This is an old review that I found from a new review while I'm here at work whirling around the internets in a poetry type way. This is CAConrad on Joseph Massey and on poetry in general all at once:
Joseph Massey has learned what I believe was one of my most valuable lessons as a poet, and that is to trust readers. So much overwritten poetry in the world in the name of believing no one's as smart as the poet. It annoys me because...
A) it's so obvious, this overwriting for lack of trust that we will get it
B) it's insulting, this lack of trust (I hope people were annoyed and insulted with me when I was a kid with a bloated head. It takes someone SAYING they are annoyed though to help change the poet)
Better than that, Joseph Massey has a handle on the follow-up lesson (which took me a little longer to learn) which is to not only trust, but allow. Allowing everyone to get what they get: see, feel, believe what they see, feel, believe. Let us readers Be in the poem as we damn well want to Be.
neat-o
Joseph Massey has learned what I believe was one of my most valuable lessons as a poet, and that is to trust readers. So much overwritten poetry in the world in the name of believing no one's as smart as the poet. It annoys me because...
A) it's so obvious, this overwriting for lack of trust that we will get it
B) it's insulting, this lack of trust (I hope people were annoyed and insulted with me when I was a kid with a bloated head. It takes someone SAYING they are annoyed though to help change the poet)
Better than that, Joseph Massey has a handle on the follow-up lesson (which took me a little longer to learn) which is to not only trust, but allow. Allowing everyone to get what they get: see, feel, believe what they see, feel, believe. Let us readers Be in the poem as we damn well want to Be.
neat-o