Dear reader, here are three poetry-related stories I was particularly excited about over the past few weeks:
Kate Evans' Blog
I have been reading Kate Evans' blog for about five and a half years, and I am big fan of her poetry collection about marriage and domesticity, Like All We Love. Extremely prolific, she is also the author of wonderful fiction and nonfiction. Her blog has become particularly exciting lately as she and her husband prepare to travel the world in about a week. I am looking forward to reading about her journey and to see what great writing will inevitably stem from her time abroad.
Collin Kelley's New Book, Render
Collin Kelley is promoting his new poetry collection, Render. I was lucky enough to meet him at a reading we both performed at last spring. He is a gifted poet and a charming reader; I would recommend checking out his new book and watching him read, if you get the chance.
Ellen Bass' forthcoming Like a Beggar
I am very excited Ellen Bass has a new book coming out next year. Though there is still quite a bit of time to wait for its arrival, there are some poems (I assume) from the collection floating around the internet, such as "Ode to Repetition," which appears to have inspired the new book's title.
Happy reading and happy spring!
From Yes
A blog about music and poetry by Isaiah Vianese
Happy Belated Birthday to Cher: A Review of Her 1987 Self-Titled Album
While she has not always garnered the most critical acclaim, the general music-business wisdom about Cher claims that she is a chameleon and a survivor. The performer celebrated her 67th birthday this week, while also announcing the release of a new single next month and new album in September; it seems like the general wisdom will continue to prove true. I have long been a Cher fan--Believe was one of three albums I was given with my first CD player-- and I have always been the biggest fan of "rocker Cher," especially her 1987 release, Cher.
As with most self-titled records, this collection marked a rebirth for the singer--an aesthetic shift to an electric-guitar-heavy sound that still played to her strengths with story-songs about love and breakups. In the 70s, Cher was known for delivering a vibrato-heavy alto, and that deep melodramatic style works especially well in an 80s rock context. She can rise above the wall of guitars, as she does so well on the single, "I Found Someone." The diva also delivers compelling gritty turns on fan favorites, "We All Sleep Alone" and the reworking of her classic, "Bang Bang."
What is most interesting about these tracks is that they reveal Cher's under-appreciated vocal gifts that allow her to work comfortably with a variety of aesthetics. She can provide a roughness to the polished pop-rock productions on the previously discussed songs, deliver a classic ballad like "Main Man," and play it coy, as she does on the dance track, "Skin Deep." However, her delightfully dramatic delivery meshes these varying sounds to create a unified album that is all black leather jackets, hairspray, and female-empowerment.
Though she would continue to work with her "rocker" sound on the even-more successful follow-up, Heart of Stone (which features the pop juggernaut, "If I Could Turn Back Time"), Cher best captures the diva at the peak of her powers. The ten tracks on the album create a cohesive musical world that is part camp, part feminist rock-fest, and part pop-confection. I would claim it is her best album because every track works so well and reveals the qualities that make Cher such a likable persona: her ability to work hard, fall in love, and face disappointment, making it through it all with a wink, a laugh, and some good chorus-belting.
As with most self-titled records, this collection marked a rebirth for the singer--an aesthetic shift to an electric-guitar-heavy sound that still played to her strengths with story-songs about love and breakups. In the 70s, Cher was known for delivering a vibrato-heavy alto, and that deep melodramatic style works especially well in an 80s rock context. She can rise above the wall of guitars, as she does so well on the single, "I Found Someone." The diva also delivers compelling gritty turns on fan favorites, "We All Sleep Alone" and the reworking of her classic, "Bang Bang."
What is most interesting about these tracks is that they reveal Cher's under-appreciated vocal gifts that allow her to work comfortably with a variety of aesthetics. She can provide a roughness to the polished pop-rock productions on the previously discussed songs, deliver a classic ballad like "Main Man," and play it coy, as she does on the dance track, "Skin Deep." However, her delightfully dramatic delivery meshes these varying sounds to create a unified album that is all black leather jackets, hairspray, and female-empowerment.
