Friday, August 03, 2007

Charles Simic - Poet Laureate - New York Times:

Charles Simic, a writer who juxtaposes dark imagery with ironic humor, is to be named the country’s 15th poet laureate by the Librarian of Congress today.

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Simic is one of my favorite writers, and I couldn't be more pleased. Years ago I had him as a teacher, and the older I get the more I think I learned from him. Here's his latest, what I often thought was his greatest, and his essays and memoirs are also quite haunting.

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A dog trying to write a poem on why he barks,
That’s me, dear reader!
They were about to kick me out of the library
But I warned them,
My master is invisible and all-powerful.
Still, they kept dragging me out by my tail.


From My Turn To Confess by Charles Simic

10:08 AM