Category: Writers/Artists

Dostoevsky’s Nightmare

Raskolnikov’s horrible dream, from early on in Crime & Punishment: Raskolnikov had a fearful dream. He dreamt he was back … Continue Reading Dostoevsky’s Nightmare

Wordsworth, from “Poems on the Naming of Places”

Wordsworth, from “Poems on the Naming of Places It was an April Morning: fresh and clear The Rivulet, delighting in … Continue Reading Wordsworth, from “Poems on the Naming of Places”

Archibald MacLeish, “Voyage West”

Archibald MacLeish, “Voyage West” There was a time for discoveries — For the headlands looming above in the First light … Continue Reading Archibald MacLeish, “Voyage West”

Ted Hughes – “Crow’s Song about God”

Ted Hughes – “Crow’s Song about God” Somebody is sittingUnder the gatepost of heavenUnder the lintelOn which are written the … Continue Reading Ted Hughes – “Crow’s Song about God”

H. D., “Sea Iris,” “Sea Violet”

Sea Iris I Weed, moss-weed, root tangled in sand, sea-iris, brittle flower, one petal like a shell is broken, and … Continue Reading H. D., “Sea Iris,” “Sea Violet”

Ezra Pound, “Portrait d’une Femme”

Ezra Pound, “Portrait d’une Femme” Your mind and you are our Sargasso Sea, London has swept about you this score … Continue Reading Ezra Pound, “Portrait d’une Femme”

W. B. Yeats, “Meru”

W. B. Yeats, “Meru” Civilisation is hooped together, broughtUnder a rule, under the semblance of peaceBy manifold illusion; but man’s … Continue Reading W. B. Yeats, “Meru”

Carl Sandburg, “Chicago”

Carl Sandburg, “Chicago” Hog Butcher for the World, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and the Nation’s Freight … Continue Reading Carl Sandburg, “Chicago”

Amy Lowell, “Lilacs”

Amy Lowell, “Lilacs” Lilacs, False blue, White, Purple, Color of lilac, Your great puffs of flowers Are everywhere in this … Continue Reading Amy Lowell, “Lilacs”

Edith Wharton, “Terminus”

Edith Wharton, “Terminus” Wonderful was the long secret night you gave me, my Lover, Palm to palm, breast to breast … Continue Reading Edith Wharton, “Terminus”

Wordsworth & Eternity at St. Paul’s

I’m stunned every time I read this: one of Wordsworth’s best short poems (& that’s saying something), & perhaps one … Continue Reading Wordsworth & Eternity at St. Paul’s

Dante, Through the Fire

Here’s one of the great moments in poetry: Canto 27 of Dante’s Purgatorio, where Dante passes through the fire, and … Continue Reading Dante, Through the Fire

The Unfinished Kafka

Reiner Stach, in the middle entry of his three volume biography of Franz Kafka, writes, “Anyone who studies bibliographies today … Continue Reading The Unfinished Kafka

Adrienne Rich: 4 Love Poems

from 21 Love Poems: 1 Whenever in this city, screens flicker with pornography, with science-fiction vampires, victimized hirelings bending to … Continue Reading Adrienne Rich: 4 Love Poems

Laurie Sheck’s poem “The Stockroom”

Back in the late nineties when a place called Borders Outlet still existed and Amazon was only a few years … Continue Reading Laurie Sheck’s poem “The Stockroom”

Ship in Air

Here’s a nice anecdote told twice, first from some anonymous Irish source, and then Seamus Heaney’s version of it in … Continue Reading Ship in Air

Heaney Comes to Poetry

Here are some of Seamus Heaney’s memories of reading, writing, and poetry, from earliest schooldays to university, all taken from … Continue Reading Heaney Comes to Poetry

3 Poems of Adolescent Love & Hazing by Robert Lowell

Bobby Delano The labor to breathe that younger, rawer air: St. Mark’s last football game with Groton lost on the … Continue Reading 3 Poems of Adolescent Love & Hazing by Robert Lowell

John Donne: Holy Sonnets & Good Friday

“Death, be not proud” Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not … Continue Reading John Donne: Holy Sonnets & Good Friday

Robert Pinsky, “The Figured Wheel”

The Figured Wheel, by Robert Pinsky The figured wheel rolls through shopping malls and prisons, Over farms, small and immense, … Continue Reading Robert Pinsky, “The Figured Wheel”

