Poetic Adjustment
May 1, 2009 muse
Over the last couple of years I’ve begun to read books for enjoyment and inspiration, a discipline over the last 15+ years limited to technical stuff for work, not generally a conduit to artistic creativity. But as I got through the first couple of phases of experience as a songwriter, and got more familiar with writers themselves, one theme emerged time and again — to write quality works, one should be an avid reader.
For me this was like being really hungry but the only thing on the menu is liver, no thanks! But I want to be a better writer, and as I more and more of my peers are avid readers, I realized it was time to get on with the process. So I joined an online book club, borrowed books, hit the library, etc, and though I’m by no means a prolific reader, I now regularly draw inspiration from reading.
Which gets me to a book I just started, “Poetry As Spiritual Practice“, by Robert McDowell. Poetry was a stumbling block in college English, I’ve tried reading it in the past, I just have trouble “getting it”. Reading excerpts by and discussions with successful writers who allude to Whitman, Dickinson, Longfellow, Frost, etc. and curiosity lead me to this book. I want/need to go where the poetry might take me, hopefully I’m ready.