National Poetry Month at the Big Houses

W.W. Norton has set Robert Pinsky loose on Poems Out Loud, a website connected to the publication of his new anthology, Essential Pleasures: A New Anthology of Poems to Read Aloud. (It comes with a CD; so far, the only track I’ve had a chance to consider is Pinsky’s recital of Christopher Smart’s “Jubilate Agno,” for firstly it is one of the sweetest poems ever written, and for secondly you should never pass up an opportunity to hear it.) He’s not the only poet taking part in the proceedings, and the guest stars include Rita Dove (left), who reads “Ludwig van Beethoven’s Return to Vienna,” a poem I mentioned earlier this week.

Not to be outdone in the National Poetry Month celebrations, FSG has resurrected The Best Words in Their Best Order, its annual month-or-so-long spotlight on poets, including several whose work they publish. They’ve also got some extra features—for example, they recently devoted three full days to posts from Graywolf Press senior editor Jeff Shotts on who might be the best contemporary poetry critic in American letters.

(This is, of course, by no means a complete survey of how book publishers are recognizing National Poetry Month, and I’ll have more to show you in the weekends to come.)

4 April 2009 | poetry |

Natasha Mostert & the Inspirational Power of Feminist Boxing

When Natasha Mostert‘s publicist told me that she was donating some of the proceeds from her second novel, Keeper of Light and Dust, to a non-profit organization that was teaching Afghan women how to box, my curiosity was definitely piqued, and I invited Mostert to tell readers how that came about. (Her interest in fighting and the spirit of life is linked, in a way, with the themes of the novel, a supernatural thriller built on the inspired combination of martial arts and what are popularly known in the New Age crowd as psychic vampires.)

I was working on the final chapters of my new novel when I broke my ankle. It happened while I was sparring with my kickboxing instructor and managed—much to the surprise of both of us—to sweep his leg out from underneath him. My ankle remained entangled with his and when we both hit the mat, it snapped. For the next eight weeks I would be Crutches Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Being able to laugh in a lopsided way at my misfortune could not take away from the fact that the fracture was painful, required surgery and would keep me from training for six months. My doctor—rather hard-heartedly, I thought—told me I would have a “fat ankle” for life. Worst of all was the lack of sympathy I received from family and friends. Over the years I’ve broken a little toe, cracked a nose and had my ribs bruised, but this time no-one was sorry for me.

A few uneasy thoughts had entered my own mind, as well. What was it that so attracted me to fighting? Why did I like to punch and be punched? Why, in fact, had I written a book about it? Keeper of Light and Dust deals with martial arts and the imperative of domination and submission that is hardwired into our genes. Even in my writing life, combat was the focus. What kind of person does that make me?

So there I was, foot propped up on a chair, gloomily fact-checking my book, when I stumbled across an article about a group of Afghan women who are being taught how to box. Afghan women boxing. For a moment I thought my painkillers were causing hallucinations. But then I looked at the photographs that accompanied the story…

(more…)

4 April 2009 | guest authors |