Monthly Archives: July 2017

“There is a great deal of poetry written and published today that turns its back (sometimes with apparent disdain) upon the reader.”

Posted on July 28, 2017 by Kate Stover

Who is poetry for?  What is its purpose?  If you like fist fights and barroom brawls, go ahead and ask poets and professors these questions.  You’ll see two sides emerge: One will agree with “the noted American poet” who said … Continue reading →

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“Who is it you are writing for? It surely could not be the average person who just enjoys a good read.”

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Kate Stover

The reader who asked Jonathan Franzen this question touched a nerve. Franzen’s answer — a 30-page essay titled “Mr. Difficult” — describes two models for relationships between writers and readers. In the “Status” model, writers aim to create great art, … Continue reading →

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“There are many of us who need to reprocess our garbage, but who can’t bear the idea of writing memoir . . .”

Posted on July 15, 2017 by Kate Stover

Jessica Lourey continues: “. . . whether it’s because we are too close to the trauma, don’t want to hurt or be hurt by those we’re writing about, or simply prefer the vehicle of fiction.” Students in my classes on … Continue reading →

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“The pupils formed in line and buzzingly passed a ragged book from hand to hand.”

Posted on July 8, 2017 by Kate Stover

What?  Only one book for all the students to pass around?  In England? In many of his novels, Charles Dickens describes how difficult it was for ordinary families to get any sort of education. In Great Expectations, Pip’s family had … Continue reading →

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