Web Hype
I’m Not Really Sure This Will Work, But Here Goes: A Reading Group
I’m updating this post and bringing it up “above the fold” just to, y’know, make sure everyone who’s interested has a chance to comment. It looks like we’re going to be reading MAXIMUM GAGA together and talking about it. Because it’s DIFFICULT.
Original post:
For a while I’ve been thinking, you know what HTMLGIANT needs, it needs — no, you know what the WORLD needs, it needs — no, HTMLGIANT and the WORLD are the same thing — you know what we should do, I’ve been thinking, what we should do is, like, a reading group.
I’ve been thinking: how?
I’ve been thinking: what? And who, etc.
Then I’m all, it’s Friday, I’ll just ask the people.
People, people, anybody wanna be in my reading group? We can figure it out together!
Speaking of conversations with Michael Kimball, check out the conversation with Michael Kimball and Joseph Young that they got out there. Basically, Young wrote a thing and asked Kimball five questions about it and, wapow, Young’s thing got really big and hard just by Kimball mulling it over.
That’s my idea, bro, to give PROTRACTED ATTENTION to a piece of NEW and DIFFICULT and POETRY.
I feel strongly about NEW and DIFFICULT and POETRY.
All we have to do is decide on a format and a book.
The format, I’m thinking, would be: each person who wants to participate would make a selection from the selected book, read it particularly well, and write a thing about it. That thing ought to be thesis driven, compelling, not so much a review as an argument. It is intended to advance one point, to start a conversation strictly about the selection in question. Then that person would email their thing to me and I will post it here, one thing a week maybe, or two, and everyone else who is participating in the reading group could respond in comments. Respond in comments as if we were at a bar boozing or in Midge’s living room crocheting. I mean, however reading groups are done.
In Milwaukee I heard there was a reading group where everyone got together and talked about a story for a while and then did a make out session.
We wouldn’t have to cover a whole book. If five people are interested we wouldn’t be forced to take 15 poems each or whatever. Just having five conversations about five poems would be amazing enough. If ten people are interested we wouldn’t have to draw it out for ten weeks, either. We can post twice a week. If more than ten people are interested, we would still only have ten people write the lead posts, the conversation starter. That portion of the reading group is not meant to be hierarchical AT ALL, only something to provide a forum for everyone else, equally qualified, to converse in.
The comments as a whole need not follow the argument of the initial post, though I think they ought to at least start that way.
These books are NEW and DIFFICULT and POETRY enough, I think, and I don’t really get them, which is a big plus.
Chelsea Minnis, POEMLAND
Brandon Shimoda, THE INLAND SEA
Zachary Schomburg SCARY, NO SCARY
Stacy Szymaszek, HYPERGLOSSIA
Lara Glenum, MAXIMUM GAGA
I had a bunch more. At one point my list was at 15 books, all great. Then I realized that was no good, we couldn’t vote on that many. Then I thought, screw voting, I’ll just pick one. Then I thought, no, pick five, we’ll poll, that’s better.
Maybe HTMLGIANT staff have ideas about logistics, like not doing this at HTMLGIANT or putting up a permalink to the reading group on the sidebar. Or uploading a polling widget. Or deleting this post! I’m not really sure how this will work out, but here goes.
I’m mentioning this on Friday because if no one is interested it can just get lost in the ether of the weekend. And if there is interest, the idea will prevail. Comment with your ideas/issues and book choice by sometime and I’ll follow up with another post.
Tags: difficult poetry, reading group
omg that kyle guy’s ad is so annoying
omg that kyle guy’s ad is so annoying
I’ve been meaning to pick up and read THE INLAND SEA and MAXIMUM GAGA so I’d love to see this happen.
I’ve been meaning to pick up and read THE INLAND SEA and MAXIMUM GAGA so I’d love to see this happen.
totally in for either poemland or scary, no scary
totally in for either poemland or scary, no scary
i am maximally gaga for MAXIMUM GAGA
i am maximally gaga for MAXIMUM GAGA
In.
In.
I’ll be a weak link but certainly interested.
I’ll be a weak link but certainly interested.
Sanctuary by Faulkner.
Sanctuary by Faulkner.
just started sanctuary last night. excellent stuff.
just started sanctuary last night. excellent stuff.
if only there were someplace online you could get ALL of these books ellipsis chinscratching
if only there were someplace online you could get ALL of these books ellipsis chinscratching
make out party!
srsly though, i like this idea. although i’m less stoked on poetry, especially difficult poetry, than fiction. i don’t know anything about poetry and i would probably just be spouting a bunch of b.s.
i think it would be good to have a separate site, probably. and maybe just have like a forum or something, as well as a poll, so that we could maybe find the new and most awesome together?
i dunno, i’m just thinking with my toes here.
make out party!
srsly though, i like this idea. although i’m less stoked on poetry, especially difficult poetry, than fiction. i don’t know anything about poetry and i would probably just be spouting a bunch of b.s.
i think it would be good to have a separate site, probably. and maybe just have like a forum or something, as well as a poll, so that we could maybe find the new and most awesome together?
i dunno, i’m just thinking with my toes here.
