David Anthony Sam's Blog, page 139
August 23, 2019
Thank you Editor Glenn Lyvers of Poetry Quarterly for accepting 2 more of my poems for publication in the next issue.
Thank you Editor Glenn Lyvers of Poetry Quarterly for accepting 2 more of my poems for publication in the next issue.
August 13, 2019
Art is a form of truth
“We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda, it is a form of truth.” John F. Kennedy
August 10, 2019
Toni Morrison – A voice that insists on facing the truth and believing that we can be true to our betters selves
“We die. That may be the meaning of life. But we do language. The may be the measure of our lives.” – Toni Morrison
By that measure, her life will always be measured large.
August 9, 2019
Review: The Left Hand of Darkness
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Rereading this classic nearly 50 years after the first time I experienced it, I was impressedby two things:
First,
this is a wonderful book, a powerful book on love, friendship,
sexuality and gender, politics and betrayal, and light and darkness.
Second,
when I first read it, I found it to be in some ways revolutionary in
dealing with gender and sex roles, Time has passed. The world and I have
changed. Now I see the masculine-oriented viewpoint of LeGuin, the
condescension towards the female in many places that can’t be explained
entirely by the point-of-view of the main character. LeGuin herself said
that the criticism she received over the years was justified, that
while she was a child of her times, that was no excuse, and that she
would write in differently. For instance, she would not use the pronoun
“he” for an androgynous people who are both male and female.
But
I still love the book despite its flaws and recommend it highly. The
journey of the main characters and the journey of the book over time are
both revelatory.
August 8, 2019
There are still seats left in my Fall 2019 creative writing class at Germanna
Register for classes | Germanna Community College
Students may register in person at Fredericksburg, Locust Grove, Stafford, Culpeper locations or online. All students are encouraged to register for classes as
— Read on www.germanna.edu/admissions/register/
August 7, 2019
Review: Life on Mars: Poems
Life on Mars: Poems by Tracy K. Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I wanted to like this collection more
I wanted to like this collection more than I did. As is my practice, I read each poem at least twice. Some are good, but many do not stir me emotionally or awaken me with original or at least striking language. The poet likes simile, which many current poets seem to avoid along with any metaphor. Some of the similes ring with significance, but many fall flat.
A competent collection, worth reading, but it may not reward rereading.
Review: Black Book of Poems
Black Book of Poems by Vincent K. Hunanyan
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
Earnest but outdated
The author of Black Book of Poems tells us he want to write accessible and not pretentious poetry, a valid goal. However, as is the case with many earnest poets, he falls into the trap of writing with a poetic diction from the Victorian Era. The emotional experience seems honest, but the poetry fails to convey cognitive or affective depth.
August 1, 2019
Congratulations to the winners and finalists of the 2019 Homebound Publications Poetry Prize. My collection, Geographies of the Dead was an Honorable Mention.
Congratulations to the winners and finalists of the 2019 Homebound Publications Poetry Prize. My collection, Geographies of the Dead, was an Honorable Mention.
July 25, 2019
My poem, “The Grace of Firstfall Last,” has been published by The Voices Project and can be read online.
My poem, “The Grace of Firstfall Last,” has been published by The Voices Project and can be read online.
July 20, 2019
Earthrise – When will we ever learn?
When this photo from Apollo 8 was revealed in 1968, we hoped it would change the way we see our world–and each other. Sadly, we have forgotten that we live on this tiny, blue island. We despoil its fragile envelope of air and water. We blame and vilify and murder each other. All as if we were not together on a small lifeboat in a sea of darkness. All as if something or someone out there will come and fix us, fix everything we’ve ruined.
There may still be time. On this 50th anniversary of the first human footprint on another world, let’s remember that the moon or any other known planet will not support life. No one or thing is coming to save us.
Gandhi did not actually say, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” But he would likely have agreed with that quotation. And it does describe where we will find our only solutions. There may still be time….
