The school year at Binghamton University is officially over in a month. I'm sure the next three years will fly also.
*
Had an amazing spring break in Savannah with my brother and sister-in-law. Minus the pollen and the bugs, Savannah is one of my favorite cities. You really never run out of great things to do and see, and it literally has something for everyone.
*
Got my contributor copies of Cave Wall the other day. The journal is slim, handsome, and full of good stuff.
I have two poems from the new manuscript within the pages. Thanks to Rhett for including me.
*
Though we're still working on proofs for Ghost Lights, (mainly because I'm an editor's worst nightmare, as very few of my poems in the book, which I've probably mentioned before, are left justified) we're almost completely done at this point, and since the painting for the cover has been obtained, I can now show you what it's going to be. Again, thanks to Felicia for letting me use it. I love it, and I think it works perfectly with the book.
Bear is working on a cover design now. The back cover and blurbs are pretty much set, but we're trying to make sure everything on the front meshes well with the images, as far as the font and color scheme.
Needless to say, I'm thrilled with how everything's coming together.
*
The new manuscript also seems to be coming together, now that I'm working closely with Joe Weil on it.
I've written a new poem (with at least a few more to follow), continue to edit many of the poems, and have shifted many of the poems around in different sections (which works a lot better than it did before).
I hope it's close to becoming a legitimate contender by the end of summer or before.
*
The Days of Heaven (yes, the image at the top of my blog is from the film) Blu-ray is now officially one of the most gorgeous things I've ever seen in my entire life.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Ai
RIP Ai.
From a .pdf via OSU: The poet Ai died unexpectedly from an illness on March 20, 2010.
Very, very sad news. This awful trend of amazing poets passing away continues. It's starting to frighten me. It's all happening too fast.
Before I made my decision about four schools last year, I was between Binghamton University and Oklahoma State University. A lot of it came down to my own confidence in being able to write anywhere, or at least that's what I told myself. Oklahoma State would've meant that Jess and I needed to take a plane to get home each time we wanted to get back to Pennsylvania. Also, we have no friends or family in that area. And we had just gotten married a few weeks ago.
However, though were offering me a pretty amazing package (which surprised me to no end), beyond anything I was thrilled for just the opportunity to work with Ai and Lisa Lewis, who I think are two of the most underrated contemporary poets.
Lisa, with two books coming out hopefully within the next 8 months or so, is on her way to continuing a brilliant career.
I have a feeling Ai will start to have the same following Larry Levis had after he passed away.
Though many people knew and loved his work at the time of his death, it was the vigor of the younger poets who discovered his work and were fanatic about it, along with the many colleagues and students that knew and worked with or under Larry. But I imagine Ai's name and work will live on exponentially, in the same fashion, as more and more young poets discover the importance of her work, a body that influenced me early on as a writer and will always continue to influence me.
A new and posthumous collection will be out this year. Though that will be her last, we should all be grateful that so much work will continue to be out there for us to teach and read and pass on and discover.
*
Though this has been a weird week, I did get my first poetry acceptance in the last four months or so, which was a breath of encouraging fresh air.
Waccamaw will be publishing a poem from the new manuscript in late April. Thanks a lot to the editors.
This was also the only poem I believed in during my first semester at Binghamton, one of the only poems in workshop I wrote that I decided to keep. It was also the very last one in workshop that I wrote.
Since then, though, I've written others that I like, and I have a lot of ideas that I hope will continue to turn into poems, poems that I think are only making the second manuscript stronger and more cohesive.
*
I'm also working with Joe Weil this semester on my second manuscript, and I think it's going really well so far.
He's already had some great insights, and since he knows what I want to accomplish with the book and my writing, he's steering me in the best direction I can go.
Last week he told me that I probably need about six or seven more poems, and one has already been written that I really like. Then it's down to more editing within the poems and the organization of the poems and sections.
Needless to say, I'm looking forward to what this manuscript's going to become in a couple months.
*
The last day of classes is May 7th.
I'm flying to Savannah for a week to visit my brother and sister in law in four days. I'll be there for a week.
Soon enough summer's going to be here.
The next three years, I'm sure, will go faster than the first. Which means I really need to start thinking about a third manuscript: themes, ideas, new structures, something different, something that I'm excited about.
*
Jess and I are starting to look for a house or town home. Our lease is up in August for our current apartment, so we'll probably start seriously looking around May.