Though she would continue to work with her "rocker" sound on the even-more successful follow-up, Heart of Stone (which features the pop juggernaut, "If I Could Turn Back Time"), Cher best captures the diva at the peak of her powers. The ten tracks on the album create a cohesive musical world that is part camp, part feminist rock-fest, and part pop-confection. I would claim it is her best album because every track works so well and reveals the qualities that make Cher such a likable persona: her ability to work hard, fall in love, and face disappointment, making it through it all with a wink, a laugh, and some good chorus-belting.
New Poem
For the next week, my poem, "Lube and Coffee," will be featured on the Mad Swirl Poetry Forum. My thanks to the poetry editor for picking it up and writing such a lovely and funny editor's note. Happy Monday, dear reader.
Desert Island Books: Ellen Bass and Maxine Hong Kingston
I'm preparing for a move, and in a month I will become a bit of a vagabond for the summer before my boyfriend and I settle into our new place. As such, the majority of my possessions have to go into storage, including my print books. (I have yet to acquire an e-reader.) Contemplating packing has also made me think about what books I need on hand for the summer, and (fortunately) both are slender volumes brimming with good writing. These are the two texts I would want ship-wrecked with me, as the old cliche goes.
Mules of Love by Ellen Bass
This collection made me fall in love with poetry in a serious way. Marking her comeback to poetry after an almost two-decade hiatus, Bass focuses on her domestic life--sex with her partner, talking to her neighbors, and caring for her children. It's a book about trying to be warm, open, loving, and happy. The text shows compassion, not only for Bass' intimates but also for the reader. The poet concludes the collection by reaching out to the reader in "Insomnia," the final lines of which are, "As you lie with eyes / open or closed, may something / comfort you... even me--in my chilly kitchen / with my coat over my nightgown--thinking of you." Such warmth and hope is too rare in poetry, and (for me) Bass' aesthetic is spot-on. While every piece in Mules of Love shows strong craft, I particularly like "God and the G-Spot," "Remodeling the Bathroom," "Basket of Figs," and "Tigers and People."
To Be the Poet by Maxine Hong Kingston
In this mini-memoir, Kingston discusses a spring during which she puts away prose-writing to try her hand at poetry. However, she does not see writing poetry as simply working with a genre but rather as a way of life in which one attempts to live joyfully, openly, and in the moment. Buddhist principles permeate the narrative, which features scattered fragments of poems, humorous stories, and meditations. To Be the Poet is a manifesto about capturing happiness, and for me it has functioned in the same way Letters to a Young Poet by Rilke has for others. The first section of the book is particularly gripping, and you can hear Kingston read from the text at UC Berkley in the video below.
Mules of Love by Ellen Bass
This collection made me fall in love with poetry in a serious way. Marking her comeback to poetry after an almost two-decade hiatus, Bass focuses on her domestic life--sex with her partner, talking to her neighbors, and caring for her children. It's a book about trying to be warm, open, loving, and happy. The text shows compassion, not only for Bass' intimates but also for the reader. The poet concludes the collection by reaching out to the reader in "Insomnia," the final lines of which are, "As you lie with eyes / open or closed, may something / comfort you... even me--in my chilly kitchen / with my coat over my nightgown--thinking of you." Such warmth and hope is too rare in poetry, and (for me) Bass' aesthetic is spot-on. While every piece in Mules of Love shows strong craft, I particularly like "God and the G-Spot," "Remodeling the Bathroom," "Basket of Figs," and "Tigers and People."
To Be the Poet by Maxine Hong Kingston
In this mini-memoir, Kingston discusses a spring during which she puts away prose-writing to try her hand at poetry. However, she does not see writing poetry as simply working with a genre but rather as a way of life in which one attempts to live joyfully, openly, and in the moment. Buddhist principles permeate the narrative, which features scattered fragments of poems, humorous stories, and meditations. To Be the Poet is a manifesto about capturing happiness, and for me it has functioned in the same way Letters to a Young Poet by Rilke has for others. The first section of the book is particularly gripping, and you can hear Kingston read from the text at UC Berkley in the video below.
