Hi all. I'm taking a poetry course this summer and one of the elements of the final project is to compose a review of a book of poetry. I, quite naturally, picked Coke Machine Glow. Does anyone know of any good *scholarly* reviews of the work? Writings taken from music magazines and the like will do just fine, but the more academic the better. Also...I'm just looking for inspiration...so if anyone on the board has written up a review, I'd love to hear some thoughts! Thanks Everyone!! :thumb:
-Jenna
Jenna, if you had taken your summer course in the normal school year I would have been able to help you for sure. But I cannot access all of my school's library resources from home. I am sure there would have been reviews in at least one or two Journals...
Sorry, and good luck!
Are you familiar with "Arial?" (I think that's what it's called... "Ariel" perhaps.) I know it's a scholarly volume that analyzes literature and poetry, and IIRC, one of the late 2001 Canadian editions had a review of some of Gord's work. I'm not sure if it was from CMG, may have been an Al Purdy tribute. I've never seen it, but "Downie, Gordon" does come up when you search our database at the University of Ottawa.
Might be more trouble than its worth, but good luck finding all you can on the man! Sounds like a cool course.
I think poetry courses are pure and utter bull. I wouldn't take it if I were you, Jenna. I think having someone teach you poetry is like someone telling you how to love; it has nothing to do with anybody but yourself. What happens in these poetry courses? You read other poets? I can do that for free at the library or on the internet. You learn style and grammar? Once again, one can do that for free on the internet or in the library. Maybe I've been writing too long and I have turned entirely too arrogant about the craft but I doubt Gord took a course and we all can agree his works rock.
Just my honest opinion that nobody asked for. :thumb:
There's nothing wrong with being introduced to new and exciting forms of poetry, as well as being a part of a group of strangers who think and interpret and express themselves in fashions which are new to you. I personally think the academics of poetry are utter, blithering idiocy, and the talentless f*cks (to steal a phrase) who teach it are lofty pretentious fools, but I have taken such courses and I find it tolerable just for the sake of it being a confluence of perspectives.
However, I get where you're coming from. I feel much the same about some of my classes, as I'm in 4th year English and some - not all, but some - profs manage to make me SOMETIMES feel about such things the way you expressed your own self in your post.
lord brazle Wrote:I think poetry courses are pure and utter bull. I wouldn't take it if I were you, Jenna. I think having someone teach you poetry is like someone telling you how to love; it has nothing to do with anybody but yourself. What happens in these poetry courses? You read other poets? I can do that for free at the library or on the internet. You learn style and grammar? Once again, one can do that for free on the internet or in the library. Maybe I've been writing too long and I have turned entirely too arrogant about the craft but I doubt Gord took a course and we all can agree his works rock.
Just my honest opinion that nobody asked for. :thumb:
Well put Lord Brazle. I feel the same way about psychiatrists. How does someone else know what's inside my head?
Anyway, any review I've read about CMG has been negative unfortunately. For every big fan of Gord's work, there is someone who loathes it. To each his own but without negative criticism the positive stuff wouldn't have any meaning.
Well, as poetry, CMG IS pretty feeble, surely. It is entertaining, but it's definitely *light* entertainment. Let's face it.