Andrea Corbin's Blog, page 2
January 1, 2017
2016 in books. A lot of books.
Excluding abandoned books, but including any re-reads I bothered to track, here are some Facts about my year in reading. Books finished: 74 Oldest book:Sheby H. Rider Haggard (1887) Read old books!They’re great sometimes. This one has magic, powerful women, pillars of fire, and immortality, as well as imperialist racism, terrible sexism, and other fun […]
December 5, 2016
This week in reading articles
Because I have found writing difficult lately, and I have had little interest in novels, and various other small reasons, I have been reading a lot of articles lately. Here’s another smattering of things I have been reading: “Capitalism has always divided its labour supply along lines of race and gender, ensuring that in times […]
November 28, 2016
Links: Sundry articles
Some things I have read recently and enjoyed deeply. Any bold emphasis in the quotes is my addition. Ursula Le Guin Has Stopped Writing Fiction — But We Need Her More Than Ever – “Books aren’t just commodities; the profit motive is often in conflict with the aims of art. We live in capitalism, its […]
November 16, 2016
On translation: “White Night”
It feels very silly to talk about poetry at a time like this, but of course it isn’t. I thought about looking for a poem that seemed more situationally appropriate, but you know what? This is fine. This is a Russian poet writing in the early 20th century (annoyingly, I have returned the book to […]
November 3, 2016
On “Aesthetic”
Friends, I puzzled over this post for a while, and then decided to go with it. It’s a short poem. I hope you like it. Aesthetic Charles Tomlinson Reality is to be sought, not in concrete, But in space made articulate: The shore, for instance, Spreading between wall and wall; The sea-voice Tearing the silence […]
October 8, 2016
Poetry: Explained.
Oh, sothat’s the purpose of poetry? That explainseverything. (via)
October 3, 2016
Art: ennobled portraits
Romaine Brooks The portraits of the 1920s in particular—cross-dressed and otherwise—portray their subjects as powerful, self-confident, and fearless….one woman complained, upon seeing her portrait, “You haven’t beautified me”, to which Brooks replied, “I have ennobled you.” (via)
September 24, 2016
On “There Will Come Soft Rains”
I have a poem for you today. No, come back!It’s not mine. I’m going to share this poem, and then I’m going to talk a bit. I hope you stick around. There Will Come Soft Rains Sara Teasdale, 1884 – 1933 (War Time) There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground, And […]
September 14, 2016
Reading Poetry: It Begins…
I had this idea to force one of my poetry friends to engage in a conversation with me in which I yell belligerently at them about poetry. (tweet deleted fornot being funny: Someone said that “poetry is that which is lost in translation,” right What the hell What does that mean) Instead I muse about […]
August 14, 2016
Update on that no-media experiment
Things I successfully avoided in my experiment: Fiction. Surprisingly, that was the easiest thing to do. Mostly because there is such interesting nonfiction in the world! Podcasts were easy to avoid, too (with one exception that I knew I couldn’t quit. PCHH, I love you too, too dearly.) Otherwise, I cheated a whole heck of […]