It helps to have friends who have houses in different areas. There's so much to deal with when looking for a house. Many questions to answer and ask. Especially when we don't anticipate staying here for our whole lives.
*
Watched the Blu-ray Revanche the other day.
Amazing, amazing film.
Reminded me of Haneke and Wenders mostly, but it's one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. The cinematography's also phenomenal. I'll certainly be looking for more films shot by Martin Gschlacht.
I won't say a lot about it. Just see it.
*
It looks like almost everything for Ghost Lights has been taken care of on my end, minus the last proof or two (since I always seem to find small grammatical and surface mistakes that are my fault).
The artwork is all but finalized.
The painter has given me the go-ahead. I've passed on the information to Bear. But before I divulge the information, I want to make sure everything's completely finalized. I love the painting, though. The colors are great (especially since I'm hoping for a black cover and back cover, though I'm not sure what color the of the writing will be), and thematically I think it really works with the poems. I'm very lucky to be able to have something I love this much for the cover.
The blurbs are good to go too. Just have to get the OK from Bear for those used on the back cover.
And I got my brief-but-important Acknowledgments page finished, that which actually thanks people and not the journals who published the poems (which was done a while ago).
The tentative release date was May, but I have a feeling it's going to be more like June, or possibly July, which is fine with me. When I know for sure, others will know.
If you're planning on reading it, I hope you like it when it's in your hands.
From a .pdf via OSU: The poet Ai died unexpectedly from an illness on March 20, 2010.
Very, very sad news. This awful trend of amazing poets passing away continues. It's starting to frighten me. It's all happening too fast.
Before I made my decision about four schools last year, I was between Binghamton University and Oklahoma State University. A lot of it came down to my own confidence in being able to write anywhere, or at least that's what I told myself. Oklahoma State would've meant that Jess and I needed to take a plane to get home each time we wanted to get back to Pennsylvania. Also, we have no friends or family in that area. And we had just gotten married a few weeks ago.
However, though were offering me a pretty amazing package (which surprised me to no end), beyond anything I was thrilled for just the opportunity to work with Ai and Lisa Lewis, who I think are two of the most underrated contemporary poets.
Lisa, with two books coming out hopefully within the next 8 months or so, is on her way to continuing a brilliant career.
I have a feeling Ai will start to have the same following Larry Levis had after he passed away.
Though many people knew and loved his work at the time of his death, it was the vigor of the younger poets who discovered his work and were fanatic about it, along with the many colleagues and students that knew and worked with or under Larry. But I imagine Ai's name and work will live on exponentially, in the same fashion, as more and more young poets discover the importance of her work, a body that influenced me early on as a writer and will always continue to influence me.
A new and posthumous collection will be out this year. Though that will be her last, we should all be grateful that so much work will continue to be out there for us to teach and read and pass on and discover.
*
Though this has been a weird week, I did get my first poetry acceptance in the last four months or so, which was a breath of encouraging fresh air.
Waccamaw will be publishing a poem from the new manuscript in late April. Thanks a lot to the editors.
This was also the only poem I believed in during my first semester at Binghamton, one of the only poems in workshop I wrote that I decided to keep. It was also the very last one in workshop that I wrote.
Since then, though, I've written others that I like, and I have a lot of ideas that I hope will continue to turn into poems, poems that I think are only making the second manuscript stronger and more cohesive.
*
I'm also working with Joe Weil this semester on my second manuscript, and I think it's going really well so far.
He's already had some great insights, and since he knows what I want to accomplish with the book and my writing, he's steering me in the best direction I can go.
Last week he told me that I probably need about six or seven more poems, and one has already been written that I really like. Then it's down to more editing within the poems and the organization of the poems and sections.
Needless to say, I'm looking forward to what this manuscript's going to become in a couple months.
*
The last day of classes is May 7th.
I'm flying to Savannah for a week to visit my brother and sister in law in four days. I'll be there for a week.
Soon enough summer's going to be here.
The next three years, I'm sure, will go faster than the first. Which means I really need to start thinking about a third manuscript: themes, ideas, new structures, something different, something that I'm excited about.
*
Jess and I are starting to look for a house or town home. Our lease is up in August for our current apartment, so we'll probably start seriously looking around May.
It helps to have friends who have houses in different areas. There's so much to deal with when looking for a house. Many questions to answer and ask. Especially when we don't anticipate staying here for our whole lives.
