Read the foreign and the dead : Lavinia Greenlaw : Harriet the Blog : The Poetry Foundation

Online Journal
- Articles
- News
- Audio & Podcasts
- Blog
- Books
- Video
Archive
Programs
Foundation
Poetry Magazine

Lavinia Greenlaw

Read the foreign and the dead

jewish%20cemetery%20near%20lubin%20june%2006%202.jpg
I grew up in a house full of books and made my way through the shelves.
There wasn’t much else to do.
I didn’t have a clue who anyone was, so I read poems not poets.
Those who formed me were from mythical places: Eastern Europe (lurking behind the Iron Curtain) and America (lurking behind the album cover and cinema screen).
They took me outside and so I got to see in.

09.30.08 PERMALINK | COMMENTS (3)

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 at 5:38 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

3 Comments for “Read the foreign and the dead”

(click to show comment)

Lavinia Greenlaw, I wish you would write more. Your posts make me feel less alone. — Ange

Posted By: Ange Mlinko on September 30, 2008 at 8:13 am
(click to show comment)

“Read poems, not poets” is as a good a prescription. I wonder what would become of the current leading lights if we all applied that standard.

Posted By: Joseph Hutchison on September 30, 2008 at 8:19 am
(click to show comment)

I doubt they would dim, Joseph.

Posted By: Lbehrendt on September 30, 2008 at 6:33 pm