Comments on: Thanks, Hank http://authorscoop.com/2009/03/09/thanks-hank/ The Latest in Literary News Mon, 21 May 2012 10:49:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Ican'tremember http://authorscoop.com/2009/03/09/thanks-hank/#comment-5306 Ican'tremember Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:56:42 +0000 http://authorscoop.com/?p=3667#comment-5306 Yes it is a great piece. Really is. And it's hard to like his poetry, but like it I do until it demands more heart in me than I can sacrifice. But then that's the problem with good poets. They just don't let you "like them." They never leave you in enough peace to give you an arm's length from your own already tormented existence. They demand your sufferage, your empathy, your soul, thus you either love them or hate them or both. I rarely avoid poets in conversaton, but I'll avoid their poetry like the plague. Because I can't comfort them, they are to me like a beautiful opera, beyond my ability to change the outcome. Like Verdi, their music's too beautifully wrenching to sit through. Yes it is a great piece. Really is. And it’s hard to like his poetry, but like it I do until it demands more heart in me than I can sacrifice.

But then that’s the problem with good poets. They just don’t let you “like them.” They never leave you in enough peace to give you an arm’s length from your own already tormented existence. They demand your sufferage, your empathy, your soul, thus you either love them or hate them or both. I rarely avoid poets in conversaton, but I’ll avoid their poetry like the plague. Because I can’t comfort them, they are to me like a beautiful opera, beyond my ability to change the outcome. Like Verdi, their music’s too beautifully wrenching to sit through.

]]> By: Jamie Mason http://authorscoop.com/2009/03/09/thanks-hank/#comment-5297 Jamie Mason Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:22:14 +0000 http://authorscoop.com/?p=3667#comment-5297 This is wonderful, especially for me, in that early on, I decided Bukowski was the beginning and end of modern poetry. And this was very bad news. I read a little and concluded it was all a raw-edged tag chewing up the back of my neck. So I shrugged off the whole works and didn't rediscover poetry, and ultimately Bukowski, until very recently. I see it all much differently now. He was quite something. Terrific piece, William. This is wonderful, especially for me, in that early on, I decided Bukowski was the beginning and end of modern poetry. And this was very bad news. I read a little and concluded it was all a raw-edged tag chewing up the back of my neck. So I shrugged off the whole works and didn’t rediscover poetry, and ultimately Bukowski, until very recently. I see it all much differently now.

He was quite something.

Terrific piece, William.

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