" i had to learn the simple things last..."

"...which made for difficulties."


i'm not really sure when it became clear to me that poets were the best critics of poetry. i'd resolved at some point to teach a class on "poet critics." what made me come to this conclusion was simple: i read what poets had to say about poets & poetry. specifically, i read what olson wrote about melville (a poet at heart & he returned to poetry in the end), what creeley had to say about whitman, what duncan said about olson & so many more.

academics have never accepted poetry as simply something someone's trying to tell me, a message, "the news" (as pound said). they've made it some arcane thing, describing it w/arcane language that poets & every day folk never use but other academics can (or not & then more arcane language ensues...). can you imagine any academic writing:

"i take SPACE to be the central fact to man in america, from folsom cave to now. i spell it large because it comes large here. large & without mercy."


that's from charles olson's astonishing book, "call me ishmael," on melville. this isn't how they write or speak in academia. it's one reason most college level lit departments are w/o direction or meaning & in a panic as to what to do or how to do it. they might start by listening to the poets. that's a really good place to start.

i was stunned when i found these clips of olson. i'd heard him on tapes reading (in & of itself, a revelation) but seeing the man (tho you can't really see here just what an imposing FIGURE he was...all 6'8" of him) is truly a delight. i think you get the sense here of how important he feels his message is & his need to make himself understood. that's what most of these guys are up to & that's not what you'll be taught in college.
enjoy.