Expression...

Well, it is the eleventh of April, and I still haven’t finished Joyce’s “Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man.” It is a particularly strange read. It is almost as if Joyce is recalling his own past with wandering thoughts going this way or that. I like it, but it’s weird. Either Joyce is pure, untainted genius, and his work is opening my mind like a can opener, or he was extremely stupid and couldn’t write at all. Well, since I am new to Joyce, I will assume that he is pure genius. I find it fascinating that he writes prose, in strangely poetic dialogue. He doesn’t write this book in verse, but it reads like poetry. Poetry will use few powerful words to express the poet’s thoughts and messages; and James Joyce writes this book with powerful words like poetry, but it is in prose. It is fascinating and it makes me realize how much farther I have to grow in my own craft and skill. Being mostly self taught, I realize that I can only go so far. I can read commentaries, but from the ones that I have checked out from the library and taken home to read, they are usually somewhat self serving for the author as to express what genius they have in this particular area. I mean, the writing of Joyce is easer to understand than the commentary. Much of what I read is way over intellectualized by these collegiate miracle writers that have deep, deep understandings of these writings that without explanation, none of us ignorant duefuses (sp?) will ever understand. How incredibly gracious of them. Seriously, I think it is just arrogant to write over somebody’s head in order to explain writing that wasn’t over somebody’s head.

I have also been reading some T. S. Elliot. I really like Elliot. I know that he had some anti-Semitic things to say in his life, but his work is amazing. I can see how this school of poetry came about and nourished itself. I envy these poets who all moved to London and fed off of each others creativity. Pound, Elliot, Doolittle, Williams, and more, have all influenced each other in terrific ways. I envy that creative camaraderie. There are several poets here in Flatwoods that I feel are in the same vein of my own school of thinking. One of which is Loretta Craig. She was just appointed the 2006 Poet Ambassador Award and is a published working author who also writes poetry. She can be found here - http://www.lorettacraig.com/ - . Another one is Margie Fletcher. I have read a small amount of her work. It is filled with passion, faith, and extreme self expression. There is another poet who I have mentioned here before, Ace Boggess. I have read a small amount of his poetry, but I really like it. I would like to start some sort of guild to unify our poetry in its own school of thought and intellectual exchanges and idea’s. But I think that I will need to first start to establish myself a bit more.

I completely lag in my willingness to get my chapbooks published. I am never quite happy with them. I think some of my poetry will hurt some people’s feelings, and that is difficult for me. I think that poetry demands truth and truth of expression, as does the bible, but, the bible says to tell the truth in LOVE. So, in my ever pursuit to be a man of God first, poet second, I need to take this in consideration. I feel that there is so much honesty in my work, and I like that a great deal. I rarely mix words, and if I do, it is usually to make the point even stronger. Anyway, I envy the influence that the greats had on each other, and wish to be a part of something similar; and moving to London is not really in the play book at this time. But I digress; I need to make the decision to just put out my chapbooks (two of three of them are completely in manuscript form) and make it happen. I have entered them into contest, but won nothing. I think I let that distract me. BUT the only way I am going to make an impact with my poetry, is to get it out there.


The 2006 Flatwoods Poetry & Art Festival is coming in a week and a half. I am very excited. We still have some work to do, but with great confidence I say that we will be ready. I’m excited to hear all the local talent read or perform their poetry. It will truly be great. If you are in the area, please stop by. I’ll be reading in the afternoon sometime, and it would be a great chance to hear much of my poetry, which most of hasn’t even seen the light of day. I don’t know how much of Jesus and the M16 I can read. Most of the area has drastically opposing views of things than mine. But, we’ll see, I mean it will come out sometime. This might just be as good a time as any. I am willing to hear any advice any of you have for me.

Well, I just wanted to sat a few things and catch up with you all. Till next time…