Sunday, October 24, 2010

Two books I've read like in the past month or so and forgot to talk about much so I wanna do that now thanks.



actual air by David Berman

and

The Widening Spell of the Leaves by Larry Levis

David Berman, in the author photo on the back, has this serious look (AND BEARD!), but maybe about to smile, and on his t-shirt is another dude with a serious look/beard.

Larry Levis, his face is right on the cover with his burly 'stache and parted hair. He looks like a scientist I think.

But these words got something to say I remember. Let's open them up.

"Snow" is the first poem in the book and the first I dog-eared. Woah, good ratio there. 1-1.

I wrote in the side something about the cool "simple weighted lines." Here are a few maybe fitting that maybe not:

"When it's snowing, the outdoors seem like a room."
"We returned to our shoveling, working side by side in silence."

Then, Levis has this first poem that's pretty cool too called "Self-Portrait With Radio."

Four and a half pages good stuff, like the first line "Sooiee, pig pig pig..." That's interesting.

Levis likes to get subtly loud it seems into his words and recollections and the brain space between us:

Oh night with only three scrawny stars,
Oh Holy Dark in which
Someone robbing a convenience store
Feels momentarily free,
Thank you for this great inner calm
In which the gambler places
HIs bet, &the Quakers watch, undisturbed,
The snow fall


I don't think these books mesh well, like read this one then that one, or look at the influence here.

No, I just read them around the same time and saw them and though hmmmmm they were nice books, let's blog.

One thing I really liked about Levis: his repetition of ideas and images

One thing I really liked about Berman: the longish poem "Self-Portrait at 28" is enough reason to buy this book, as it pushes and pushes boundaries and language and eats the speaker and eats me and spits me up and puts me to sleep feeling a little better than now.

I'm hoping someone reads these books, because they can help someone I think.

2 comments:

chet pomeroy said...

yeah, berman!

Tyler Gobble said...

YES YES.

I looked at that book for 2 years on various shelves before I snatched it.

I'm listening to the Tulip CD now! Thanks again!

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