lots and lots of neat

recommended: joy manesiotis

I think it's tricky to write a poem about science and selfishness. It's tricky because there aren't that many people that have thought about how selfish a human body can be, scientifically. Joy Manesiotis apparently did. And not just her selfishness, even that little embryo guy, trying to grab on to her uterine wall. Who does he think he is? She has her own identity to deal with here, embryo. Can't you be a little sensitive? Just a little bit?

This poem, "Small," in the Spring 2009 issue of Colorado Review, is quite a feat. I want to call it a scientific lyric, but not in that "fractal poetry" kind of scientificism (I'm sure Ms. Fulton wouldn't say hers is scientific, more mathematic), more like scientific as the type of language and perspective at thet poet's disposal.

Related Links:
Colorado Review (worldcat search for Colorado Review)
They Sing to Her Bones

recommended: christine hume

"Between the Way Out and the Way Home," in the Fall/Winter 2008 issue of Colorado Review, at first, well, it took a bit at first to get started. But then, it happened, it stood up, it took in the river, that river, it was absolutely unstoppable. It just kept revolving around river, and depthing it, and diving beneath it. And then Hume's second poem, "Leash," like your tongue is a leash. SERIOUSLY! (That's me being pleased, susumptuously pleased!)

recommended: janine oshiro

Who is this mystery poet? Who writes a bio note saying, "lives in Hawaii?" Yes, another one from the Winter/Fall 2008 issue of Colorado Review. This one is....YES! "Chorus." It reminds me a lot of Emily Wilson's work in The Keep, with language individualated and careful. It's almost doing the walk, like words could walk (the walk, they might say) together to make chorus. Together now, sing! A chorus of what? Oh, Him. YES?! Him.

recommended: lyn hejinian

Full disclosure, I have poems in the Fall/Winter 2008 issue of Colorado Review. Which is awesome. And guess what my delight was when I opened to the table of contents to see a poem by Lyn Hejinian. Not that anyone really needs to have Lyn Hejinian recommended for them, but, you know, everyone should have Lyn Hejinian recommended to them again and again. Really these poems in particular. Fragmented fragments, or sentence fragments used to describe fragments of things, or names are fragments, really, just pieces of really even. I just love it. LOVE IT!