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Literature Curriculum
Project Syllabi
WRI 320 Writing Poetry: The Sky is Not a Mirror
Suggested Level for teaching students: Lower level or beginning upper level College Sophomore/Junior
Naropa University
Look in the terrible mirror of the sky.
See how the absent moon waits in a glade
Of your dark self, and how the wings of stars,
Upward, from unimagined coverts, fly.
--Wallace Stevens.
Goals and Objectives
The object of the class is to develop our writing and critical skills in the company of colleagues, and to broaden our familiarity with the practice and product of postmodern poets and key antecedents. Resources include readings and archival audio.
Texts
Hoover , Paul, ed. 1994. Postmodern American Poetry: A Norton Anthology. NY: W.W. Norton & Co.
Waldman, Anne, and Lisa Birman, eds. 2004. Civil Disobediences: Poetics and Politics in Action. Coffee House Press.
Bombay Gin 31 . 2005. Boulder, CO: The Naropa Press.
Additional readings may be given as necessary.
Class procedure: The first 30-45 minutes of class time is devoted to discussion of the week’s readings. The remaining two hours is given to discussion of student work.
Requirements/grading: Timely completion of all assignments, participation in class exercises and discussion, and final manuscript each count for 33% of grade. Two absences lower a final grade, three may result in failure. Lateness is noted and impacts the final grade. (If you have scheduling difficulties, such as preceding/following classes at other Naropa campuses, please speak the instructor at your first opportunity.)
Writing assignments: a poem is due every Tuesday. Some writing assignments will be directed, some will be free form. It is important that poems should be new, current work. Bringing in older, finished work is not appropriate for the workshop. Ask me why. There will be occasional in-class writing exercises.
NOTE: Bring twelve copies of your weekly writing to class. We will not be discussing poems of which there are not sufficient copies. (A single copy of a poem brought to class is equivalent to no poem brought to class.) Poems are to be laser printed (or equivalent) on white 8.5 x 11 paper.
Listening assignments: There will be listening assignments using the Naropa Audio Archive poetics collections.
Research assignments: Periodically, you may be directed to research topics in literary history and poetics using the Allen Ginsberg library collections and electronic resources.
Manuscript:
- 12-15 pages of new work.
- Laser printed on 8.5 x ll white paper.
- Velo bound with card stock or acetate covers.
- Title page with title, name, course number, and date.
- Left margins of 1.5 inches; 1 inch top, right, bottom.
- Serif type (Courier, Times, Palatino, Garamond, New Century Schoolbook, etc.)
NOTE: assignments subject to change.
Recommended Schedule:
I : Class meets to receive syllabus and discuss class procedures.
II : Read in Hoover: Introduction, pp. xxv-xxxix; Charles Olson, pp. 3-17 and 613-21; John Cage pp. 17-26 and 621-25. Bring a poem to class.
III : Read in Hoover: Robert Duncan, pp. 29-42 and 626-28; Jack Spicer, pp. 103-11; Hilda Morley, pp. 51-55; Denise Levertov, pp. 86-92 and 628-33; in Waldman: Duncan interview, pp. 45-69.
Audio: http://www.naropa.edu/archive/audio/duncan_robert_76p001_clip_warp_&_woof.mp3
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IV : Read in Hoover: Lawrence Ferlinghetti, pp. 42-50; Michael McClure, pp. 253-57; Gary Snyder, pp. 214-20; Philip Whelan, pp. 80-81, Diane DiPrima, pp. 272-77; in Waldman: Ferlinghetti interview, pp. 111-21; Snyder comments, pp. 203-05.
Audio:
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Audio:
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Audio:
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Audio:
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V : Read in Hoover: Jack Kerouac, pp. 75-79; Allen Ginsberg, pp. 130-43 and 635-37; Gregory Corso, pp. 208-13; in Waldman: Ginsberg, pp. 243-66.
Audio:
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Audio:
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VI : Read in Hoover: Amiri Baraka, pp. 258-71 and 645; Clarence Major, pp. 338-42; Lorenzo Thomas, pp. 447-51; in Waldman: Sonya Sanchez, pp. 7-29; Baraka lecture, pp. 294-300; Thomas lecture, pp. 338-54.
Audio:
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Audio:
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VII : Read in Hoover: Barbara Guest, pp. 62-68; James Schuyler, pp. 92-103; Kenneth Koch, pp. 111-20; Frank O’Hara, pp. 121-30 and 633-34; Kenward Elmslie, pp. 189-94; Bill Berkson, pp. 362-65; in Waldman: B. Guest Reverie, pp. 367-75.
Audio:
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Audio:
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VIII : Read in Hoover: Robert Creeley, pp. 143-54 and 637-39; Paul Blackburn, pp. 155-60; Larry Eigner, pp. 161-64 and 296-300; Ed Dorn, pp. 195-203; in Waldman: “Panel on Personal Geography,” pp. 122-33.
Audio:
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IX : Read in Hoover: Jerome Rothenberg, pp. 221-28 and 640-44; David Antin, pp. 229-46; Robert Kelly, pp. 301-05; Diane Wakoski, pp 342-46; Nathaniel Mackey, pp. 504-09 and 663-67; Wanda Coleman, pp. 474-80; Miguel Algar í n, pp. 390-93.
X : Read in Hoover: Ted Berrigan, pp. 278-85; Anselm Hollo, pp. 286-90; Joseph Ceravolo, pp. 291-95; John Giorno, pp. 325-31; Ron Padgett, pp. 399-407; Maureen Owen, pp. 433-35; Anne Waldman, pp. 451-57; Alice Notley, pp. 458-65; Bernadette Mayer, pp. 466-69; and 658-59; John Godfrey, pp. 471-73; Andrei Codrescu, pp. 480-84; Eileen Myles, pp. 553-56; Victor Hernandez Cruz, pp. 557-61 and 672-75; John Yau, pp. 572-75; Jim Carroll, pp. 575-78; in Waldman: Berrigan Workshop, pp. 30-44; Notley lecture, pp. 91-95; Waldman “Femanifestos,” pp. 326-37.
Audio:
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Audio:
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Audio:
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Audio:
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XI : Read in Hoover: Hannah Weiner, pp. 185-88; Keith Waldrop, pp. 247-52; Rosemarie Waldrop, pp. 313-17; Susan howe, pp. 346-55 and 646-49; Kathleen Fraser, pp. 356-58; Clark Coolidge, pp. 369-75 and 649-52; Lynn hejinian, pp. 385-89 and 653-58; Ann Lauterbach, pp. 408-11; Michael Palmer, pp. 420-27; Marjorie Welish 442-47; Carla Harryman, pp. 578-81.
Audio:
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Audio:
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Audio:
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Audio:
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XII : Read in Hoover: Ray Dipalma, pp. 428-32; Ron Silliman, pp. 489-96 and 66-63;; Bob Perelman, pp. 497-503; Rae Armantrout, pp. 514-16; Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge, pp. 517-23; Leslie Scalapino, pp. 524-29; Bruce Andrews, pp. 530-35 and 668-72; Barrett Watten, pp. 536-41; Charles Bernstein, pp. 566-71 and 676-79; Diane Ward, pp. 609-12.
XIII : 22 nd.: Manuscript preparation.
VIX : 29 th.: Manuscripts due.
This syllabus is credited to Steven Taylor
Naropa University
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