Alexis Pope is the author of the chapbook Girl Erases Girl (dancing girl press, 2013). Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Washington Square, Columbia Poetry Review, H_NGM_N, Guernica, and iO, among others. She is currently living in Akron, Ohio where she co-curates for The Big Big Mess Reading Series.
Join us this Friday at The Dollhouse #23 to see and hear the wonder that is Alexis Pope!
Akron FTW!
NOTES TO A YOUNG POET is a series that began in November 2012, inspired by Andrea Henchey’s poem of the same title, published in H_NGM_N #11. For the third round of the series we’ve asked contributors from the current issue to share their Notes.
This week features Russ Woods, who has three poems in H_NGM_N #15.
NOTES TO A YOUNG POET
First off I am sorry
that my eyes are so wide
as I say this.
I was recently called out
for being so earnest
while encouraging someone
to write poems.
It is a good thing for you
that you already write poems.
Please click on the links
to read all of these notes
from all of these poets
with all of their advice to you
& then do the opposite things
& then later learn they were right
but don’t make the mistake
of thinking they were right
before you think they are wrong.
There is an order. Keep it holy.
But first!
Here are the crumbs
I have for you to ignore:
How about a poem with extra birds.
We could forget what they are
& just say birdbirdbirdbirdbird.
Then we remember birds & laugh!
when we read it again
with all those warm bodies in there.
How about be sappy & corny & sad
& awful & pretentious & obvious & dumb.
Because all the best poems
are at least three of these things.
It isn’t that we should quit being sentimental.
It’s that we should get super good at it.
Our hearts are eighteen hungry wolves
that are okay saying things about “our hearts.”
How about a love poem.
There are old words
that get said so many times
but I want to smell
your gross breath on them.
A poet is a ridiculous,
unrealisic thing for anyone
to be & this is the fun part
because you are one
& you will wear it so well.
portrait of Russ Woods, by artist Pete Toms
My notes for a young poet poem is up on h_ngm_n. If you are a young poet, I guess they are notes to you. I feel like a young poet, but i wrote my first poem almost 15 years ago so maybe the platonic “young poet” we all are speaking to in these poems is more like me almost 15 years ago. I don’t think I would say exactly what I say in my poem here to that guy. Instead I would give him a list of books to buy that I know he would like, and that would make his poetry better. But after I gave him the list, I would probably say something like the poem above.
This.
45 - 
(Source: thecloudsgrey, via arainbowcupcake)
CORN HYBRIDS
We went to Nebraska.
I successfully created
a new corn hybrid
and when I tried to tell
you, you had gone away.I saw a corn farmer trapped
in his combine harvester
and all I could do was sell
him on the idea of my hybrid.
His legs were covered in blood.…
click through to read my poem!
18 - I’m writing something on Rosmarie Waldrop, can you help? Can you link me to essays/writings on her poetics, with BONUS if specifically on CURVES TO THE APPLE? Need not be “full-on scholarly,” semi-scholarly preferred.
In short: what are some essays on Waldrop that helped you learn something?
