FORMAL VARIETY


Ah, mid-winter. It's refreshing, if a bit disabling. Anyway,
follow the instructions on the sheet I handed out. There
are a few extras in the wall box outside my office if you
missed last Tuesday.

Otherwise, remember we're doing the poems alphabetically.

So we begin with Sarah Barrett. Etc.

We will do at least seven batches this time, the rest a week
from Tuesday, along with our visit from Ms. Keranen.

I want to suggest: one helpful thing to do with the poems
is to arrange them into an ideal order. Books of poems
don't just arrange themselves randomly. Arrange to increase
drama, to enhance surprise, to create formal variety, for
"comic" relief. Place a short poem after a long one, etc.

Can I say there is quite a bit of talent in these pages. And
urgency. The poems do feel necessary . . .

In the meantime, have a good weekend.

The Analecta deadline is fast approaching. Get your poems
in by next Friday if you want to seem them published.
More on that on Tuesday.