Wednesday 12 November 2008

Looming deadline

Working on the manuscript, which is due tomorrow, routine is ON.

Reviewed the re-written Meeting the house poem with Lynn J., she noticed a problem with what she called grammar and I call POV, never mind the name, she was right, it caused a jolt, remedied as usual by radical surgery, poem shorter now but healthier.

This cutting can become habit-forming, am doing it to some other poems too, more confidently.
It reminds me of the line about the man wanting to make a small fortune - you have to start with a big one.

Putting together the MS means deciding the order of the poems, for the flow, where each poem fits best. The one about terrorism is powerful and sticks out a mile from the others which are ostensibly domestic. How to deal with that.

Reading Lowell and Kumin, her essays very interesting, also stuff about writing, no time to go into that now. Except that she keeps a card system for her poems, to keep track of where she sends them for publication, told P and he said, Excel spreadsheet, without looking up from his book.

Looked for more Kumin poems at the library, but none. Found some other good poetry, more about that later. I have not finished the Waste Land, but shall get back to it.

After the BOW wow is done (Body of Work presentation at Whitireia) shall send off some poems to magazines etc. but only on Friday, after MS handover and the last reading completed.

My friend B visited, old comrade from working days, with lovely CD of his singing, we might try something together. One day, not now. Other projects.

A friend asked me about Toni Morrisson and remembered wanting to read her, but no recollection of her books. Thought I had not read them, but in fact I have.
???
I might have another look.

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