Oxford Book of American Poetry (1 Viewer)

nymark

nymark

In yesterday's New York Times book review of The Oxford Book of American Poetry (1,132 pages, for Christ's sake!), the reviewer, a "poet and critic," states: "It's simply madness to reduce John Berryman to half a dozen pages and Randall Jarrell to 5 (scanting his great war poems), while lavishing 8 on Charles Bukowski and 10 on James Schuyler.

Well that may be true, but I and many others care a hell of a lot more about Bukowski than Berryman.
 
Not to mention that Bukowski has been neglected by these poetry collection editors for so many years or given short shrift while the Berrymans and Jarrells have been overemphasized. Do you know who edited this one? I can guarantee you that if it had been an American anthology (American publisher and editor), Berryman and Jarrell would have gotten the space over Bukowski. Bukowski always threatened our cadre of academic poet egotists who never could create work that connected with the people the way Bukowski's did. And those are the ones who edit the American collections.
 
more info [in brackets the book where each poem was published]:
-my old man [in Love Is]
-freaky time [in Last Night]
-comments on my last book of poesy [in What Matters]
-me against the world [in Betting]
-so you want to be a writer [in Sifting]

does it say anything to you that only two of the selected poems were originally published when B was alive?
 
Only that the posthumous stuff is more out there in book stores and in libraries right now. I think that the European academics and Lehman is an English one I think have always appreciated Bukowski more. It's funny how the capatalistic, competitive mentality is so evident in our halls of academia even in the ones that are so called "leftist".
 
nymark said:
In yesterday's New York Times book review of The Oxford Book of American Poetry (1,132 pages, for Christ's sake!), the reviewer, a "poet and critic," states: "It's simply madness to reduce John Berryman to half a dozen pages and Randall Jarrell to 5 (scanting his great war poems), while lavishing 8 on Charles Bukowski and 10 on James Schuyler.

Well that may be true, but I and many others care a hell of a lot more about Bukowski than Berryman.
Click to expand...

Damn right -

"simply madness" would be devoting less than 8 pages to Buk
 
mark
i have little time to read poetry - i have less time to write - i love both - so i listen to bukowski cds and scribble notes to be given life as time allows...if i wasted what precious resource at my disposal reading the 'intellectuals' and their drival...well - it would be a waste...

vinden pacific
rrat
 
911

MarkDB said:
Only that the posthumous
stuff is more out there in book stores and in libraries
right now....
Click to expand...

I think Bukowski's early stuff scares some
stores or libraries because they may have heard
of its recurring raw but honest sexuality, and
they're not ready for it (though I see that
condition subject to change because of the
demand). Instead they stock the posthumous
editions, as if B. never wrote anything before
1990 and was house-broken as a boy by a
nun. . . Boy, are some readers in for a surprise
when, like a cannon buried in flowers, they stumble
into the real thing from the 60s and 70s"”I hope
they have their smelling salts handy and can dial
911 with either hand, or use their pecker, tit or
nose. ;-)

Poptop.
 
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Only Berryman poem I like:

Huffy Henry hid the day,

unappeasable Henry sulked.

I see his point,--a trying to put things over.

It was the thought that they thought

they could do it made Henry wicked & away.

But he should have come out and talked.



All the world like a woolen lover

once did seem on Henry's side.

Then came a departure.

Thereafter nothing fell out as it might or ought.

I don't see how Henry, pried

open for all the world to see, survived.



What he has now to say is a long

wonder the world can bear & be.

Once in a sycamore I was glad

all at the top, and I sang.

Hard on the land wears the strong sea

and empty grows every bed.


---Keep Buk a secret
that's what i say!
 
Berryman

....I don't see how Henry, pried

open for all the world to see, survived.
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting this, Olaf, you must be feeling
better... I have only a smattering of background
on Berryman, but it sounds like "Henry" is him. The
tragedy is that "Henry" survives
but, ultimately, Berryman doesn't because of suicide
"”the difference between hope and reality. Maybe
writing the poem added a few days to his tortured
life. G-d bless the poets.

Once in a sycamore I was glad

all at the top, and I sang.

Hard on the land wears the strong sea

and empty grows every bed.
Click to expand...

The old poet, the tree and the sea"”beautiful,
earthy lines. May Berryman rest in peace.
 
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No worth breaking into a sweat

These kinds of anthologies remind me of the Oscars and Grammies: the ones you think are truly worthy of the win seldom get it"”that is if they are even nominated at all"”a completely worthless endeavor and behind the times by 100 light years or more. You have to find the geniuses on your own or accept what the so-called editor-experts hand you as good... yeah, good for maybe a few flashing minutes of a read, but not for a life-time of entertainment, wisdom and pleasure, like with the B.
 
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berryman was a flawed man and a very interesting poet. if you have the time. i mean - he swerves and bounces and jumps up and down. you need to be a little bit ahead of him - which might not seem too hard but - then - suddenly it is. yes. i dont know. hes up there - as far as im concerned - with jeffers, lowell (robert) and hart crane (a little further back - but - man - that bastard could turn on the juice - ) and dont fergit james wright - and fuck robert bly of course. and fuck everyone else, ok? if you havnt read DREAM SONGS - you should - right before going to bed - a little drunk - would help - why not?

paul the drunkest drun around
 

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