Very nice! Good questions and real answers. The poem selection was good for P-A...the unexpected zags at the middle and end. A poem needs fractures and suggestions to project beyond its size.
"A caution I would like to express is to not let your work suffer because of the effusive praise that often comes to posted poems."
Y'know, I've wondered how that affects people's work. When somebody posts a poem that moves me, I praise it. If the poem doesn't do much for me, or I have some specific criticism, I say nothing. Critiquing a poem posted on a blog seems churlish somehow.
Would you advise creative types to actively solicit negative feedback?
Hi Jim. Thanks for the really specific feedback. I appreciate it.
Cinder. I do the same thing in reaction to posts. I don't solicit a critique on my blog or facebook because too many people decide to jump and have not a clue what I'm trying to do. People who know my writing well and whose poetry I respect will sometimes message me privately with some thoughts and I appreciate that. It keeps the post from turning into a free for all.."I like it this way' 'no, it's better that way' kind of thing:-)
For my personal work, I have two poets I usually turn to when I really get stuck. I used to use crit boards in my early writing but came to find them frustrating for the same reasons I mention above.
My only exception to making comments publically is if someone spots a typo or a blatant grammatical and I don't mean the loose sentence construction we use in poems but the misuse of something such as lie or lay (my particular area of expertise lol).
Good to read the interview. I keep a copy of Sea Trails near the chair where I usually sit to do computer stuff, and this year I'm going to learn how to sail :)
5 comments:
Very nice! Good questions and
real answers. The poem selection
was good for P-A...the unexpected
zags at the middle and end. A poem
needs fractures and suggestions
to project beyond its size.
"A caution I would like to express is to not let your work suffer because of the effusive praise that often comes to posted poems."
Y'know, I've wondered how that affects people's work. When somebody posts a poem that moves me, I praise it. If the poem doesn't do much for me, or I have some specific criticism, I say nothing. Critiquing a poem posted on a blog seems churlish somehow.
Would you advise creative types to actively solicit negative feedback?
Hi Jim. Thanks for the really specific feedback. I appreciate it.
Cinder. I do the same thing in reaction to posts. I don't solicit a critique on my blog or facebook because too many people decide to jump and have not a clue what I'm trying to do. People who know my writing well and whose poetry I respect will sometimes message me privately with some thoughts and I appreciate that. It keeps the post from turning into a free for all.."I like it this way' 'no, it's better that way' kind of thing:-)
For my personal work, I have two poets I usually turn to when I really get stuck. I used to use crit boards in my early writing but came to find them frustrating for the same reasons I mention above.
My only exception to making comments publically is if someone spots a typo or a blatant grammatical and I don't mean the loose sentence construction we use in poems but the misuse of something such as lie or lay (my particular area of expertise lol).
Good to read the interview. I keep a copy of Sea Trails near the chair where I usually sit to do computer stuff, and this year I'm going to learn how to sail :)
Steve, that's really nice to hear. Where will you sail? If you do this, you must take pictures!
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