There’s so much going on today. Kafka’s America, for instance. Jonathan’s panel at the Pen conference in New York. And something else. So much else. Lately I’ve been bumping up a little against Susan Sontag’s diary. I was wondering how a blog is different from a diary. Susan didn’t get paid to write hers, and she had to die first before we could read it.
The pure whiteness up here. We are organizing a project back in New York called The Collection of Silence. To see what we’ve got if we don’t use sound. Poets I mean. So twenty five of us are not reading at The Hispanic Society on June 30 at 7PM. I have many reasons for doing this because silence means so many different things to everyone. So that’s good for a public event. But definitely part of of my reason for doing this is that I had worked on an opera a few years ago – wrote the libretto, wanted to direct it but didn’t. I think I was afraid. But I do feel completely competent to direct a project of silence. I am kind of dedicated to the doable. It’s a huge part of what I mean when I say poetry.
And I bet every poet would agree that a poem begins in silence though they would probably disagree once it begins: the poem, I mean. But it happens throughout. In every poem I believe. Silence is shaping the thing. I was in a meeting on Wednesday at the Dia office planning the big silence event. We should have a blog said Barbara. Oh I do have a blog I thought. O Harriet. And so she begins….
Hi Eileen! We’re so glad to have you here. You already made me laugh three times with your first post. Thanks for that, and for joining us. I, for one, can’t wait to read your diary.
Posted By: Catherine Halley on May 1, 2009 at 3:11 pmReport this comment
O Harriet!!
Posted By: Annie FInch on May 1, 2009 at 3:20 pmWelcome Eileen!!!!!
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And I bet every poet would agree that a poem begins in silence
I maybe prefer a poem to begin in noise (i.e., in the world) and achieve silence. But perhaps I am nostalgic for silence.
Posted By: Chris Piuma on May 1, 2009 at 3:28 pmReport this comment
Annie,
I totally knew you would be the poet to say, no, I think…re silence. Doesn’t noise even get informed by micro-silences?
Thanks for your greeting. I have a cafe out my window and it’s summer already and I feel like I’m backstage at a rock concert. Not much silence here.
Eileen
Posted By: Eileen Myles on May 2, 2009 at 5:29 pmReport this comment
Hi Eileen,
Posted By: Sina Queyras on May 1, 2009 at 4:01 pmGreat to see you here.
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Good move, Harriet. Hi, Eileen.
Posted By: Mary Meriam on May 1, 2009 at 4:03 pmReport this comment
Welcome aboard!
Posted By: Jason Guriel on May 2, 2009 at 9:10 amReport this comment
Hey Eileen! I’m psyched you’re a blogger now. Yay Harriet for making this happen.
Posted By: Andrea Lawlor on May 2, 2009 at 2:18 pmReport this comment
Andrea,
I was a blogger before. I guess it was just a more sneaky one. I’m glad you read this. I’ll be seeing you here.
Eileen
Posted By: Eileen Myles on May 2, 2009 at 5:30 pmReport this comment
maybe i didn’t catch it in your post: why are you flying to Texas? I’m in Texas. North Texas. Leaving for South Texas next week.
Posted By: michael j on May 3, 2009 at 2:09 amReport this comment
I read at a cafe in El Paso w Bobby Byrd n Veronica Guajardo. Actually the reading series was called The Dishonest Mailman and as a dap (daughter of an american postalworker) I was in awe of this name. I went on to Los Cruces and read at NMSU courtesy of the great Connie Voisine. Where are you? I guess I should go write my blog…
Posted By: Eileen Myles on May 5, 2009 at 2:22 pmReport this comment