*
Watched the Blu-ray Revanche the other day.
Amazing, amazing film.
Reminded me of Haneke and Wenders mostly, but it's one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. The cinematography's also phenomenal. I'll certainly be looking for more films shot by Martin Gschlacht.
I won't say a lot about it. Just see it.
*
It looks like almost everything for Ghost Lights has been taken care of on my end, minus the last proof or two (since I always seem to find small grammatical and surface mistakes that are my fault).
The artwork is all but finalized.
The painter has given me the go-ahead. I've passed on the information to Bear. But before I divulge the information, I want to make sure everything's completely finalized. I love the painting, though. The colors are great (especially since I'm hoping for a black cover and back cover, though I'm not sure what color the of the writing will be), and thematically I think it really works with the poems. I'm very lucky to be able to have something I love this much for the cover.
The blurbs are good to go too. Just have to get the OK from Bear for those used on the back cover.
And I got my brief-but-important Acknowledgments page finished, that which actually thanks people and not the journals who published the poems (which was done a while ago).
The tentative release date was May, but I have a feeling it's going to be more like June, or possibly July, which is fine with me. When I know for sure, others will know.
If you're planning on reading it, I hope you like it when it's in your hands.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Shade
Finally got finished applying for an NEA fellowship.
Yes, I know how hilariously slim my chances are, but I figure with a book coming out (and enough published poems for eligibility), I might as well get used to applying for as many fellowships as I can: national, regional, state-wide, etc.
Plus, it was mostly for practice at this point (to get used to the annoying process of filling out the forms), so I can try to do it every two years from now and not take over six or seven hours to get it submitted.
*
I think I have the blurbs for Ghost Lights finally in the bag.
I have an idea of what I want the back cover to look like too, so I'll have to see what Bear thinks.
I feel like I picked a good mix of blurbs: those I feel would give the hypothetical back-cover-glancer a good idea of what's inside the pages, which is most important to me.
*
Though the cover art's still up in the air, I'm trying to not let it drag on for too long.
If we can't find something I'm completely in love with, I have a pretty good idea of something I'd really be extremely thrilled to have for the cover if nothing else works out.
I've also talked to the artist, and they've agreed to let me use it if I decide to go with it, which is awesome.
*
I've been asking friends for better suggestions about the title of my new manuscript. I still don't feel as strongly as I would like to about it.
It's on its second title now, and I think I just got a suggestion for the working third title I'm becoming more excited about.
I'm going to live with it for a bit and see what develops.
Yes, I know how hilariously slim my chances are, but I figure with a book coming out (and enough published poems for eligibility), I might as well get used to applying for as many fellowships as I can: national, regional, state-wide, etc.
Plus, it was mostly for practice at this point (to get used to the annoying process of filling out the forms), so I can try to do it every two years from now and not take over six or seven hours to get it submitted.
*
I think I have the blurbs for Ghost Lights finally in the bag.
I have an idea of what I want the back cover to look like too, so I'll have to see what Bear thinks.
I feel like I picked a good mix of blurbs: those I feel would give the hypothetical back-cover-glancer a good idea of what's inside the pages, which is most important to me.
*
Though the cover art's still up in the air, I'm trying to not let it drag on for too long.
If we can't find something I'm completely in love with, I have a pretty good idea of something I'd really be extremely thrilled to have for the cover if nothing else works out.
I've also talked to the artist, and they've agreed to let me use it if I decide to go with it, which is awesome.
*
I've been asking friends for better suggestions about the title of my new manuscript. I still don't feel as strongly as I would like to about it.
It's on its second title now, and I think I just got a suggestion for the working third title I'm becoming more excited about.
I'm going to live with it for a bit and see what develops.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Campos
Just watched Afterschool. After seeing The Last 15, I was expecting a lot from it. Though it didn't deliver as much as I'd hoped, I enjoyed it. Antonio Campos has balls, he's young, and he's doing his best to tackle important issues artfully and, dare I say, a bit recklessly, which I love.
You can say that for a lot of directors, I'm sure, but keep your eye on this guy.
*
Also saw Chungking Express (finally for the first time). Now I know why people have been talking about it for all these years. A beautiful, original, and thought-provoking film that I'll be seeing again in the future for sure.
*
Got my contributor copies of Phoebe yesterday in the mail. Looks great. A wild mix of styles too. Thanks again to Moriah and the rest of the editors. They did a nice job.
