Still Life Pose of Poetry

I think of optimism, books & oranges, mobility, missing the Met, Manet.

Bar at the Folies Bergeres, 1881

Ultimately, of my favorite Mallarme

Sea Breeze

The flesh is sad, alas! and all the books are read.
Flight, only flight! I feel that birds are wild to tread
The floor of unknown foam, and to attain the skies!
Nought, neither ancient gardens mirrored in the eyes,
Shall hold this heart that bathes in waters its delight,
O nights! nor yet my waking lamp, whose lonely light
Shadows the vacant paper, whiteness profits best,
Nor the young wife who rocks her baby on her breast.
I will depart! O steamer, swaying rope and spar,
Lift anchor for exotic lands that lie afar!

A weariness, outworn by cruel hopes, still clings
To the last farewell handkerchief’s last beckonings!
And are not these, the masts inviting storms, not these
That an awakening wind bends over wrecking seas,
Lost, not a sail, a sail, a flowering isle, ere long?
But, O my heart, hear thou, hear thou, the sailors’ song!

Mallarme's work inspired many of Manet's paintings.

Including...

Boating, 1874

Anne Carson Goes Icelandic

Anne Carson & Sigur Ros collaborate! The Icelandic indie band's front man, Jónsi Birgisson, is working to arrange some of our favorite poetess's texts into choral pieces which will be performed in concert during the Spring of 2010. Carson and her business partner Robert Currie visited my poetry workshop yesterday, during which they indulged us with some back story. Currie revealed that their initial creative vision was for the poems to be translated into Icelandic before being musically arranged. However, when Birgisson was presented with the plan, he responded by saying "something like, 'That's the stupidest idea ever. Icelandic is the most ridiculous language. We make up most of the words in our songs.'"

Watch Sigur Ros's documentary Heima and read Carson's latest book An Oresteia, in preparation for what should be mind numbingly beautiful come spring.

Ashberian Love: It's Pretty Complicated

This picture of poet John Ashbery appears on the back cover of his latest collection. The designs on the stained glass windows behind him decorate the book. It looks really rather pretty. I'm sure its words are pretty also. Pretty complicated.

Planisphere: New Poems by John Ashbery was delivered today! I can finally breathe easy knowing I'll be able to get him to autograph it when he reads at the Vernon House tomorrow night. Pre-order is the best option online shopping offers, undoubtedly. It has gifted me an additional twenty four hours to analyze Ashbery's characteristically difficult compositions, which will take an eternity regardless. Ah, gifts that keep on giving.