Recently in Poetry [by Amy Lawless]

“‎It’s yeah, it’s an understatement, you know it’s. I’m sorry man I got magic and I got poetry at my fingertips most of the time and this includes naps."   -Charlie Sheen

 

I’ve been thinking a lot about the VIDA count and Eileen Myles' amazing essay in The Awl.  

 

Specifically these lines from the Myles essay:

 

"But here’s the actual problem. If the poetry world celebrated its female stars at the true level of their productivity and influence poetry would wind up being a largely female world and the men would leave. Poetry would not seem to be the job for them. I think that’s the fear. Losing daddy again! Plus women always need to support, I mean actively support male work in order to dispense with the revolting suggestion that they are feminists."

I have realized for some time that many of the books I buy are written by men or boys.  Why is that? I suppose didn’t want to seem like I’m a pussy myself.  I suppose I wanted to be taken seriously as a poet – not a female poet. This is an ugly realization that I am proud to express. It should not be “revolting” to be a feminist.

I was also thinking a lot about this poem/blog post that Ariana Reines wrote on her blog after AWP – I can’t find it now so I can’t link to it. [Found it: click here.] Ariana is a totally fearless writer who I’m sure many of you love already. She was hungover on a bus (or at least that was the voice she was using in the poem/blog), and she discussed all kinds of amazing things, but one of them was how males have very little problem talking themselves up, especially at a place like a writer’s conference.  “Here’s what I’ve done.  Here’s where I published. Here.  Look. Look at me!  Acknowledge I exist.”

At AWP, I was pretty much too shy to talk to anyone I didn’t know already, which is a huge shame because I’m a raconteur.  What Ariana and Eileen have to say really touch me. 

 

That giant spider is the female.  That little spider is the male.  Now I don’t think we will or can stop supporting all the male poets we love.  But perhaps we can support each other—more.   It’s not ugly to be a female poet. 

Is the following ugly?:  Three weeks ago I was PMSing REALLY BADLY and I lay in bed watching “The Kids Are All Right” on my laptop SOBBING.  Total chick movie.  Total Hollywood.  My uterine lining was dying to shed. (Is that gross or is it just the truth?) Somewhere, some executive knew that that movie would appeal to intelligent women. Why should I be ashamed of my experience?  Why should I keep that a secret?  It’s the truth.  It’s my wound. Hey look at it.  I exist. Look at this!  It’s not standing in the corner at a reading with three guys wearing outfits that are all the same talking about how cool we are.    

 

 

The truth is, when I woke up this morning, I wanted to write a blog post for Best American Poetry about CHARLIE SHEEN AND JAMES FRANCO.  Then I was tooling around the internet trying to gear up and have something hilarious to say, and all the sudden I’m reading Akilah Oliver poems and feeling differently.  Here’s a woman who I didn’t know, but had heard of. And now she has died.  She is no longer a member of the We Who Are Here Now.  I don’t know the circumstances of her death. But look a woman of color who was also an exciting experimental poet has passed on. Take a moment. 

What right do I have to the patriarchy and to the matriarchy to blog about two already-famous men?  I mean I’m still going to blog about them, but why do I have to do it first?  Why not think about women poets?

 

 

 

Comments

[D. Oliver]

I have realized for some time that many of the books I buy are written by men or boys. Why is that? I suppose didn’t want to seem like I’m a pussy myself. I suppose I wanted to be taken seriously as a poet – not a female poet.

Did you truly buy the books for this reason? Or is it possible that there's something about a male voice, or a male frame of mind inserted into something poetic, that is...forgive this...ultimately stronger on the page? I think your answer might lie in this:

males have very little problem talking themselves up, especially at a place like a writer’s conference. “Here’s what I’ve done. Here’s where I published. Here. Look. Look at me! Acknowledge I exist.”

At AWP, I was pretty much too shy to talk to anyone I didn’t know already, which is a huge shame because I’m a raconteur.

We're both generalizing, but men tend to be more unapologetic for not only what they've done - but who they are. You can find weakness on the page as easily as you can in person. So perhaps this strength of self is cause for gravitation towards the male voice, and the male - unapologetic - experience.

[Amy Lawless]

You make very good points! Thanks for the comment.

[William Blake]

I love generalizations about men
but only when I make them.
I love generalizations about women
but only when I make them.

[Peter Harter]

I'm dedicated to my own aesthetic in poetry, and I search out poetry that I think is good. I've noticed that the female poets I like have a sort of masculinity in their voice. I think what I find so compelling about JMH's poems is her unabashed intelligence. Many people study history and are awed and made small by it. She's like a smart boy in math class. Willing even to make a mistake if only it be her own.

Now that poetry in America has mostly a feminine audience, poets are subject to the tastes of that audience. One thing that is out of style in poetry is for a man to express his sexuality in masculine terms. Visit Billy Collins. To become acceptable to his audience he has had to bleach his poems of masculine sexuality--like a poodle that's been fixed--he has cultured his work to a feminine sensibility. Any man who attempts to write love poems must do so only in the most feminine terms (Yusef Komunyakaa).

Contrarily, it is perfectly acceptable for a female poet to express sexuality in masculine terms. For this reason, Adrienne Rich wrote heroic masculine love poems which are lovely and even noble.

The last man I can think of who wrote honestly about sex from a masculine perspective was Irving Layton. Women hate his work or ignore it.

[D. Oliver]

I'm not sure any of the male poets I read express themselves with a feminine sensibility, but perhaps a masculinity removed of aggression. I hate reading Collins, but mainly because he's boring, not because of a feminine voice.

Thanks for bringing up Layton, though. I've never read him, but now I'm certainly going to. Any works you'd recommend to start?

[Peter Harter]

The easiest book by Irving Layton to find is "Fornalutx." Its his selected works. I find that he included a lot of very difficult works in this. He is much more accessible than this collection makes him appear, but his folios and full volume books are out of print, rare, and collectible. One of his best books, and most famous, is "The Improved Binoculars." You might be able to get a copy through an interlibrary loan. Good luck. Layton is very important to post modern Canadian lit. and studies in masculinity, and is one of my very favorite poets.

[Peter Harter]

You can sample some Layton on google books: Fornalutx: selected poems, 1928-1990
By Irving Layton

[D. Oliver]

Thanks much, Peter.