Sunday, September 03, 2006

Zukofsky's "A"

I just started it. I'm about halfway through 8. I was really into it until 8. Communist Propoganda is not my favorite. But I look forward to 12, which is supposedly long, and all about his father.

I also saw this movie, Oldboy. Very good. And very disturbing. I think I spent ten minutes afterwards trying to process, and not cry, and not throw up. A challenging movie, I guess I would say. Challenged the way I looked at certain things, at least. I would recommend it.

That's about it.

8 comments:

will said...

Connor!

S. Burgess said...

Oh Connor! Wherever have you been?

I rather liked Zukofsky's "A," at least what Will read of it in the car. I don't really read poetry. Honestly, I don't really read. I should really read more.

I read Matt Hart's book, finally. I liked it a lot. I like poetry that doesn't make me want to stick my head in an oven. (Go ahead Will. Tell us how it's no better than Mary Oliver's, making us content with our middle class, or middle-class-hopeful, lifestyles, whatever, etc.)

amber said...

Connor! We miss you!

And, like I said, yes, I like "A", just not as into this section...'cause I'm not all Communism! Rah! Rah!

I'm in the process of becoming a brunette.

will said...

being communism rah! rah! is pseudo-hip & thusly i'm all for it. or against it. or both.

whenever anyone discusses zukofsky, they tend to talk about this quote: "lower level speech, upper level music". i don't know if he really fulfills this formulation. what do you think amber? what i like about "A" is (are?) the many voices, the poly-vocal-ity if you will... makes for a fun read, especially aloud, though, at times, i must say, he does go on...

amber said...

I have to agree about this upper music business. I don't really buy it. I often find the polyvocal quality disruptive to the music. I like the multiple voices and the language. But the music is jilting. But perhaps it's just my reading. Perhaps I should try to find a recording of him reading. I don't really think there's much "upper level" about him, except perhaps quality. I mean, it is good and interesting, but his language is simple, though elegant, and his music is at times awkward but not in a way that keeps me from going on.

And yes, he does go on... and so we follow...

amber said...

I have to agree about this upper music business. I don't really buy it. I often find the polyvocal quality disruptive to the music. I like the multiple voices and the language. But the music is jilting. But perhaps it's just my reading. Perhaps I should try to find a recording of him reading. I don't really think there's much "upper level" about him, except perhaps quality. I mean, it is good and interesting, but his language is simple, though elegant, and his music is at times awkward but not in a way that keeps me from going on.

And yes, he does go on... and so we follow...

Tao Lin said...

why did you want to throw up?

amber said...

Mostly because of the gore. I was already unsettled emotionally (disturbed from the getgo being locked up in that room, with nothing but that picture and that television) and then there was the whole thing about chopping off body parts, particularly cutting his own tongue out. Which, to be honest, has never bothered me in a horror movie. However, this wasn't horror in the "traditional" sense (zombies and whatnot...). I laugh at zombies. This was terrifying. And then there was also the the emotional factor...how I would feel if I found out that, unintentionally, I had slept with my father/brother/mother... I think, in terms of that, it's a subconscious desire to purge the system.


And for Zukofsky's upper music...it does pick up in Sectin 9. And I understand why whoever it was on LuciPo recommended him as a poet whose work could transfer to hip hop (the rhythm, and the rhyming both end and internal). I'm not sure that "upper" is necessarily the right word. But there definitely seems to be more focus on the music in this section.