Monthly Archives: June 2011

Take Two: Alternate Reading Formats

Posted on June 27, 2011 by

(Guest post by Rachel Bunting) About two weeks ago, I had great fun giving a reading. Let me explain that statement and why it’s a strange one. I don’t like to give readings. It creates a sense of anxiety in … Continue reading →

Posted in guest post, live performance | 8 Comments

Pecan Pie and Ice Cream: Reading Poetry, Reading Prose

Posted on June 24, 2011 by

Susan Rich has a great post about reading prose out loud for an audience, and she compares it to reading poetry.  Want to know which one is more like pecan pie and which is more like ice cream?  Go read … Continue reading →

Posted in reading-as-performance | 1 Comment

“Why We Still Hate Poetry Readings”

Posted on June 20, 2011 by

Missed this anti-reading/pro-recitation post when it came out in April at the Contemporary Poetry Review: …reading your verse has an impact in terms of the performance of your poems before a live audience, and that impact is negative. The poet … Continue reading →

Posted in live performance, poem-as-text, poem-as-voice | 6 Comments

The Poet as Cover Band

Posted on June 17, 2011 by

Once upon a time, I would have sneered at any musician who covered another person’s song.  I was a do-it-yourself teen.  If you couldn’t write your own songs, you should get out of the business! Once I would have told … Continue reading →

Posted in other people's poems, reading-as-performance | 4 Comments

stage vs page (cont’d)

Posted on June 15, 2011 by

Serena Agusto Cox has an ongoing interview series at the 32 poems blog, in which she asks different poets the same set of questions. We’re linking here (part 2 of 2) to some of those interviews and excerpting some answers … Continue reading →

Posted in page and stage | Leave a comment

page vs stage (cont’d)

Posted on June 14, 2011 by

Serena Agusto Cox has an ongoing interview series at the 32 poems blog, in which she asks different poets the same set of questions. We’re linking here (part 1 of 2) to some of those interviews and excerpting some answers … Continue reading →

Posted in page and stage | Leave a comment

Poets Performing on Radio Programs

Posted on June 7, 2011 by

Jeannine Hall Gailey has posted a great interview with poet and radio producer Elizabeth Austen.  They talk about all sorts of important topics, like how to prepare for a radio interview and how to read your poems on the air. This … Continue reading →

Posted in reading-as-performance | 2 Comments

Creating a Set List If You’ve Got More than One Book

Posted on June 2, 2011 by

Long ago, I went to a reading by the poet Yusef Komunyakaa at Florida International University.  He had all his books with him.  On the way home, I expressed my disappointment, because the bulk of his reading had come from … Continue reading →

Posted in reading-as-performance | 3 Comments