I went down to the bookstore this evening and found myself in the poetry section. But for every thin book of poems there was a thick biography of the poet and an even thicker book by someone who’s supposed to know explaining what the poet is supposed to’ve said and why he didn’t. So you don’t have to waste your time on the best the writer could do, the words he fought the darkness and himself for, the unequal battle with beauty. Instead you can read comfortably about the worst the writer could do: the mess he made of his life, how he fought with his family, cheated on his lovers, didn’t pay his debts and not only drank too much but all the stupid things he ever said to the bartender just before getting 86’d will be printed for you and they’re just as stupid as the things everyone says just before getting 86’d. The books explaining the poet are themselves inexplicable. The students who have to read them cheat. I left the poetry section thinking about burning the bookstore down. Some of a poet’s work comes from his life, ok. But most of a poet’s work comes in spite of his life, in spite of everything, even in spite of bookstores. So I went to the next section and bought a murder mystery but I haven’t read it yet. I find I don’t want to know who done it and why; I want to do it myself.
Your support can bring a powerful story to life! Please join us in helping filmmaker Ken Paul Rosenthal finish the first cut of his independent documentary celebrating the vibrant legacy of poet Julia Vinograd. Every tax-deductible donation, regardless of size, makes a difference. Contribute today here.
Check out the trailer and dive into Julia’s evocative poetry here. You can also listen to the great Patti Smith do a remarkable reading of this poem here.
Julia Vinograd’s works are available at www.Zeitgeist-Press.com, along with many of the works of the Barbarian poets.
We have been archiving all the tapes from Babar, and some of the other associated readings. It's a slow process, getting them at the correct quality with all the noise, inconsistency, etc, but could keep you posted as things get remastered and brought back to life. Let me know.
Ha! Yes! I sometimes feel this way while in a class or workshop dissecting the poem of yet another well-intended -- even talented -- writer.