The Bad:
A Dreaded Thing occurs.
The Good:
Dreaded Thing Occurrences are, it seems to me, a lot like Bactine (and, perhaps, Bakhtin, though elucidation of this would require much more thought): you spray it on, it hurts, and then the healing begins.
Dinner with My New Friend, who is cooler than Ross’ New Friend, whatever Ross may say.
Care package from another dear friend, containing, among other things, the following:
- Amy Gerstler’s Medicine. Why I have not already read this book, I shall never know. I’ve only skimmed the surface, so far — reading the first poem, “Prayer for Jackson,” which is beautiful and lands with a grace rarely seen, and “Cut-Up,” read while waiting for my computer to boot up, with striking leaps reminiscent of the great Laura Jensen. I’m looking forward to spending the evening with “Lovesickness: a radio play for four disembodies voices.”
- A Kelly Clarkson cd. I cannot believe that I am about to discuss Kelly Clarkson on a poetry blog, but it appears that it must be done. If you don’t respect Kelly Clarkson, you should, as her recent interview in Elle proves. Her refusal to promote herself during a charity concert, her reported refusal to accept a great deal of money to cut five songs from her album in favor of more “pop hit” tunes, her refusal to fall into the pratfalls so many young women have been prone to, herinsistence on speaking her mind even if it might mean not selling as many records — you have to admit, the girl has got guts.
Overall Evaluation:
Bad Scenes: 1
Good Stuff: 4
Sorry, Bad Scene. Good Stuff wins.
Emma Bolden is the author of How To Recognize A Lady, a chapbook of poems published as part of Edge by Edge, the third in Toadlily Press' Quartet Series, and The Mariner's Wife, a chapbook published by Finishing Line Press. Her third chapbook, The Sad Epistles, is forthcoming from Dancing Girl Press. She was the recipient of a Tennessee Williams Scholarship to the Sewanee Writers' Conference and was named a Finalist for a Ruth Lilly Fellowship by the Poetry Foundation/Poetry magazine. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in such journals as Prairie Schooner, the Indiana Review, Feminist Studies, The Journal, Redivider, The Greensboro Review, and Verse. Her manuscript was a semi-finalist for the Perugia Press Prize. She is a Visiting Assistant Professor of English at Georgetown College, where she also serves as the poetry editor of the Georgetown Review.
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July 3, 2007 at 3:00 pm
Ross
Kelly Clarkson in your second post. Your blog has gone from awesome to sublime in 5.4 seconds, Emma Bolden.
July 3, 2007 at 5:08 pm
emmabolden
Raising the bar, Ross. Raising the bar.
July 9, 2007 at 4:44 pm
didyousayhername
I’m in favor of Kelly Clarkson as well, though I feel you already know that. She’s a thousand percent more coherent that Courtney Love (though I do love you, Courtney, I do still love you so), so she just might be my new musical hero.
July 9, 2007 at 4:51 pm
emmabolden
This is true. If only Kelly would start wearing combat boots and smearing her mouth with lipstick.