And there's a bonus poster in the inside pages of another piece of art from the artist who did the cover. I've never seen that before, and I love it. Maybe this will be a new bonus for contributors and subscribers if journals have enough money to do it. It's a great idea.
*
The plane ticket has been purchased for my week in Savannah with my brother and sister-in-law.
I love Savannah and wish we were closer to it.
They're most likely moving back somewhere north in the summer, so this may be my last time to go.
Needless to say, I'm excited.
You can say that for a lot of directors, I'm sure, but keep your eye on this guy.
*
Also saw Chungking Express (finally for the first time). Now I know why people have been talking about it for all these years. A beautiful, original, and thought-provoking film that I'll be seeing again in the future for sure.
*
Got my contributor copies of Phoebe yesterday in the mail. Looks great. A wild mix of styles too. Thanks again to Moriah and the rest of the editors. They did a nice job.
And there's a bonus poster in the inside pages of another piece of art from the artist who did the cover. I've never seen that before, and I love it. Maybe this will be a new bonus for contributors and subscribers if journals have enough money to do it. It's a great idea.
*
The plane ticket has been purchased for my week in Savannah with my brother and sister-in-law.
I love Savannah and wish we were closer to it.
They're most likely moving back somewhere north in the summer, so this may be my last time to go.
Needless to say, I'm excited.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Gave
I finally sent out a new batch of poems yesterday to a bunch of journals.
I haven't done that in a long time. It felt good. Even if nothing pans out.
Somehow I still feel good about getting rejections, which forces me to write new stuff that the journals who rejected the poems may actually like next time around.
*
The fourth proof of Ghost Lights found its way to me a few days ago. It's really starting to make me smile now. It looks great, and it's getting to those final stages. Clean text, a good design, a good font.
We're trying to figure out cover art and color schemes for the cover and back cover soon. I have a few paintings I'm looking at. The one I wanted we couldn't get. So it's more looking.
I have a handful of blurbs now too, with, I think, one more to go.
Things are coming together. I'm getting excited. I hope folks like the words.
*
Josiah Bancroft, a friend and talented poet, is blogging. I have a feeling you'll want to frequent it.
*
Added a few pages and poems to the new manuscript, and took out some pages and poems. I feel better about it each time this happens. This makes sense, I think.
*
I looked at a poem yesterday in the new manuscript. A new poem that I've sent out a bit over the last month or two, though scattered, and after previously reading who-knows-how-many times, I found a mistake at the end of the very first line.
Seriously?
I think I read the manuscript too much on the computer. May have to suck it up and print it out again. I'm usually great at finding that stuff, but sometimes your brain just keeps scanning the error as correct.
*
My niece is going to be born in April. I will soon be Uncle Keith. Which is awesome.
She already has a ton of Giants gear, but Jess and I will certainly be getting her more.
*
Seriously can't stop listening to the Amman/Josh EP Places. Get it.
I haven't done that in a long time. It felt good. Even if nothing pans out.
Somehow I still feel good about getting rejections, which forces me to write new stuff that the journals who rejected the poems may actually like next time around.
*
The fourth proof of Ghost Lights found its way to me a few days ago. It's really starting to make me smile now. It looks great, and it's getting to those final stages. Clean text, a good design, a good font.
We're trying to figure out cover art and color schemes for the cover and back cover soon. I have a few paintings I'm looking at. The one I wanted we couldn't get. So it's more looking.
I have a handful of blurbs now too, with, I think, one more to go.
Things are coming together. I'm getting excited. I hope folks like the words.
*
Josiah Bancroft, a friend and talented poet, is blogging. I have a feeling you'll want to frequent it.
*
Added a few pages and poems to the new manuscript, and took out some pages and poems. I feel better about it each time this happens. This makes sense, I think.
*
I looked at a poem yesterday in the new manuscript. A new poem that I've sent out a bit over the last month or two, though scattered, and after previously reading who-knows-how-many times, I found a mistake at the end of the very first line.
Seriously?
I think I read the manuscript too much on the computer. May have to suck it up and print it out again. I'm usually great at finding that stuff, but sometimes your brain just keeps scanning the error as correct.
*
My niece is going to be born in April. I will soon be Uncle Keith. Which is awesome.
She already has a ton of Giants gear, but Jess and I will certainly be getting her more.