Feel Good Song: The Way by Ariana Grande (ft Mac Miller)
There is an inherent laziness to Ariana Grande's first single, "The Way." Grande is a likeable vocalist, but she delivers lyrics with almost no diction; you can only understand what she is singing about half of the time. Her performance coupled with Mac Miller's slouchy rap makes for a particularly slack track, but that laid-back mood is surprisingly attractive. Grande and Miller have good romantic chemistry--an important factor for a song that boasts "You got my heart. Don't know how you did it." Not to mention, they both seem like they are having a good time, swooning over each other. The laid-back dance-party setting also works well, featuring backing singers shouting "hey" softly, clapping, keyboard, and drum machines, while Grande moves between belting and her Mariah Carey-esque head voice. The track is simple but friendly. It sounds like summer: sunshine, drinking with friends, watching a movie on the couch, and making out with your man.
Album Review: Emeli Sande's Our Version of Events
It's understandable why Emeli Sande's debut, Our Version of Events, is already a hit in the U.K. The album integrates dance, R and B, pop, and soul to create a lush and energetic musical world. Sande has a lot in common with the late Whitney Houston in that she her vocal performances often allow her to straddle multiple genres; these are the moments when the album shines.
The highlights are the upbeat tracks. The opener, "Heaven," makes use of layered synthesizers and drum machines, creating an "epic" effect so often credited to bands like M83. Breakout single, "Next to Me," balances live percussion with strong piano and vocal performances, and the track makes the singer sound strong and confident. Best of all is "Wonderful," an optimistic pop anthem that, again, benefits from drums. The song is also Sande's most inviting singing performance, as it allows her to open up on the chorus without making her voice quiver or catch, as it has a tendency to do on so many of her tracks.
Unfortunately, the ballads do not fair as well. When things slow up, the album bogs down and we get to see less of what Sande can do as a vocalist; she is a more interesting performer when she is railing and strident rather than when she is somber. Still, the ballads--like "Mountains," "River," and "Clown"--are lovely, even though a bit dull.
Our Version of Events is a strong debut by an artist who knows how to sing about love and heartache. At her best, Sande is a bold pop star who can mix musical aesthetics to create interesting tension in her songs. Perhaps her follow up will continue to highlight these remarkable strengths.
The highlights are the upbeat tracks. The opener, "Heaven," makes use of layered synthesizers and drum machines, creating an "epic" effect so often credited to bands like M83. Breakout single, "Next to Me," balances live percussion with strong piano and vocal performances, and the track makes the singer sound strong and confident. Best of all is "Wonderful," an optimistic pop anthem that, again, benefits from drums. The song is also Sande's most inviting singing performance, as it allows her to open up on the chorus without making her voice quiver or catch, as it has a tendency to do on so many of her tracks.
Unfortunately, the ballads do not fair as well. When things slow up, the album bogs down and we get to see less of what Sande can do as a vocalist; she is a more interesting performer when she is railing and strident rather than when she is somber. Still, the ballads--like "Mountains," "River," and "Clown"--are lovely, even though a bit dull.
Our Version of Events is a strong debut by an artist who knows how to sing about love and heartache. At her best, Sande is a bold pop star who can mix musical aesthetics to create interesting tension in her songs. Perhaps her follow up will continue to highlight these remarkable strengths.
Single Review: Hold Me by Yoko Ono featuring David Aude
This week, the Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs chart is where it's at. The top five includes some great music: the shimmering Ellie Goulding/Calvin Harris collab, "I Need Your Love;" Tegan and Sara's pop gem, "Closer;" and Emile Sande's peppy soul ballad, "Next to Me." That's some damn good stuff, at the top of which sits Yoko Ono's "Hold Me," remixed by Dave Aude. It's understandable why this song is a dance hit; it has a great beat, and Ono chanting the hook, "Hold me in your arms," over and over makes you want to pull your lover closer and closer. The track also accomplishes what the best music of Ono's career has always done by straddling the experimental and the accessible. The singer's voice is scratchy and edgy as ever, but set within the shimmering, pulsing dance production, it provides emotional heft to an otherwise lyrically fluffy song. Ono's performance makes the piece a sexy ode to longing and desire; kudos to her for staying on the top of her game.
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