What is it about procrastination that makes it so delicious? I mean, this is really my only vice, but it (almost) gets me into (almost) trouble sometimes. I am getting things done, but not the right things. There's nothing depending on whether or not I finish this chocolate granola bar, for example. I have so many books piled on my desk it looks like I'm building arm rests.
What I really need to do is sit down with my calendar and force myself to freak out. Why is that so hard?
Sara is back in town, so now I can stop missing her posts. She seems to have a few of the same books that are on my desk right now. Could it be Craft & Theory of Poetry: First Books class she's thinking about?
In one of my other classes--upper level undergrad + grad contemporary American poetry--I'm trying a new assignment and having folks write a lyric essay in response to the readings. There are just so many analytical essays one person can read in a semester. Do you have a favorite lyric essay? I want to give some samples.
I do not recommend working out while listening to the following bands: Mazzy Star, Cocteau Twins, The Sundays. You will start looking for comfortable corners to fall asleep in.
Seriously, my syllabi are usually fourteen pages long. I don't know why I do this, but I can't do it any other way. Last year I started making a nifty grid for the dates, and I will definitely do that again.
I did finish yesterday's Monica poem. I'm not 100% happy with it, but I think that's because the last few I've written had pretty good endings, and this didn't feel quite as gripping.
Okay, off to plant a few toads.
5 comments:
Good to be back, Mary! Thanks for the welcome.
Oh man, I only procrastinate. I don't know how to do anything unless I shouldn't. Don't do that again, my mom would say.
And I'd say I didn't mean to --before I did it again. I think it's how you keep writing in the long run . . . otherwise you'd just be doing your supposed-to-be- doings.
Hey, Mary. I've been thinking about your lyric essay question, and one that keeps popping into my brain is Eula Biss' "All Apologies." I came across it in the Spring/Summer 2006 issue of _Ninth Letter_. It's an essay I often return to. If you find any others or hear of any others, please let me know. I'd love to read them!
Thanks so much, Amanda!
I think we have that 9L at home, too. Yay!
Hope to chat with you at Winter Wheat this year.
Lyric essays!!
Mary, I have lyric essays. I've been writing them for years. I wrote one called "How to be happy, 38 easy steps to carlyle's everlasting yea." Another called Night Driving in Central Illinois. Another called "Essay on Happy Places."
They aren't long but they are essays. Based on Alexander Pope's poems Essay on Criticism and Essay on Man.
Post a Comment