Writing the Life Poetic

Sage Cohen lied to me. To us! Or is this that "poetic license" they're always talking about?

I'd challenged myself to give poetry more thought—it being national poetry month and all—so I went to see Sage Cohen speak at the April Willamette Writer's meeting. She talked about poetry as a process, something you don't need to be "good at" to enjoy. She read some poems, gave examples of ways to spark creativity, and gave the audience a writing exercise. Afterward she signed copies of her just-released book, Writing the Life Poetic, and I didn't buy one. It was a good talk and all, but right now I need to focus my writing in other directions. I was intrigued enough, though, to put a hold on the book at the library.

When Gabe Barber interviewed Sage on Reading Local: Portland, he asked who the book was written for--and here's where the lying comes in, ready for it?

Sage responded, "Practicing poets, aspiring poets, and teachers of writing in a variety of settings can use Writing the Life Poetic to write, read, and enjoy poems; it works equally well as a self-study companion or as a classroom guide. Both practical and inspirational, it will leave readers with a greater appreciation for the poetry they read and a greater sense of possibility for the poetry they write."

Nice answer right? But not even close to the truth.

I'll grant you that this book will be treasured by the poets, and the poet-teachers, and the poet-wannabes. They'll use its exercises to help themselves blossom, to fight their way out of writer's block. They'll quote passages to each other and nod wisely or laugh in community.

But what about the rest of us? Those of us who Don't Write Poetry? Are we not equally deserving of Ms. Cohen's wisdom? Is she trying to keep it from us by hiding it inside a book that says POETRY on the cover?

Take chapter 78, Keeping Your Wilderness Alive (posted in its entirety on the Writing the Life Poetic website. In this chapter, Sage describes the day she got locked out of her house without a car, an inconvenience which led her to try out a café she'd always been too busy to stop into. The experience was profound.

I tasted, marveled, and wrote some more. And as I did, I was transported to the life and times of Sage of yesteryear. This Sage had free time. With little income and minimal expenses, she lived for the indulgence of her weekend café breakfasts. . . . This old Sage was spontaneous. Not yet the precariously over-committed and over-scheduled adult she would grow up to be, this young woman had room for surprises.

This chapter will have you ready to do what it takes to find your own wilderness. Sage is very convincing, saying, "Your poetry depends on it." I say, if that's poetry, sign me up.

Which is, I believe, the whole stinkin' point of her book. And if poetry is, as she says, a way of looking at the world, then it follows that there isn't a person alive who couldn't benefit from Writing the Life Poetic. But you'd have had to read the book or hear Sage talk to get that.

Until now. Because I'm here to tell you, Sage Cohen lied to us. The correct answer to the question "Who is Writing the Life Poetic for?"

Everyone.

My copy goes back to the library on Friday. I'll be buying one to replace it with.

By Alison Jakel

Poetry

I'm reading a book by local poet Sage Cohen, called Writing the Life Poetic: An Invitation to Read and Write Poetry. I wish I was far enough into it to be inspired in response to Susan's challenge to write some poetry, but my poetic synapses don't seem to be firing yet because I can't even come up with so much as a haiku.

So here's a poem by Lucille Clifton. What I like about it is the way she uses one part of her body to represent acceptance of herself. Instead of worrying that her hips are too big, she equates their size with power and freedom. Listen to her read it on Poets.org: Clifton's voice and expression really make the poem live.

Homage to My Hips

these hips are big hips.
they need space to
move around in.
they don't fit into little
petty places. these hips
are free hips.
they don't like to be held back.
these hips have never been enslaved,
they go where they want to go
they do what they want to do.
these hips are mighty hips.
these hips are magic hips.
i have known them
to put a spell on a man and
spin him like a top

The next edition of the C.O.R.A. Diversity Roll Call will be found right here, this Friday. The topic? Here's a hint from President Obama.

TSS: Poetry Month

I decided to focus on reading more poetry for a mini-challenge, without even realizing the timing worked out so that the mini-challenge led me right into National Poetry Month. I love when life converges on itself that way. Anyway, I've been listening to more poetry.

I also went to a talk on Tuesday by Sage Cohen, who has a new book out called Writing the Life Poetic: An Invitation to Read and Write Poetry. Sage firmly believes that poetry should be enjoyed by everyone and that we cheat ourselves by deciding we're not "good enough" to write poetry. I can't wait to read her book, because I do like writing poetry but I don't know enough to be able to tell whether any of mine are any good. Sage's point is to write them anyway. I like that.

In that spirit, I've been working on a poem about my kids and my old cat who was very ill last week and spent all day every day at the vet getting IV fluids to save her kidneys. The cat is much better now, though not out of the woods completely. The poem, on the other hand, may be dying a slow and neglected death. Time will tell.

This week's C.O.R.A. Diversity Roll Call is about poetry as well. The full post and Mr. Linky can be found on Color Online this week:

Complete one or all of the following:

1) Post a poem by a woman of color. Your choice must be a poet who has written in the last forty years. Do your best to avoid the most anthologized, popular poets unless poetry is new terrority for you. In that case, check out why the popular poets are well loved.

2) Tell us why you like the poem you chose. Don't worry about the technical aspects of writing poetry, devices or forms. Give us your reader's response. How does it make you feel or what does it make you think about? What questions does it raise for you?

3) If you are a poetry reader and you can recommend a contemporary woman poet of color, who do you recommend and why? I would really love to hear about emerging or lesser known poets. Introduce us to poets from around the world.

Please remember to provide citation for the work you post. Provide links and interesting trivia if you like. Be creative.

Susan makes it easy to get started by offering names of a half-dozen poets you can Google.

I decided to focus on January O'Neill, a.k.a. Poet Mom, whose first book of poetry, Underlife, will be published in the fall by CavanKerry Press. It's hardly fair to feature a poem written for NaPoWriMo, a challenge to write a poem every day in April, but I'm doing it anyway. Please click on the titles to read the poems.

A Mother's Tale shares a moment in which O'Neill teaches her young son how to experience the world as poetry.
Tea With My Husband begins with the buzz in the author's mind left over from the day's business, moves through the physical sound that ends that portion of the day, into the sound that signals the beginning of reconnecting with her husband.

What do you think of these? And, is anyone else doing anything special for National Poetry Month?