:)
:)
These are good thoughts — I chose difficult poetry because it is so valuable and yet receives so little dialog. I mean, I don’t think I’ll have a whole lot of “meaningful” stuff to say, except for the greatness of just saying ANYTHING for a change. so that’s why i say we should do poetry and why I think, absolutely, people who think they have nothing to contribute should contribute.
I am open to hosting this at a different URL, too.
These are good thoughts — I chose difficult poetry because it is so valuable and yet receives so little dialog. I mean, I don’t think I’ll have a whole lot of “meaningful” stuff to say, except for the greatness of just saying ANYTHING for a change. so that’s why i say we should do poetry and why I think, absolutely, people who think they have nothing to contribute should contribute.
I am open to hosting this at a different URL, too.
I think I have nothing to contribute and I’ve been wanting to read Maximum Gaga, too. I will help.
I think I have nothing to contribute and I’ve been wanting to read Maximum Gaga, too. I will help.
i agree, it is valuable. especially considering the lengthy (if unfocused) discussion of language, etc. in a post that shall remain unnamed.
you’re right though (about everything). i want so badly to be forced into a headlock by the wrestler ‘ultimate warrior’ and forced to read a bunch of srs poetry and talk about it as if i know what i’m talking about. i love shit like that.
let’s do it. and let’s give all the money to clay and SPD because they fucking deserve it for doing their thing.
i agree, it is valuable. especially considering the lengthy (if unfocused) discussion of language, etc. in a post that shall remain unnamed.
you’re right though (about everything). i want so badly to be forced into a headlock by the wrestler ‘ultimate warrior’ and forced to read a bunch of srs poetry and talk about it as if i know what i’m talking about. i love shit like that.
let’s do it. and let’s give all the money to clay and SPD because they fucking deserve it for doing their thing.
This is all great. I think we’re getting enough people to get it together. Keep the responses coming. Right now it looks like Maximum Gaga is pulling some weight.
And yeah yeah, like Clay says — all these books are available at SPD. SPD rules.
This is all great. I think we’re getting enough people to get it together. Keep the responses coming. Right now it looks like Maximum Gaga is pulling some weight.
And yeah yeah, like Clay says — all these books are available at SPD. SPD rules.
I’m from Milwaukee. Can I play?
I’m from Milwaukee. Can I play?
I’m down for Scary, No Scary or Maximum Gaga.
I’m down for Scary, No Scary or Maximum Gaga.
I’m worried about this word ‘difficult’ being applied to these books already.
Poor poetry and it always being labeled with the goody-two-shoes adjectives.
I read a bunch of those already and I’m pretty sure most people here would not have any trouble reading them with ease, so why this ‘difficult’ word? Whose standards?
Ya know, unless those poets like being called ‘difficult’ in which case, by all means – each book is damn near impossible.
That said, I’m in for any and all of them.
I’m worried about this word ‘difficult’ being applied to these books already.
Poor poetry and it always being labeled with the goody-two-shoes adjectives.
I read a bunch of those already and I’m pretty sure most people here would not have any trouble reading them with ease, so why this ‘difficult’ word? Whose standards?
Ya know, unless those poets like being called ‘difficult’ in which case, by all means – each book is damn near impossible.
That said, I’m in for any and all of them.
This “difficult” myth that’s going round—and frankly some of the most popular kids have been propagating it—is cheese.
This “difficult” myth that’s going round—and frankly some of the most popular kids have been propagating it—is cheese.
yep
yep
TOTALLY. You can get us books from Woodland Pattern.
TOTALLY. You can get us books from Woodland Pattern.
when is this going to start?
are there deadlines?
clay, can i take the bus to spd and buy a copy from you with this bag of nickels and dimes i found?
why do i have so many questions?
when is this going to start?
are there deadlines?
clay, can i take the bus to spd and buy a copy from you with this bag of nickels and dimes i found?
why do i have so many questions?
I was thinking I would wait till tomorrow night and then put up a rational post about the logistics. Probably start once everyone can possibly have the book, which I guess is end of next week.
I was thinking I would wait till tomorrow night and then put up a rational post about the logistics. Probably start once everyone can possibly have the book, which I guess is end of next week.
By “difficult,” do we just mean “unsuitable for Hallmark cards but still readable by humans”? If so, I’m in.
By “difficult,” do we just mean “unsuitable for Hallmark cards but still readable by humans”? If so, I’m in.
reynard, i take bart and walk. you can plug in directions here.
nickels and dimes are okay as long as none of them have any gum on them.
reynard, i take bart and walk. you can plug in directions here.
nickels and dimes are okay as long as none of them have any gum on them.
damn, this books is nuts-o – reminds me of alfred jarry & weird german poetry
damn, this books is nuts-o – reminds me of alfred jarry & weird german poetry
i got lots of jarry out of it too. plus it seems like there’re some pretty EXPLICIT and AWESOME bellmer references
i got lots of jarry out of it too. plus it seems like there’re some pretty EXPLICIT and AWESOME bellmer references