tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15916138.post4971190350217899102..comments2023-09-25T05:45:41.437-07:00Comments on The Art of Fiction: Paradox of PoetryUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15916138.post-17107234676265405352010-06-08T05:39:50.014-07:002010-06-08T05:39:50.014-07:00"They exercise different artistic muscles&quo..."They exercise different artistic muscles" - exactly.Adrian Slatcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13946068316432524571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15916138.post-68410710955948807632010-06-08T05:04:33.085-07:002010-06-08T05:04:33.085-07:00I’m much the same. I write, on average 1000 words ...I’m much the same. I write, on average 1000 words of prose every day, but only two or three poems a month and yet I think of myself as a poet; I feel I sound pretentious calling myself a novelist but I can live with ‘writer’. To my mind my poetry is, and always will be, my <i>real</i> writing. That doesn’t mean I don’t have multiple copies of my prose backed up all over the shop because I do but I’m well aware that any real success will come via the novels, if at all, but I still think my best work is in poetry. I wrote poetry for twenty years before I ever attempted a novel (although I never set out to write one, it happened by chance – honest) and it was quite a surprise to me. Now I’m comfortable writing in a variety of forms. They’re different, complimentary. I don’t think one is easier to write; they exercise different artistic muscles. <br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15916138.post-8018726069301398892010-06-07T00:43:17.929-07:002010-06-07T00:43:17.929-07:00It's an interesting series of questions. I thi...It's an interesting series of questions. I think in general I think my sensibility is different for poetry and fiction. When you want to write a story, or explore characters I'll do it within fiction, for instance. However, I know there are poets (who may write non-fiction prose) who feel drawn to poetry for whatever they do. I think, in many ways, that's why there are so few writers who are equally strong as poets and fiction writers. Armitage, I almost mentioned, as having written a number of prose works - not necessarily that satisfyingly - he's now writing prose poetry in his verse. I think he's a writer who is deliberately exploring the limitations of his forms/styles, and is not afraid to create some interesting new hybrids (such as his 9/11 anniversary film-poem.) Several years ago I wrote an experimental novel, which I've extracted various pieces from over the years and called certain bits poetry, and certain bits prose. My recent pamphlet "Extracts from Levona" is a case in point, I call it a poem, yet its' reference points are novelistic. I'm impressed by poets who are not "precious" about their work and will write a poem for any occasion, because that's what they do; yet also by writers who choose a different form depending on the subject. One of the challenges, I think, is not deciding whether an idea should be produced in one form or another, but recognising that something you've maybe expressed in one format might actually work better, revisited in another.Adrian Slatcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13946068316432524571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15916138.post-88891136329149414462010-06-07T00:27:07.754-07:002010-06-07T00:27:07.754-07:00David Kennedy once said "When I sit down to w...David Kennedy once said "When I sit down to write I often don't know whether it's a poem or a critical piece that's going to be produced". When do you commit yourself? Or do you have no choice?<br /><br />When you reach the moment when you know you're writing prose, what feeling comes over you? What are your expectations? Would you consider a 300 word piece a fragment or a finished piece? Does your fiction ever turn into poetry? Ever tried writing a Golden Gate or Autobiography of Red (or parts of The Golden Notebook or Portrait of the Artist ...)? Ever tried what Armitage is trying nowadays?Tim Lovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00578925224900533603noreply@blogger.com