I'm loving your sonnets, DA. I vaguely recall that there were a few featured in your books (I particularly recall loving the one that was a footnote), but I realize I likely did not know of your sonnet-love while we were at UC. Did we not take any poetry workshops together? Or was I just too self-absorbed and/or distracted by my troubles to notice? If the latter, my apologies. {I do remember being in Erin's fiction workshop with you and how you proposed the perfect ending for my story, for which I belatedly thank you, if I haven't done so before.}
We definitely took a workshop together. I vividly remember your poem (or short story?) about the Duchamp piece. I do kind of have sonnet love. I really love Oulipo work, which is far more avant garde, but to me the constraints are the constraints, regardless of how complex.
Yeah the Duchamp story is the one for which you made the suggestion for the ending which remains one of the best workshop suggestions I have ever received. Thanks again. I've been a sonnet freak from the very beginning. The very first workshop I ever took, I vowed to write only sonnets (because I was really annoyed by all the flabby, formless free verse that was all the rage in my youth). I pretty much fulfilled my vow which amazed the prof but kind of annoyed the other workshoppers, who I think, suspected I was giving them the finger every time I submitted a poem for their consideration. And to be fair, they were absolutely correct. I was an obnoxious know-it-all who just oozed disdain for those who didn't meet my ridiculous standards. And the Oulipo! Man, I fell under their spell even before I'd even decided to write poetry. My fellow Unknowner, William Gillespie (Spineless Books publisher) is also a huge Oulipo guy and his book, "Table of Forms" is compendium of Oulipo and Oulipo-adjacent work. Check it out. (spybeambooks.com). But, yeah, constraints rule; probably couldn't write without'em-------
I'm loving your sonnets, DA. I vaguely recall that there were a few featured in your books (I particularly recall loving the one that was a footnote), but I realize I likely did not know of your sonnet-love while we were at UC. Did we not take any poetry workshops together? Or was I just too self-absorbed and/or distracted by my troubles to notice? If the latter, my apologies. {I do remember being in Erin's fiction workshop with you and how you proposed the perfect ending for my story, for which I belatedly thank you, if I haven't done so before.}
We definitely took a workshop together. I vividly remember your poem (or short story?) about the Duchamp piece. I do kind of have sonnet love. I really love Oulipo work, which is far more avant garde, but to me the constraints are the constraints, regardless of how complex.
Yeah the Duchamp story is the one for which you made the suggestion for the ending which remains one of the best workshop suggestions I have ever received. Thanks again. I've been a sonnet freak from the very beginning. The very first workshop I ever took, I vowed to write only sonnets (because I was really annoyed by all the flabby, formless free verse that was all the rage in my youth). I pretty much fulfilled my vow which amazed the prof but kind of annoyed the other workshoppers, who I think, suspected I was giving them the finger every time I submitted a poem for their consideration. And to be fair, they were absolutely correct. I was an obnoxious know-it-all who just oozed disdain for those who didn't meet my ridiculous standards. And the Oulipo! Man, I fell under their spell even before I'd even decided to write poetry. My fellow Unknowner, William Gillespie (Spineless Books publisher) is also a huge Oulipo guy and his book, "Table of Forms" is compendium of Oulipo and Oulipo-adjacent work. Check it out. (spybeambooks.com). But, yeah, constraints rule; probably couldn't write without'em-------
This made me laugh when I needed it most! A clever, fun poem.
Thanks Jason! I saw your post from earlier and let's just say I empathize in many ways. So that's another way of saying, I'm glad there was a laugh!
I guess you’ve made your case.
Hahahahahaha! Love it.