Deborah, I had a similar experience with visual art as you had with the literary journal and not feeling inspired by a lot of the poetry. I have been in NYC this weekend and decided to visit the Whitney Biennial, which is a survey of contemporary art that is held every two years. To be honest, I left the museum feeling uninspired by most of the artwork I saw there. However, we took a short walk to the Gagosian gallery, just a few blocks north, and caught the final day of the Francesca Woodman exhibit. I was captivated and inspired by every single photo displayed there. It was such a refreshing experience and it reaffirmed my absolute love for Woodman's art. I definitely left the exhibit feeling my synapses snapping and very grateful that I had the chance to see it. The Whitney was an enjoyable visit, but none of the pieces truly touched me like Woodman's.
I was unfamiliar with Woodman until I read your newsletter. I too am struck by her ethereal, mysterious, and often disturbing images. They do hit you in a visceral way. Much of Odilon Redon's paintings strike me that way too. I feel them and am inspired by them in way I don't fully understand. They speak to me in that "no words" way. Thank you for sharing this experience with me. It's good to know others have had similar feelings about their interactions with the art worlds.
Very hitting and connected with this. For me, poetry isn't some kind of paint by numbers, follow the steps thing. It is mysterious. But it is like you suggest, about connecting. I've been done and gone with so much "modern" poetry, born of the MFL class. I'm invited a few times a year and respectfully decline those exercises in futility. But poetry has been hijacked by the skill set, make it into an academic pretzel class. I've written much about it, won't drone on. But whatever poetry is, it is about freedom of a mind, a human facing our mystery and that's so precious and sacred, that naked fight. It's also about connecting, connecting with that human on the other side, trying to deal with our dark unknowing, ignorance and fallibility, temporality. Poetry makes nothing happen, but in some people, it endures, it stirs (to remix some Auden). https://deubel.substack.com/p/putting-poetry-in-its-place?utm_source=publication-search PS. You might like Milosz's Ars Poetica. A mind to admire. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49455/ars-poetica-56d22b8f31558
I'm glad you connected with this, David. I like what you say here about "a human facing our mystery and that's so precious and naked." I feel that way too. And "dealing with our dark unknowing"--yes, that too. And I love these lines of Milosz:
The purpose of poetry is to remind us
how difficult it is to remain just one person,
for our house is open, there are no keys in the doors,
Deborah, I had a similar experience with visual art as you had with the literary journal and not feeling inspired by a lot of the poetry. I have been in NYC this weekend and decided to visit the Whitney Biennial, which is a survey of contemporary art that is held every two years. To be honest, I left the museum feeling uninspired by most of the artwork I saw there. However, we took a short walk to the Gagosian gallery, just a few blocks north, and caught the final day of the Francesca Woodman exhibit. I was captivated and inspired by every single photo displayed there. It was such a refreshing experience and it reaffirmed my absolute love for Woodman's art. I definitely left the exhibit feeling my synapses snapping and very grateful that I had the chance to see it. The Whitney was an enjoyable visit, but none of the pieces truly touched me like Woodman's.
I was unfamiliar with Woodman until I read your newsletter. I too am struck by her ethereal, mysterious, and often disturbing images. They do hit you in a visceral way. Much of Odilon Redon's paintings strike me that way too. I feel them and am inspired by them in way I don't fully understand. They speak to me in that "no words" way. Thank you for sharing this experience with me. It's good to know others have had similar feelings about their interactions with the art worlds.
I understand; I too desire the top of my head to be taken off, dear Em."
As for paraphrasing Keats' famous lines, you could say:
"Poetry is truth, truth poetry – that is all you need to know on earth.
Best :)
I like that, Peter. So good to see you here
“Is it me? Is it them?” It’s them. Seriously.
Very hitting and connected with this. For me, poetry isn't some kind of paint by numbers, follow the steps thing. It is mysterious. But it is like you suggest, about connecting. I've been done and gone with so much "modern" poetry, born of the MFL class. I'm invited a few times a year and respectfully decline those exercises in futility. But poetry has been hijacked by the skill set, make it into an academic pretzel class. I've written much about it, won't drone on. But whatever poetry is, it is about freedom of a mind, a human facing our mystery and that's so precious and sacred, that naked fight. It's also about connecting, connecting with that human on the other side, trying to deal with our dark unknowing, ignorance and fallibility, temporality. Poetry makes nothing happen, but in some people, it endures, it stirs (to remix some Auden). https://deubel.substack.com/p/putting-poetry-in-its-place?utm_source=publication-search PS. You might like Milosz's Ars Poetica. A mind to admire. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49455/ars-poetica-56d22b8f31558
I'm glad you connected with this, David. I like what you say here about "a human facing our mystery and that's so precious and naked." I feel that way too. And "dealing with our dark unknowing"--yes, that too. And I love these lines of Milosz:
The purpose of poetry is to remind us
how difficult it is to remain just one person,
for our house is open, there are no keys in the doors,
and invisible guests come in and out at will.