Nice mix of quotations. Glad to see the inclusion of Bly. His "object" prose poems look at the natural world as very few verse poems are capable of. In an interview I did with him, he said the following concerning his object prose poems:
PJ: Specifically, you say that “in the object poem in prose, the conscious mind gives up, at least to a degree, the adversary position it usually adopts toward the unconscious, and a certain harmony between the two takes place.” By “adversary position,” do you mean a poet’s conscious attempt to manhandle or control the object?
RB: Yes. The mind is always tempted to take up a superior position in relation to beings—such as caterpillars or clams—who are without reason. Many philosophers and saints in the West have made efforts to dissolve the adversarial position human beings take toward animals—St. Francis would be one. It’s been slow work. We could say that in a prose poem one can practice writing about an animal or “thing” in a way that wouldn’t be hierarchical, in which one wouldn’t place human beings on top and animals on the bottom. like the way Frost implies in “Two Look at Two” a mysterious sympathy between a human couple and a deer couple. We can feel the lack of hierarchy in Thoreau’s prose as well. So what one ultimately hopes for is a lessening of the empire mentality of the human being, shall we say, a disappearance completely of the thought of inferior races and superior races, a giving up completely of the idea that nature has no consciousness. When some adversarial thinking is cleared away, it’s possible for language to become transparent. For example, when you read one of Ponge’s prose poems, the text, in some way, almost becomes transparent, and one feels one can touch the object itself.
For those of you "liking" my comment, you can read the whole Bly interview at https://digitalcommons.providence.edu/prosepoem/vol7/iss1/52/ There you will also find all issues of the journal I founded edited for nine years. The hard copies have been digitized.
Thank you for heeding Edward Abbey's advice: "Do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am – a reluctant enthusiast…a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, the lovely, mysterious, and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much; I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those desk-bound men and women with their hearts in a safe deposit box, and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this; You will outlive the bastards.”
Wonderful. I can only echo the peacefully appreciative others, all of whom I've read, skimmed, re-read, still in a mounting, strangely hypnotic and serene ecstasy of uncritical gratitude for your superb photographs and so effectively curated aperçu. I'll echo myself: Wonderful, and say thank you.
Very nice! Love the how your images paired to the various authors. I grew up in a city, traveled extensively with my parents. Then traveling with my partner to the wildest places in North America. After years on the road we just settled on acreage between two major wildlife refuges along the Rio Grande. There is nothing like a life in the wilderness. Keep up the great work I’ve been loving your posts.
Beautiful photos! And you picked some great writing selections to accompany them. Just the tonic I needed today after being a bit too "civilized" as of late... Thank you! 😉☺️🙏
Getting out and away from the mundane cranked up over populated cities has helped me, over the years. I live in a city, and fortnately I can get out and away pretty easily. Poetic Outlaws is beneficial in a wicked world. Great quotes.
Beautiful stuff. Thank you Erik. The Rockies are my shrine as well. Often as I can, which isn’t as often as when I once lived in the heart of them. Your words bring me back there.
I assume that summer ends in our hearts with a tenuous scent of pine and moss and wildflowers thanks to your post. The shots and the captions are really beautiful. I guess it’s been years since I haven’t lost myself on untrodden mountain paths. I say to myself that there are too many bears out there lately and it’s not safe, but I assume I’m just lazy. 😅 Thank you for the post 🙏
Nice mix of quotations. Glad to see the inclusion of Bly. His "object" prose poems look at the natural world as very few verse poems are capable of. In an interview I did with him, he said the following concerning his object prose poems:
PJ: Specifically, you say that “in the object poem in prose, the conscious mind gives up, at least to a degree, the adversary position it usually adopts toward the unconscious, and a certain harmony between the two takes place.” By “adversary position,” do you mean a poet’s conscious attempt to manhandle or control the object?
RB: Yes. The mind is always tempted to take up a superior position in relation to beings—such as caterpillars or clams—who are without reason. Many philosophers and saints in the West have made efforts to dissolve the adversarial position human beings take toward animals—St. Francis would be one. It’s been slow work. We could say that in a prose poem one can practice writing about an animal or “thing” in a way that wouldn’t be hierarchical, in which one wouldn’t place human beings on top and animals on the bottom. like the way Frost implies in “Two Look at Two” a mysterious sympathy between a human couple and a deer couple. We can feel the lack of hierarchy in Thoreau’s prose as well. So what one ultimately hopes for is a lessening of the empire mentality of the human being, shall we say, a disappearance completely of the thought of inferior races and superior races, a giving up completely of the idea that nature has no consciousness. When some adversarial thinking is cleared away, it’s possible for language to become transparent. For example, when you read one of Ponge’s prose poems, the text, in some way, almost becomes transparent, and one feels one can touch the object itself.
For those of you "liking" my comment, you can read the whole Bly interview at https://digitalcommons.providence.edu/prosepoem/vol7/iss1/52/ There you will also find all issues of the journal I founded edited for nine years. The hard copies have been digitized.
Thank you for heeding Edward Abbey's advice: "Do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am – a reluctant enthusiast…a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, the lovely, mysterious, and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much; I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those desk-bound men and women with their hearts in a safe deposit box, and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this; You will outlive the bastards.”
Edward Abbey was an animal. I have a copy of Confessions of a Barbarian, and I think it is some of his best writing.
"Resting in the fields, far from the turbulent space
Half asleep near the stars with a small dog licking your face."
~Bob Dylan~
This is such a wonderful post. Erik. Thank you.
This quote is from one of my most cherished Bob Dylan songs, 'Jokerman'. Nice catch on re-purposing it here, cheers!
Wonderful. I can only echo the peacefully appreciative others, all of whom I've read, skimmed, re-read, still in a mounting, strangely hypnotic and serene ecstasy of uncritical gratitude for your superb photographs and so effectively curated aperçu. I'll echo myself: Wonderful, and say thank you.
Well said
Stunning photos! I especially like the long exposure river images!
Very nice! Love the how your images paired to the various authors. I grew up in a city, traveled extensively with my parents. Then traveling with my partner to the wildest places in North America. After years on the road we just settled on acreage between two major wildlife refuges along the Rio Grande. There is nothing like a life in the wilderness. Keep up the great work I’ve been loving your posts.
Beautiful photos! And you picked some great writing selections to accompany them. Just the tonic I needed today after being a bit too "civilized" as of late... Thank you! 😉☺️🙏
So good! I love nature quotes! This was such a gift to read and visually experience. Thank you for sharing this beautiful and sacred place with us.
I live in Estes Park, perfect place to live as an author. Next time your in the park hit me up I’ll show ya the local’s spots.
This is such a beautiful, wisdom filled, inspiring post. Thank you!
Getting out and away from the mundane cranked up over populated cities has helped me, over the years. I live in a city, and fortnately I can get out and away pretty easily. Poetic Outlaws is beneficial in a wicked world. Great quotes.
Amazing
With deep gratitude,
Beautiful and the quotes are from of my favorite authors and thinkers. Great writing and thank you!
Beautiful stuff. Thank you Erik. The Rockies are my shrine as well. Often as I can, which isn’t as often as when I once lived in the heart of them. Your words bring me back there.
Those pictures! Stunning.
Damn, I just noticed Erik Hogan above my comment used the word stunning. Whatever. I stand by my choice of adjective.
I assume that summer ends in our hearts with a tenuous scent of pine and moss and wildflowers thanks to your post. The shots and the captions are really beautiful. I guess it’s been years since I haven’t lost myself on untrodden mountain paths. I say to myself that there are too many bears out there lately and it’s not safe, but I assume I’m just lazy. 😅 Thank you for the post 🙏