Sunday, January 29, 2006

Philosophical Investigator

Why Do I Blog?

Because of Ron Silliman.

L=a=n=g=u=a=g=e poetry of the late 70's early 80's remains the only serious literary movement in American poetry in the second half of the XXth Century. Nothing else comes close as a significant force (major works by several authors + theoretical under-pinnings.)

Except, perhaps, the current explosion of internet literary activity. Once again Silliman is at the center of that, too!

Silliman's blog is consistently informative and concise. While he is mostly concerned with poetics, he also has the occaisional movie review--thanks to Ron I checked out SRING, SUMMER, WINTER, FALL . . . & SPRING.

His blog was where I first learned that Derek Bailey had died. I would not have assumed that he would be familiar with the legendary English guitarist, but I was not surprised. Silliman's interests are Whitmanesque, containing multitudes. Almost every day I gain something from his posts.

I started blogging mainly to record the activities of Naked Words, a reading series I present at Miller's Crossing in Helena. Every Thursday night at 8. Sept. through April (roughly).

It's a small world getting tinier by the nanosecond. But also bigger and bloggier. I look forward to when I schedule my first out-of-town reader at NKD WRDS who learned about the series through this blog. Perhaps s/he will be from Belgrade, or Syndey, or Manhattan. (And not just the Montana versions of those towns.)

Froid. I'd like someone to contact me from Froid, Montana. That is my goal.

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4 Comments:

Blogger jh said...

vielen dank fur die blospost von rom silliman. that is waht we are talking about. and more could be said. but then "why" is also a beginning. in these times a rapid excess i propose more doubt about writing. inspiration will win out. restraint can be worthwhile. one wnders however...is the blog simply a way of sustaining a virtual community? does it propose to fill the gaps created by cultural and neurotic modes of abject independence. it is intersting to note the ways in which we demand communication. i think of the ridley scott novels where language is pieced together from the broken vases of armaggedon. and like everything else, we fail to recognize the significance of decadence when considering progress. blog on cyberfools.

8:11 PM  
Blogger jh said...

i don't know what i am thinking...ridley scott a book i read long ago...the basis for the road warrior stuff what am i thinking???

8:17 PM  
Blogger jh said...

i wishi to make apology for my relatively incoherent attempt at sense in the previous comments. what was i thinking as my mind began it's nightly shut down mode? and i wish to restate the delight i have in knowing that someone is blogging on behalf of the cause of poetry. it is my hope that those who read ron silliman's blog will take moments to give audible voice tot he sords there - make the phrases of poetry part adn parcel tot he everyday experience of verbalized sound. mea culpa mea maxima culpa. onward with the word.

11:00 AM  
Blogger jh said...

after some brain racking...or is that wracking?...i was able to retrieve the focus of what i was trying to say in the first post. the novel i was thinking of is riddley walker by russell hoban. he recreates or uses language not unlike that of finnegan's wake to depict the desperate lives of the remnant after the devastation. it is man against dog basically. now i must reread this great book. you will do well to find it and read it too. o and i mustn't overlook the mention in the original post to the korean film spring summer autumn winter spring. i am a monk. and i was completely entranced by that film. beauty captured and conveyed ot he viewer. i must see it again now that spring is apparent.

11:05 PM  

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