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i read an early collection of his work, "Country Music," a year or two ago and enjoyed it, but did struggle a bit. i've eyed his career-spanning tome "Oblivion Banjo" (what a name!) for a while, and saw it again in a bookstore last week. I opened it to a random page and it kinda grabbed my soul by the lapels.
it's fascinating to read a poet obsessed with the limitations of language. he knows its shortcomings - which, really, are humanity's shortcomings, consciousness's shortcomings - and he embraces them. what bubbles up is a gorgeous spiritual longing, one that's satisfied with being a longing and never attempts to be an understanding. he knows that mysteries are not meant to be solved. that we'll never know god - not in this life - but we sure do feel god, all the time, everywhere.
"oblivion banjo" is about 700 pages of wright describing his backyard, the birds, the grass. and, in doing so, he captures the human instincts and yearning that we all have, but none of us can name. you know when people say "i'm sore in parts of my body i didn't even know i had?" it's kind of like that but for your soul.
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definitely read book of longing if you haven’t already!
this whole series of poems is absolutely beautiful and obscene, that it’s hard to pick one.
so here’s one of my many favourites:
Aug 6, 2024
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Honestly a lot of poetry is hard to read and has all these layers which is awesome and makes poetry so cool but I don’t have an English instructor on hand to go line-by-line with me (I mean I kind of do my husband is one but that would be annoying so I don’t ask this of him). Anyway David Berman’s poetry has this, but it is also just beautiful and evocative on its surface and you don’t have to be that smart or good at reading poetry to like or understand it (though I’m sure a smart person who is good at reading poetry would get even more out of it).
So anyway maybe starting with something like this and then rereading it and finding those layers and getting that dopamine hit from understanding poetry but also building those skills and positive association with poetry before reading more challenging stuff. Just my dummy 2¢!
Apr 1, 2024
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"They bow shyly as wet swans. They love each other.
There is no loneliness like theirs. "
wow, I won't say anything about how it ends:
You can read it here: A Blessing | The Poetry Foundation
Oct 29, 2024
Top Recs from @evan
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its the best way to consume media. DONT show me a trailer DONT let me read the flap on the inside of the novel DONT tell me there’s even an alien in it. Dont tell me what it’s about just be like “it’s good you should check it out”
Jan 20, 2024
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just remembered you can do this. hell yeah.
Feb 22, 2024
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but god….i want to do this in a garage so bad….
Feb 7, 2024