*
Seriously can't stop listening to the Amman/Josh EP Places. Get it.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Gaze
Had some great conversations with friends and poets this weekend. So thanks to Gary, Luke, and Nick (who doesn't have a blog).
Gary is blogging again too, which is certainly a good thing.
Luke and I talked for a long time about our manuscripts that we currently have out in the world. Got a lot of great ideas for changes (many which I immediately recognized as changes that should be made right away, and were) that I'm going to keep working with. I honestly didn't have a lot to say about Luke's, because his manuscript's really, really strong.
I'll be pretty thrilled when he gets good news about it, and I have a feeling it's not too far off.
*
Wrote my first new poem in literally three months. I'm happy with the first draft. It's an idea that's also been in my head for three months, but I didn't know how to attack it. Thankfully, I finally figured it out. I hope.
Also revised one from three months ago that had an ending that completely fell apart and was no good. The revision's better, but we'll see.
Once they're ready to go, it'll give me an excuse to send some more poems out from the manuscript. It's been a while, so it'll be nice to get the rejections flowing again in my in-box and snail mail box.
I also chopped the longest poem out from the manuscript. It was a poem in Ghost Lights that I cut before I sent the final version to Bear, and I really wanted to make it fit here, but I'm not sure it does. That said, I'm now a bit torn because people keep telling me they think it's one of the strongest in the manuscript. I figure I have to go with my gut on this and keep it out, but things can change if need be.
*
Reading Half of a Yellow Sun for one of my classes.
Like it a lot so far.
Makes me want to go back and read Things Fall Apart again, which I'll have to do soon.
*
Pretty excited for the new Jonsi record, which comes out in about two months. Nico Muhly's gorgeous arrangements are obviously all over this thing, so I imagine it'll be closely following how much I like Owen Pallett's Heartland.
Also, the new Amman/Josh E.P. Places is pretty phenomenal.
Reminds me of Hammock, Eluvium, a bit of Stars of the Lid, and some of the ambient keyboard stuff Dan Burton was doing on the Early Day Miners records (mostly the first two) and some of his production with Unwed Sailor.
Gary is blogging again too, which is certainly a good thing.
Luke and I talked for a long time about our manuscripts that we currently have out in the world. Got a lot of great ideas for changes (many which I immediately recognized as changes that should be made right away, and were) that I'm going to keep working with. I honestly didn't have a lot to say about Luke's, because his manuscript's really, really strong.
I'll be pretty thrilled when he gets good news about it, and I have a feeling it's not too far off.
*
Wrote my first new poem in literally three months. I'm happy with the first draft. It's an idea that's also been in my head for three months, but I didn't know how to attack it. Thankfully, I finally figured it out. I hope.
Also revised one from three months ago that had an ending that completely fell apart and was no good. The revision's better, but we'll see.
Once they're ready to go, it'll give me an excuse to send some more poems out from the manuscript. It's been a while, so it'll be nice to get the rejections flowing again in my in-box and snail mail box.
I also chopped the longest poem out from the manuscript. It was a poem in Ghost Lights that I cut before I sent the final version to Bear, and I really wanted to make it fit here, but I'm not sure it does. That said, I'm now a bit torn because people keep telling me they think it's one of the strongest in the manuscript. I figure I have to go with my gut on this and keep it out, but things can change if need be.
*
Reading Half of a Yellow Sun for one of my classes.
Like it a lot so far.
Makes me want to go back and read Things Fall Apart again, which I'll have to do soon.
*
Pretty excited for the new Jonsi record, which comes out in about two months. Nico Muhly's gorgeous arrangements are obviously all over this thing, so I imagine it'll be closely following how much I like Owen Pallett's Heartland.
Also, the new Amman/Josh E.P. Places is pretty phenomenal.
Reminds me of Hammock, Eluvium, a bit of Stars of the Lid, and some of the ambient keyboard stuff Dan Burton was doing on the Early Day Miners records (mostly the first two) and some of his production with Unwed Sailor.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Longevity
I'm not sure I've talked about this before, but if I have, and you actually read this blog, and you've seen this before, well, then that's too bad.
But I wanted to get some feedback from some poets who've dealt with these issues before.
Most poetry book contests (and open reading periods) say that they want usually 48-80 pages. Sometimes 48-64. Sometimes 50-70. Sometimes 50-80. But usually it's within the 48-80 range.
Some specify that they want 48 pages of actual poetry. Some don't specify.
