Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
Forces of Imagination: Writing on Writing
Cultural Writing. From one of our most esteemed contemporary poets, a collection of essays about reading and poetics, written over many decades, and touching on many centuries. "We expect poets to give a first-hand account of what poetry is. But some poets, when they write criticism, produce a kind of prose that is itself on the verge of being poetry. Valery, Stevens and M...more
Paperback, 112 pages
Published
November 1st 2002
by Kelsey Street Press
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
128)
This fascinating collection of essays by poet Barbara Guest looks at nature of art and poetry and discusses the idea of imagination in a poets life and work. Her style essays are often poetry in and of themselves, delving into strong form and powerful language to convey her ideas. This is a book that should really be read multiple times and discussed among a group, as her thoughts are open to multiple interpretations.
“Be slow at first in permitting your passionate beliefs to surface; they will be pummeled on the surface of someone else’s thought.”
A nice collection of Guest's speeches, and some thoughts on her own poetics weaved into some of her poems.
I've been thinking about Barbara Guest’s essay, “Invisible Architecture,” in Forces of Imagination. I disagree with Guest’s proposal that poetry is channeled by an “invisible agency”—this is so reminiscent of Wordsworth’s “invisible workmanship.” Also, I don’t think poetry is the true fiction. True? I have the same issue with Stevens' word "supreme." And with the city named "Superior" just down the road. I prefer the name of the tiny Iowa town, "What Cheer." The what makes all the difference.
a poetic take on writing poetry. applicable to painting as well. she can effectively put words to her unique and authoritative way of seeing. bootstraps you out of consensus reality into visionary altered perception.
Nov 24, 2008
amber
marked it as to-read
Blog for KSP
If you would like to submit to the blog, please send a query.
Reviews, interviews, and other features relating to experimental writing by women are welcome. Visual artists, we would love to post images, so do consider submitting broadsides and other collaborations with writers.
Contact amber@kelseyst.com
www.kelseyst.com
If you would like to submit to the blog, please send a query.
Reviews, interviews, and other features relating to experimental writing by women are welcome. Visual artists, we would love to post images, so do consider submitting broadsides and other collaborations with writers.
Contact amber@kelseyst.com
www.kelseyst.com
encouraging and accessible..."invisible architecture" is one of my favorite short essays on poetics. stems away from being theoretical; is graceful and articulate, in that barbara-guest sort of way.
May 16, 2013
Jacob
marked it as to-read
Jan 13, 2013
Paula
added it
Jan 01, 2013
Roos
marked it as to-read
May 12, 2012
Jcken
marked it as to-read
Oct 24, 2011
Molly
marked it as wishlist
Oct 21, 2011
Amanda
marked it as to-read
Aug 17, 2011
Stacey Tran
marked it as to-read
Aug 16, 2011
Mariana
added it
Aug 09, 2011
Doug MacPherson
marked it as to-read
Jun 22, 2011
Chrissy Friedlander
marked it as to-read
Jun 04, 2011
julia
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Photo: Barbara Guest, photographed by Gloria Graham during the video taping of Add-Verse, 2003.
More about Barbara Guest...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
