October 6th, 2009 / 7:55 pm
 I Like __ A Lot

I Like Sarah Manguso A Lot.

sarah-mangusoI don’t have anything amazing to say about Sarah Manguso except that her book, The Two Kinds of Decay, was so awesome I feel like it became a part of my body. I wrote this thing for The Rumpus that goes more into that book, but for now I want to give you one quote from a Bookslut interview with her:

In a magazine feature I read years ago, a mathematician was quoted as saying “I am a machine that turns coffee into equations.” And at the time I thought, “Oh, I’m a machine that turns coffee into poems.” I live a regimented life. I work in a little box, a little room at the back of the apartment, and eat lunch at the same time every day. I’m a simple machine.

I guess I just love the memoirist/poet hybrid. Nick Flynn and Michael Ondaatje are two more that come to mind. Anyone know of other poets who venture into memoir?

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27 Comments

  1. October 7th, 2009 / 12:02 am Michael Schaub—

      I love Mark Doty’s memoirs, particularly Heaven’s Coast, and Donald Hall’s The Best Day The Worst Day, though both are incredibly depressing. Philip Levine’s The Bread of Time is great, though it’s not a memoir, per se. Still good.

  2. October 6th, 2009 / 8:02 pm Michael Schaub—

      I love Mark Doty’s memoirs, particularly Heaven’s Coast, and Donald Hall’s The Best Day The Worst Day, though both are incredibly depressing. Philip Levine’s The Bread of Time is great, though it’s not a memoir, per se. Still good.

  3. October 7th, 2009 / 12:24 am Matthew Simmons—

      Good essay, Catherine.

  4. October 6th, 2009 / 8:24 pm Matthew Simmons—

      Good essay, Catherine.

  5. October 7th, 2009 / 12:40 am jh—

      If you liked Two Kinds of Decay, you should also check out Alphonse Daudet’s ‘In the Land of Pain,’ which I would guess Manguso read at some point during/after her illness. It has the same kind of sad beauty.

  6. October 6th, 2009 / 8:40 pm jh—

      If you liked Two Kinds of Decay, you should also check out Alphonse Daudet’s ‘In the Land of Pain,’ which I would guess Manguso read at some point during/after her illness. It has the same kind of sad beauty.

  7. October 7th, 2009 / 1:18 am Catherine Lacey—

      Thanks for the recommendations. Going to the Strand with these in mind.

  8. October 6th, 2009 / 9:18 pm Catherine Lacey—

      Thanks for the recommendations. Going to the Strand with these in mind.

  9. October 7th, 2009 / 3:30 am Jason Mitchell—

      Jennifer Moxley’s Middle Room. Another that comes to mind is Baron Wormser’s The Road Washes Out in Spring.

  10. October 6th, 2009 / 11:30 pm Jason Mitchell—

      Jennifer Moxley’s Middle Room. Another that comes to mind is Baron Wormser’s The Road Washes Out in Spring.

  11. October 7th, 2009 / 5:05 am sasha fletcher—

      i too like sarah manguso a lot.
      siste viator was amazing.
      anybody who likes shit that is good should read it.

  12. October 7th, 2009 / 1:05 am sasha fletcher—

      i too like sarah manguso a lot.
      siste viator was amazing.
      anybody who likes shit that is good should read it.

  13. October 7th, 2009 / 7:05 am Jac Jemc—

      Marge Piercy, Maureen Seaton, Therese Svoboda.

      Isn’t Gabe Gudding’s Rhode Island Notebook a kind of memoir?

      Also, Fernando Pessoa’s Book of Disquietude is, all told, effed up memoir to the max.

  14. October 7th, 2009 / 3:05 am Jac Jemc—

      Marge Piercy, Maureen Seaton, Therese Svoboda.

      Isn’t Gabe Gudding’s Rhode Island Notebook a kind of memoir?

      Also, Fernando Pessoa’s Book of Disquietude is, all told, effed up memoir to the max.

  15. October 7th, 2009 / 8:23 am Angi—

      I don’t know anything about poets, but I love Sarah Manguso, too. I met her and saw her read at an 826 benefit thing a few years ago and then bought Siste Viator and I think I have read those poems so many times I practically have the whole book memorized. So, so good.

  16. October 7th, 2009 / 4:23 am Angi—

      I don’t know anything about poets, but I love Sarah Manguso, too. I met her and saw her read at an 826 benefit thing a few years ago and then bought Siste Viator and I think I have read those poems so many times I practically have the whole book memorized. So, so good.

  17. October 7th, 2009 / 8:42 am Bites: Don Amazon, young adult steampunk, 2666 gets the paperback treatment, Johnnie Walker kicks Glenn beck to the curb, 3rd Ward home cookin’, and more « Vol. 1 Brooklyn—

      […] HTML Giant really likes writer Sarah Manguso […]

  18. October 7th, 2009 / 4:29 pm jereme—

      uh charles bukowski i would consider as a memoirist/poet even if what he wrote isn’t classified as memoir.

      memoir

      memoir

      memoir

      it’s a fun word to say.

  19. October 7th, 2009 / 12:29 pm jereme—

      uh charles bukowski i would consider as a memoirist/poet even if what he wrote isn’t classified as memoir.

      memoir

      memoir

      memoir

      it’s a fun word to say.

  20. October 7th, 2009 / 4:57 pm mathias—

      Keep an eye out for Alex Lemon’s memoir, which will be coming out at the end of the year.

      Maggie Nelson is also a memoirist/poet.

  21. October 7th, 2009 / 12:57 pm mathias—

      Keep an eye out for Alex Lemon’s memoir, which will be coming out at the end of the year.

      Maggie Nelson is also a memoirist/poet.

  22. October 7th, 2009 / 5:00 pm Blake Butler—

      john d’agata has a couple memoir type pieces in halls of fame, love him

  23. October 7th, 2009 / 1:00 pm Blake Butler—

      john d’agata has a couple memoir type pieces in halls of fame, love him

  24. October 8th, 2009 / 1:59 am Aaron—

      Thanks for this Catherine, you’ve peaked my interest and I’m now going to check out her books.

  25. October 7th, 2009 / 9:59 pm Aaron—

      Thanks for this Catherine, you’ve peaked my interest and I’m now going to check out her books.

  26. October 8th, 2009 / 1:41 pm sam—

      Cutty, One Rock by August Kleinzahler

      Recommended to me but haven’t read it.
      guy who recommended it has read everything.

  27. October 8th, 2009 / 9:41 am sam—

      Cutty, One Rock by August Kleinzahler

      Recommended to me but haven’t read it.
      guy who recommended it has read everything.