I suppose we can assume that if the minimum is 48 pages, however, and your last poem is on 48, with your first poem after the front matter starting somewhere around page 5 or 6, that you're going to have, quite possibly, about 40 pages of poetry, which in some camps is chapbook length.
Let's start by talking .doc files. I've seen many over the last few months. I've traded with many talented and willing poets. We've given comments back and forth. I've seen manuscripts change a lot over months where we're busy and don't end up getting to talk about them until, well, months later. And all of it has been helpful. Sometimes it's more helpful than anything else.
The final Ghost Lights .doc file, as far as poetry goes, starts on page 5 and ends on page 59, with two section breaks and three sections. So that equals, I think, 52 total pages of poetry, which is just above the minimum of 48 for contest (and open reading period) length.
I always wondered when I was sending it out, "So is this way too short if I'm right above the minimum?" I'm starting to think now, however, that that's the length you want to shoot for, or if anything, it's the length I'm going to try and shoot for as far as future manuscripts go. I guess that equals about 50-60 pages of actual poetry.
I say this because right now, the third proof for Ghost Lights, including all front and back matter, is 80 pages. Though there certainly are exceptions, I'm pretty adamant about the fact that a single collection of poetry should not be around 100 pages. But I'd love to hear a different side to this.
However, that just seems way too damn long to me, like The Thin Red Line or Paris, Texas equivalent of a collection, and I'm not sure a collection that long really needs be that long. After all, let's face it, there are few poets writing who are the poetic equivalent to Terrence Malick or Wim Wenders.
Does it not eventually have to do with being resourceful, cutting things you might love that don't fit, leaving someone with wanting more instead of possibly trudging through the last 20 pages, or wondering, "Why is this so long?" or "I'm not sure this section even needed to be here."
I guess I'd rather cut too much than too little, in the end, and keep writing toward a better collection.
It seems that with every post I get fewer and fewer comments, which is fine, but I'd love to know what some folks think about this. Am I nuts? Am I thinking about it too much? Am I restricting myself too much when I try to put a collection together by thinking about all these factors?
But I wanted to get some feedback from some poets who've dealt with these issues before.
Most poetry book contests (and open reading periods) say that they want usually 48-80 pages. Sometimes 48-64. Sometimes 50-70. Sometimes 50-80. But usually it's within the 48-80 range.
Some specify that they want 48 pages of actual poetry. Some don't specify.
I suppose we can assume that if the minimum is 48 pages, however, and your last poem is on 48, with your first poem after the front matter starting somewhere around page 5 or 6, that you're going to have, quite possibly, about 40 pages of poetry, which in some camps is chapbook length.
Let's start by talking .doc files. I've seen many over the last few months. I've traded with many talented and willing poets. We've given comments back and forth. I've seen manuscripts change a lot over months where we're busy and don't end up getting to talk about them until, well, months later. And all of it has been helpful. Sometimes it's more helpful than anything else.
The final Ghost Lights .doc file, as far as poetry goes, starts on page 5 and ends on page 59, with two section breaks and three sections. So that equals, I think, 52 total pages of poetry, which is just above the minimum of 48 for contest (and open reading period) length.
I always wondered when I was sending it out, "So is this way too short if I'm right above the minimum?" I'm starting to think now, however, that that's the length you want to shoot for, or if anything, it's the length I'm going to try and shoot for as far as future manuscripts go. I guess that equals about 50-60 pages of actual poetry.
I say this because right now, the third proof for Ghost Lights, including all front and back matter, is 80 pages. Though there certainly are exceptions, I'm pretty adamant about the fact that a single collection of poetry should not be around 100 pages. But I'd love to hear a different side to this.
However, that just seems way too damn long to me, like The Thin Red Line or Paris, Texas equivalent of a collection, and I'm not sure a collection that long really needs be that long. After all, let's face it, there are few poets writing who are the poetic equivalent to Terrence Malick or Wim Wenders.
Does it not eventually have to do with being resourceful, cutting things you might love that don't fit, leaving someone with wanting more instead of possibly trudging through the last 20 pages, or wondering, "Why is this so long?" or "I'm not sure this section even needed to be here."
I guess I'd rather cut too much than too little, in the end, and keep writing toward a better collection.
It seems that with every post I get fewer and fewer comments, which is fine, but I'd love to know what some folks think about this. Am I nuts? Am I thinking about it too much? Am I restricting myself too much when I try to put a collection together by thinking about all these factors?
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