Heaney on Writing

Here’s Seamus Heaney talking about writing, from Dennis O’Driscoll’s book-length interview with him, Stepping Stones: On Inspiration On the week … Continue Reading Heaney on Writing

Walt Whitman’s Letter to Parents Whose Son Died in the Civil War

Washington August 10 1863 Mr and Mrs Haskell, Dear friends, I thought it would be soothing to you to have … Continue Reading Walt Whitman’s Letter to Parents Whose Son Died in the Civil War

How Alice Munro Chose to Write Short Stories

from the introduction to her Selected Stories: I did not “choose” to write short stories. I hoped to write … Continue Reading How Alice Munro Chose to Write Short Stories

The Best of Albert Camus’s Notebooks

A random scattering, some barely aphorisms, from the first two volumes of the notebooks of Albert Camus. They are gold: … Continue Reading The Best of Albert Camus’s Notebooks

What To Expect When You’re in Love with a Writer

When in 1937 the mythologist Joseph Campbell began dating his future wife, the dancer Jean Erdman, he gave her a … Continue Reading What To Expect When You’re in Love with a Writer

Images: Dürer’s Self-Portraits

From childhood through old age: Albrecht Dürer, “Self-Portrait” (1484) Albrecht Dürer, “Self-Portrait” (1493) Albrecht Dürer, “Self-Portrait” (1498) Albrecht Dürer, “Self-Portrait” … Continue Reading Images: Dürer’s Self-Portraits

5 Elegies by Seamus Heaney

from “Clearances” When all the others were away at Mass I was all hers as we peeled potatoes. They broke … Continue Reading 5 Elegies by Seamus Heaney

Picasso & Sex

from John Richardson’s biography of Picasso: When questioned much later about his earliest sexual experience, Picasso claimed that his sex … Continue Reading Picasso & Sex

“My Mother’s Sister,” by C. Day-Lewis

My Mother’s Sister I see her against the pearl sky of Dublin Before the turn of the century, a young … Continue Reading “My Mother’s Sister,” by C. Day-Lewis

The Melancholy of William Blake

No matter how poor he got, and no matter what of his belongings he had to sell to get by, … Continue Reading The Melancholy of William Blake

Martin Luther Reinvents the German Language

When, in 1522, Martin Luther agreed to a staged kidnapping that would keep him safe from Catholic and other authorities, … Continue Reading Martin Luther Reinvents the German Language

The Brutal Paintings that Predicted the 20th Century

The Austrian artist Egon Schiele’s brutal self-portraits, many dating from before World War One, seem to presage all the carnage … Continue Reading The Brutal Paintings that Predicted the 20th Century

Week of Van Gogh: Town & City

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Week of Van Gogh: Still Life

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Week of Van Gogh: Landscapes

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Week of Van Gogh: Portraits

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Week of Van Gogh: Self-Portraits

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Images: The Saint & the Lion

One of the great jazz standards of Medieval & Renaissance art, here’s only a selection of all the depictions of … Continue Reading Images: The Saint & the Lion

Who are These Faces & What are Their Stories?

At an antique store a few years ago, I spent $10 on an envelope of old photos. I love to … Continue Reading Who are These Faces & What are Their Stories?

Images: Picasso Mostly in Pencil

Taken from John Richardson’s biographies of Picasso. Click on each to enlarge:

Images: Manet’s Muse, Victorine Meurent

The French painter and model Victorine Meurent (1844-1927) appears in some of the most famous of Édouard Manet’s paintings. Click … Continue Reading Images: Manet’s Muse, Victorine Meurent

Images: Rembrandt’s Self-Portraits

The number of Rembrandt’s self-portraits alone far outnumber the entire output of many artists. Here is only a fraction of … Continue Reading Images: Rembrandt’s Self-Portraits

Marc Chagall Struck by Lightning

The artist Marc Chagall, meeting his wife Bella Rosenfeld in 1909; they were together for the next 35 years: … Continue Reading Marc Chagall Struck by Lightning

Bruce Springsteen on “Nebraska,” & When the Demo is the Album

Two passages from Bruce Springsteen talking about his 1982 album Nebraska. You can hear the entire album here: Nebraska began … Continue Reading Bruce Springsteen on “Nebraska,” & When the Demo is the Album

Philip Roth Mourns the Behemoth of Pop Culture

from a 2006 interview: “… television began in 1948, really, and Popular Culture just grew and grew and grew and … Continue Reading Philip Roth Mourns the Behemoth of Pop Culture

