failed my job as an author. I tried to make up story lines out of nowhere (that never existed to begin with) but it didn't work, and I almost destroyed the poem in the process. Finally, Leanne told me that it was a good poem and locked it in a cabinet where I couldn't destroy it.
My pieces aren't riddles, didactic, or rhetoric. There's really no way to fail as a reader when you come to my poems other than to get frustrated that there's no singular point. If I've done my job, I've created a world where you can touch things, play around, look around and wonder. That's a successful poem for me. There's no reason to feel stupid or dejected if you don't "get the point" because there's no one single meaning. It's a snapshot to facilitate the imaginative wanderings of the reader.
I don't belong in this forum if people are not interested in this kind of poetry. No hard feelings, but we will part ways. I will meet you in your aesthetic if I know what it is. I will help you try to achieve your own goals on your own terms. I welcome people to talk about what good poetry is for you so that I know how to help you. For instance, I would never badger Mark to include more layers of complexity or add a little mystery to his writing because I know that it's not his style.
I am an intentional author who doesn't just slap something that I wrote on the back of a napkin and then put it into serious, full of half-baked thoughts and typos. People can help me edit by telling me what is working for them and why or I can't revise.
This is not aimed at anyone in particular. It's how I've been feeling since I got here, and it's just now coming to a head because I'm at an inflection point. Writing is a solitary activity, and I need companionship along the way. I recognize that people might hate me from the 'before times,' or think I'm an un-talented, overly precious drama queen. Many people have come to this conclusion. What I want more than anything from this forum is to be well read, and I would do the same for you.
Anyway, this is a lot, so I thank you for your time.
Lizzie