This One's For The Kid

Ten Poems That Were Written -- A Gathering

these are must-reads

1. John Ashbery's "Flow Chart"

-- this is a book-length long poem, so any section you are able to find will suffice. However, if you should somehow come across this poem in its entirety at, say, a bookstore, please buy me a copy. I can't find it anywhere!

2. John Ashbery's "Notes From The Air"

-- This is from Ashbery's 1992 book, Hotel Lautreamont.

3. Ron Silliman's "Albany"

-- the first of 26 chapters in Silliman's epic work, The Alphabet. (read the whole thing at least once in your lifetime. A section a month usually works fairly well).

4. bpNichol's "The Martyrology"

-- another longpoem. Check out anything you can find from bpNichol. It is all amazing stuff.

5. John Ashbery's "Myrtle"

-- This poem is from his book, And The Stars Were Shining.

6. John Ashbery's "Some Money"

-- from Ashbery's book, April Galleons (1987).

7. Charles Olson's "A Plan for a Curriculum of the Soul"

-- sheer immense beauty.

8. Bob Perelman's "China"

-- Language poetry at its finest.

9. Ron Silliman's "Ketjak"

-- particularly the section beginning with "Revolving door."

10. Charles Bukowski's "dark night poem"

-- it is short, so I will type it here.

they say that

nothing is wasted:

either that

or

it all is.

And those, my friend, are ten poems that will change your life.

Yours,

jr.