William Blake Chooses Eternity

A wonderful paragraph from Peter Ackroyd’s biography of William Blake, where he shows how the poet slowly came to accept … Continue Reading William Blake Chooses Eternity

Joseph Campbell’s Hero Sets Out

A piece of the beginning and end of The Hero with a Thousand Faces: Whether we listen with aloof amusement … Continue Reading Joseph Campbell’s Hero Sets Out

Vermeer in Bosnia

If anyone asks you about the Why of art, especially in the face of atrocity or just its apparent impracticality—for … Continue Reading Vermeer in Bosnia

On Beethoven’s Deathbed

Here are two passages from Beethoven’s life. The first finds him on his deathbed, and is recorded in the memoirs … Continue Reading On Beethoven’s Deathbed

20th Century Poetry #2: A. E. Housman

One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every Saturday … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #2: A. E. Housman

Harold Bloom Discovers That What Writers Work Hardest On Isn’t What Readers Remember Most

from Bloom’s 1991 interview with The Paris Review: You know, I’ve learned something over the years, picking up copies of … Continue Reading Harold Bloom Discovers That What Writers Work Hardest On Isn’t What Readers Remember Most

20th Century Poetry #1: Thomas Hardy

One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #1: Thomas Hardy

Advice to a Young Poet, from Ezra Pound

The late poet and translator W. S. Merwin, who died only last month at ninety-one, has left us a remarkable … Continue Reading Advice to a Young Poet, from Ezra Pound

Hart Crane, High & Low

Here is one the my favorite moments from a writer’s life, followed by one of the saddest. Only seven months … Continue Reading Hart Crane, High & Low

If you only read one page from “Moby-Dick”…

…it might as well be this passage from late in the book, when Ahab and Starbuck almost give up their … Continue Reading If you only read one page from “Moby-Dick”…

Joyce’s Dirty Letters

When James Joyce returned to Ireland in the closing months of 1909, leaving his wife Nora Barnacle in Trieste, it … Continue Reading Joyce’s Dirty Letters

Michelangelo & Leonardo da Vinci

From Walter Isaacson’s recent biography of da Vinci, here is about as concise and colorful a summary of how true … Continue Reading Michelangelo & Leonardo da Vinci

Robert Frost: “Out, Out – ”

“Out, Out – ” The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard And made dust and dropped stove-length sticks … Continue Reading Robert Frost: “Out, Out – ”

Wordsworth & Eternity at St. Paul’s

St. Paul’s Pressed with conflicting thoughts of love and fear I parted from thee, Friend! and took my way Through … Continue Reading Wordsworth & Eternity at St. Paul’s

Yeats Discovers Poetry

Here’s W. B. Yeats recalling his earliest experiences of poetry: ….This may have come from the stable-boy, for he was … Continue Reading Yeats Discovers Poetry

Yeats Comes to the Occult

Here is W. B. Yeats, remembering some of his early experiences with the occult and supernatural. All taken from his … Continue Reading Yeats Comes to the Occult

Joyce & Proust Meet

From that greatest of literary biographies, Richard Ellmann’s James Joyce, here is the account of Joyce meeting Marcel Proust, only … Continue Reading Joyce & Proust Meet

The Palace of Winds (rereading “The English Patient”)

Our love for certain books or movies or pieces of music are so intense that we like to imagine our … Continue Reading The Palace of Winds (rereading “The English Patient”)

Kafka Executes Josef K.

Josef K. is arrested for no reason at the beginning of Kafka’s The Trial, and at its conclusion he is … Continue Reading Kafka Executes Josef K.

Kafka’s Great Fable: “Before the Law”

From Kafka’s novel The Trial: Before the Law stands a doorkeeper. A man from the country comes to this doorkeeper … Continue Reading Kafka’s Great Fable: “Before the Law”

Virginia Woolf Meets T. S. Eliot

From Virginia Woolf’s Diary on November 21, 1918: I was interrupted somewhere on this page by the arrival of Mr … Continue Reading Virginia Woolf Meets T. S. Eliot

A Twelfth Century Love Letter: Heloise Remembers Abelard

An amazing passage from a letter of Heloise to Abelard, those twelfth-century lovers who ended up in a nunnery and … Continue Reading A Twelfth Century Love Letter: Heloise Remembers Abelard

The best job application letter that didn’t work

James Murray (1837-1915), the Scottish lexicographer and philologist, sent the following letter regarding a job at the British Museum in … Continue Reading The best job application letter that didn’t work

Ted Hughes: “Devon Riviera” (poem)

