Carol Ann Duffy: Am I missing something? What gives?? She’s the poet laureate of the UK (the first female and first openly gay poet laureate too), has won numerous prestigious awards, and published a number of books… I’m currently reading one book of her poetry and am baffled. Each poem is worse than the last. I keep waiting for the big reveal in which the whole book turns into some sort of social commentary, but it’s just not happening. It’s horrible. I mean, really, really awful. I mean, I wrote doggerel in middle school that has more depth and nuance, it’s that bad. So, I’m confused by the accolades. I did some research in which people refer to her work as deeply symbolic. Others criticize her for being too feminist and for using too simple language. I have no issues with it being feminist, though I don’t see it, and plain language is fine, if it’s artful. I initially thought perhaps I was not reading critically enough, as I was tired, but I’ve begun to think it is not a matter of subjective taste. This is truly terrible. Absurdly so. It’s not even clever. I can’t even articulate myself properly, I’m that flabbergasted.
“
| — |
Shannon Carson, a dear friend who taught my Intro to Poetry Writing class and later worked with me at The Writing Center.
|
haiku - 11.17.09
Before leaving home,
two gifts: hot coffee and you
go down on me twice.
It has to be on one of the regions on the map, yo.
I’ve gotta give a bit back to the States before I can cross continents. It’s all about the kiddos, folks. :)
Help me choose where to teach.
My top choice right now is Twin Cities, because Ben has family there and there are also Oracle/DBA jobs in the area. But I need to pick no less than ten placement regions as options.
Places I won’t move to:
- New York (Teach in schools in the Bronx. Talked to a couple of Alum from NY and heard some horror stories about students breaking car windows and stabbing each other with the resulting pieces of glass.)
- LA (Not for me. I’m trying to save money on this venture)
- DC (Many of the schools have 1. high amounts of gang violence and 2. a “hands off” teacher policy that says that no matter how extreme the violence, teachers may not interfere and physically touch students to break up a fight. A TFA member from DC was arrested and sued recently for breaking up a knife fight between to teenage young men. No thanks.)
Places I’m reluctant to move to:
- Bay area (Teach in low-income Oakland schools. Scary.)
- Anywhere too rural. Ben needs to be able to find a job.
Places I am heavily considering:
- Chicago
- Indianapolis
- Hawaii (No real jobs there, but Ben and I have agreed that it’s fucking Hawaii and we’d be stupid to turn down an opportunity to live there in our early 20s)
- Colorado
- Houston
- Milwaukee
Any input?
I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.
Laurie, the person who was supposed to interview me, is out sick today. I left a message with an associate who is supposed to have the GM call me back for my phone interview. However, I get the feeling I will be waiting for a while and then calling tomorrow to see if Laurie is in again.
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
21 plays
Megafaun - Worried Mind
as soon as i was through / with my puzzled song to you / there was no end in sight / i could hear it in your voice / it was shaken not by choice / it was wounded by a worried mind / the charade of our feud / and emotions we went through / laughed in the face of our crime / beneath the pause ‘tween words / an expression could be heard / and i laid down my worried mind / come on ease your mind / oh come on ease your mind / come on ease your worried mind
