The Anthologist
Nicholson Baker
September 2009
256 pages
Published by Simon & Schuster
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I bought this in honor of poetry month. But did I read it during poetry month? Noooo.
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I make no bones about the fact that I just don’t get poetry. But when I heard about The Anthologist it sounded like a fun way to maybe learn something about this art form that leaves me scratching my head.
Umm, yeah. Still scratching my head.
It’s the whole idea of meters and beats that did me in. I must be tone deaf, because I swear there are NO beats in poetry (well, except for the poets of the Beat Generation, but that’s an entirely different animal).
The Anthologist is about a poet who needs to write an introduction to an anthology of poetry that he’s putting together. Instead of putting together the intro, he rambles on about poetry (he’s a big fan of the shit that rhymes) and his girlfriend that left him because he’s pretty much a loser (my words, not his) and all of the avoidance measures that he’s taken to, well, avoid writing that intro. So he talks about lots of poets (most of whom I’ve never heard of) and iambic pentameter and beat and meter and enjambment. And other than enjambment (which I thought was kind of cool), I understood fuck-all and I remember even less.
And evidently, poetry inspires my potty-mouth.
“Fuck-all” is one of my favorite words! And I can completely understand how poetry brings it out. I like some individual poems, but for the most part poetry just gives me a headache or makes me roll my eyes.
Trisha´s last [type] ..RIP- The Perilous Challenge
I hear ya. I’m the same way with poetry. I do best if I stick to children’s poetry.
I’ve been trying to read more poetry, and have actually read several good collections this year. I also picked up this book and abandoned it very quickly. Your review is exactly how I remember those few pages. Glad it wasn’t just me!
Melissa (The Betty and Boo Chronicles)´s last [type] ..This Lovely Life Wins the 2010 PEN USA Literary Award for Creative Nonfiction
There are very few classic poems that I like (one or two from Tennyson, etc.) but other than those and Shel Siverstein I have a hard time with poetry too.
Alyce´s last [type] ..Saturday Snapshot – September 4
Oh dear. I understand very little about poetry either but I also have a copy of this one and hoped I would enjoy it… I hope I get more from it than you did, but somehow I’m doubtful…
Steph´s last [type] ..“A Letter of Mary” by Laurie R King
LOL! I read some poetry but it definitely has to be free verse since I don’t get the beats part either (do I do understand the Beats). Glad I didn’t buy this book!
Oh … please do read more poetry!! It makes for amusingly foul-mouthed posts!!!
And I loved Nicholson Baker’s book “The Mezzanine” but his stuff is a little off-beat!
Jenners´s last [type] ..RIP V Challenge
Haha, I think I’d like this sh*t, though!
First I’ve heard of him, so am making a note of this.
Valerie´s last [type] ..“By Fire- By Water”- a Novel by Mitchell James Kaplan
i saw this in the library but thought I would not enjoy this one…LOL
diane´s last [type] ..112 – You Dont Look Like Anyone I Know Heather Sellers
I remember doing meter in high school, and it was interesting to me how some people could hear the beats really easily and naturally, and some people just couldn’t. I can’t figure out what makes people able to hear them and not.
Jenny´s last [type] ..Challenges and a request for advice
I don’t really get poetry either, though I wrote quite a lot of it as a teenager. Blame it on the angst, I guess. I don’t think this book would be for me, but I appreciated your honesty about it!
zibilee´s last [type] ..Finny by Justin Kramon — 384 pgs
Makes me sad to see so much poetry hate out there
I love poetry, but don’t read as much as I should. Might need to start up Poetry Wednesdays again. It took me a long time to be able to hear meter, but I can now. It was definitely something that didn’t come naturally to me though.
Lu´s last [type] ..Conception
LOL, poetry-smoetry! There are a few poets that I can deal with, Byron, Keats, Poe, etc. The rest are a waste of air and paper for me.
ME —————————————————————POETRY
we are that close!
Gwen´s last [type] ..The Associates- Four Capitalist Who Created California by Richard Rayner
Ah poetry, I enjoy reading it, but hated learning about it. I just like the way it sounds. I never liked dissecting poems because it just seemed to ruin it for me. I didn’t want to talk about enjambment, I just wanted to hear it. And I still do.
Jennifer´s last [type] ..Review- Catching Fire