Strange to find a Hughes poem more populated by people than animals; & you can tell he’s not happy about … Continue Reading Ted Hughes: “Devon Riviera” (poem)

Picasso & the Gestapo

from Simon Schama’s Power of Art In the winter of 1941, Pablo Picasso was living and working at the top … Continue Reading Picasso & the Gestapo

Hart Crane & His Father

In early January, 1924, the poet Hart Crane, twenty-four and basically broke, received a letter from his father offering to … Continue Reading Hart Crane & His Father

T. S. Eliot & His Father

Here is a favorite bit from a youthful T. S. Eliot (he’s just turned thirty but that’s young to me … Continue Reading T. S. Eliot & His Father

“The Making of an Irish Goddess,” by Eavan Boland

The Making of an Irish Goddess Ceres went to hell with no sense of time. When she looked back all … Continue Reading “The Making of an Irish Goddess,” by Eavan Boland

George Orwell in the Coal Mines

As an addition to my last post, here is George Orwell’s complete description of going down into the coal mines … Continue Reading George Orwell in the Coal Mines

George Orwell & Empathy

As usual, George Orwell says it better than anybody. Here he is in his 1937 book The Road to Wigan … Continue Reading George Orwell & Empathy

Jung’s Great Dream

Jung traveled with Freud and others to America in late September, 1909, and on the boat returning to Europe, he … Continue Reading Jung’s Great Dream

“The harlot and the child”: 2 Late Poems from W. B. Yeats

Those Images What if I bade you leave The cavern of the mind? There’s better exercise In the sunlight and … Continue Reading “The harlot and the child”: 2 Late Poems from W. B. Yeats

Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 13: “The perfect image of a mighty mind, of one that feeds upon infinity”

Here are excerpts from the last book of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude. Other excerpts are here. In one of these … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 13: “The perfect image of a mighty mind, of one that feeds upon infinity”

Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 12: “making verse deal boldly with substantial things”

Throughout the summer I hope to post my favorite bits from Wordworth’s 1805 Prelude. Book 12 continues his meditations in … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 12: “making verse deal boldly with substantial things”

Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 11: “Habits of devoutest sympathy”

Excerpts from Book 11 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, which he calls “Imagination, How Impaired and Restored.” Other excerpts are here. … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 11: “Habits of devoutest sympathy”

Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 10: “In the very world which is the world of all of us, the place in which, in the end, we find our happiness, or not at all “

Excerpts from Book 10 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, where he concludes his story of being in France during the Revolution. … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 10: “In the very world which is the world of all of us, the place in which, in the end, we find our happiness, or not at all “

5 Poems by Robinson Jeffers: “Lend me the stone strength of the past”

The Maid’s Thought Why listen, even the water is sobbing for something. The west wind is dead, the waves Forget … Continue Reading 5 Poems by Robinson Jeffers: “Lend me the stone strength of the past”

Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 9: “I saw the revolutionary power toss like a ship at anchor”

Excerpts from Book 9 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, where he begins his story of being in France during the Revolution. … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 9: “I saw the revolutionary power toss like a ship at anchor”

Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 8: “A weight of ages did at once descend upon my heart”

Excerpts from Book 8 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, which he titles “Love of Nature Leading to Love of Mankind.” Other … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 8: “A weight of ages did at once descend upon my heart”

Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 7: “This parliament of monsters”

Excerpts from Book 7 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, on his time living in London. Other excerpts are here. … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 7: “This parliament of monsters”

Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 6: “No absence scarcely can there be, for those who love as we do.”

Excerpts from Book 6 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, on his friendship with Coleridge. Other excerpts are here. There is … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 6: “No absence scarcely can there be, for those who love as we do.”

Speaking of Short Stories

Back when I used to do a lot of readings, I would start out by sharing somebody else’s work, and … Continue Reading Speaking of Short Stories

Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 5: “Stirred to ecstasy by glittering verse”

Excerpts from Book 5 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, on his love for books. Other excerpts are here. … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 5: “Stirred to ecstasy by glittering verse”

Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 4: “Need I say, dear friend, that to the brim my heart was full?”

Excerpts from Book 4 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, on his time home from college. Other excerpts are here. … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 4: “Need I say, dear friend, that to the brim my heart was full?”

Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 3: “Unknown, unthought of, yet I was most rich”

Excerpts from Book 3 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, on his years at Cambridge. Other excerpts are here. Things they … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 3: “Unknown, unthought of, yet I was most rich”

Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 2: “The self-sufficing power of solitude”

Excerpts from Book 2 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude. Other excerpts are here. Thus the pride of strength And the … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 2: “The self-sufficing power of solitude”

Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 1: “Invigorating thoughts from former years”

Excerpts from Book 1 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude. Other excerpts are here. Time, place, and manners, these I seek, … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 1: “Invigorating thoughts from former years”

“the shining days when the world was new”: Virgil Greets the Spring

From the second of Virgil’s Georgics, translated by David Ferry: It’s spring that adorns the woods and groves with leaves; … Continue Reading “the shining days when the world was new”: Virgil Greets the Spring

Images: The Act of Writing

Mary Cassatt - Emmie and Her Child - 1889

Images: Mother & Child

Ted Hughes: 2 War Poems

Six Young Men The celluloid of a photograph holds them well – Six young men, familiar to their friends. Four … Continue Reading Ted Hughes: 2 War Poems

Emily Dickinson & Wallace Stevens Climb a Mountain

Emily Dickinson, #975 The Mountain sat upon the Plain In his tremendous Chair – His observation omnifold, His inquest, everywhere … Continue Reading Emily Dickinson & Wallace Stevens Climb a Mountain

Emily Dickinson Affirms a Soul

#1142 The Props assist the House Until the House is built And then the Props withdraw And adequate, erect, The … Continue Reading Emily Dickinson Affirms a Soul

Dylan Thomas: “The force that through the green fuse drives the flower”

The force that through the green fuse drives the flower The force that through the green fuse drives the flower … Continue Reading Dylan Thomas: “The force that through the green fuse drives the flower”

Allen Ginsberg, “Paterson”

Paterson What do I want in these rooms papered with visions of money? How much can I make by cutting … Continue Reading Allen Ginsberg, “Paterson”

Robert Frost: “Out, Out – ”

“Out, Out – ” The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard And made dust and dropped stove-length sticks … Continue Reading Robert Frost: “Out, Out – ”

Hart Crane: “My Grandmother’s Love Letters”

My Grandmother’s Love Letters There are no stars tonight But those of memory. Yet how much room for memory there … Continue Reading Hart Crane: “My Grandmother’s Love Letters”

Mary Robinson’s Poem “A London Summer Morning”

After finishing To the House of the Sun, a poem mostly reliant on translations of ancient poetry (and in some … Continue Reading Mary Robinson’s Poem “A London Summer Morning”

“All I know is a door into the dark”: 2 Poems by Seamus Heaney

A young Seamus Heaney recalls a blacksmith from his boyhood, while a much older Seamus Heaney illustrates the sometimes excessive … Continue Reading “All I know is a door into the dark”: 2 Poems by Seamus Heaney

Walt Whitman, “A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim”

Walt Whitman, early 1863, looking on the Civil War dead: A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim … Continue Reading Walt Whitman, “A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim”

The Poet Speaks #14: Kafka Tries Again & Again

Here are some bits from Kafka’s Diaries, trying & failing to harmonize his writing life with his family and work … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #14: Kafka Tries Again & Again

The Poet Speaks #13: Richard Wilbur & John Berryman: “The artist is extremely lucky who is presented with the worst possible ordeal which will not actually kill him”

Even though I’ve never read a word of his poetry, John Berryman has been haunting me lately. Two friends who … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #13: Richard Wilbur & John Berryman: “The artist is extremely lucky who is presented with the worst possible ordeal which will not actually kill him”

The Poet Speaks #12: Ralph Ellison, Anthony Burgess, James Dickey

If the Negro, or any other writer, is going to do what is expected of him, he’s lost the battle … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #12: Ralph Ellison, Anthony Burgess, James Dickey

The Poet Speaks #11: George Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, Philip Levine, Stephen King, Seamus Heaney: “struggling erring human creatures”

George Eliot, on empathy: The greatest benefit we owe to the artist, whether painter, poet, or novelist, is the extension … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #11: George Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, Philip Levine, Stephen King, Seamus Heaney: “struggling erring human creatures”

The Poet Speaks #9: Geoffrey Hill, Robert Frost, Allen Ginsberg, James Merrill, Ursula K. Le Guin: “We are difficult”

On the supposed “difficulty” of his poetry: We are difficult. Human beings are difficult. We’re difficult to ourselves, we’re difficult … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #9: Geoffrey Hill, Robert Frost, Allen Ginsberg, James Merrill, Ursula K. Le Guin: “We are difficult”