Radar Redux.com is expanding the traditional concept of journalism, to cover a wide array of Baltimore Arts and Culture. We are a partnership between the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance, Maryland Institute College of Art, and Johns Hopkins University.
For the sake of full disclosure, I should admit that I have a problem with reviewing poetry. It’s a deeply personal form of writing that elicits personal responses, and there is no truly universal guide to quality. For that reason, there is an appeal to the kind of compilation that the local publication Smartish Pace has put together. The sixteenth installment has 114 pages of poetry that runs the gamut of literary styles, and includes contributors ranging from a Hopkins MFA student to Sappho. It embodies the “something for everyone” philosophy, and if you put in the work to get through the entire volume, you will walk away with something that suits you. The downside is that not having a specific focus or writing style requirement to guide the contributions means that readers have a lot to wade through to in order to get to works that they find powerful.
Disclaimer aside, there are definite high points. Pamela Gemin’s ecphrastic piece “Little Red Come-A-Calling” is full of whimsical personification and beautiful imagery, and still maintains a frank simplicity. The ending is strong, and her line “feeding twig fires with pine cones and tabloid gossip” is one of those perfect turns of phrase that sticks in your head like a melody. Aaron Poochigian’s pieces “The Last Bachelors,” and “To My Soul Mate,” speak to bachelorhood and the imperfect pairings that are exalted in the aughties. His work is accessible, relatable, and feels familiar and comfortable.
The best all-around featured poet is Sherman Alexie – all five of his featured poems are strong, and his “Tuxedo with Eagle Feathers” is spectacular. This diary-style piece on the collision of mass culture with his Native American heritage alternates between verse and prose, until it closes with a formal sonnet. The subject matter is powerful and personal, and a writer’s bias automatically aligns me with any writer who declares that “It was all those goddamn texts/ By all those damn dead white male writers/ Who first taught me how to be a fighter.”
Much of the rest of the work included is decent, some of it is good, and some is forgettable. Since our taste isn’t going to line up perfectly, I recommend taking the time to read it yourself – over fifty contributors means your chances are pretty good.
Tags: Baltimore, creative writing, Pamela Gemin, poetry, Sherman Alexie, smartish pace
Filed Under: Feature Sights
I am honored and delighted to see my poem mentioned here. Thank you very much!
February 2, 2010 1:38 pm