Yesterday was a Whitireia day, stressful. The presentation of the review went OK, the next one is in two weeks, I might try Philip Larkin. During workshopping - which is what we call the sessions when we give each other feedback on our work - I thought of how Szymborska has a lot to say and says it well.
Immediately afterwards went to the library to return Szymborska's book which I think is the only one in the Wellington region. Two other people want to read it.
I took out a biography of Larkin as well as a collection of his poetry (Collected Poetry, 1988, the Marvell Press, an imprint of Faber and Faber), so that I'd have a bit of background. I always like to know more about the setting in which a poem is written.
I have difficulty with poems that do not make sense clearly. I should try to give the writer the benefit of the doubt.
Besides taking out Larkin, I also got a book of Billy Collins' poems, Taking off Emily Dickinson's Clothes (2000, Picador). Susi said that he was very accessible. I'd like that! Also Glenn Colquhoun, An Explanation of Poetry to My Father, (2001, Steele Roberts) and a collection of poems by Allen Curnow, entitled Selected Poems, 1940-1989, without a clear publication date, published by Viking.
I dipped into things last night, Glenn Colquhoun pleased me immediately. Talk about accessible.
The bell has rung some time ago. A lot of editing.
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