Substack definitely has a feel to it more like real self-publishing than making your own website, weirdly enough. They’ve done a good job handling the “infrastructure” parts that map onto the physical post office or bulletin board that writers don’t have to spend as much energy on the distribution bits. I’m a web developer by day and even I had a real headache that felt like it was of no avail putting together my own site. God bless you and I look forward to seeing where this goes, and to be a part of it, if God wills.
In my mind, the trickiest obstacle to reinvigorating the poetry landscape, either on Substack or some other platform, will be to suppress readers' urges to scroll away as soon as they've read the poem. Although the printed formats have their own version of this problem—one could always flip the page instead of lingering in thought—it seems the screen is optimized for this behavior, especially for readers, like myself, who don't like carrying their phone around and who read mostly on the desktop. Resisting the desire to go on to the next thing instead of letting the poem settle and begin to dwell within them, will be of paramount importance for readers and poets.
Another challenge will be to disengage the poetry from the platform. You give several reasons why Substack is the prime environment for a new flourishing of the poetic art, and I agree with you; but for poetry to truly flourish it must be seen as something which exists on its own and not just something allied to Substack. As you rightly say, the fundamental unit of poetry is the poem. It is not the book—but neither is it the newsletter. How can poets position their individual works as of first importance, rather than their own blogs and careers, or the platforms which enable them?
I sincerely believe that for the Substack poetry renaissance to be a success, it must develop an independence from the platform and make its presence known in the real world. Your concept of embedded printable PDFs is excellent. I'm also wondering about broadsheets—individual poems printed, with a QR code link at the bottom maybe, for distribution at coffee shops, college campuses, libraries, and similar friendly spaces.
Again, I commend you for your efforts, and will most certainly be watching as future developments unfold.
Great feedback, as usual. Poetry readings as part of private dinner parties is something else I want to encourage. Getting people together in the same room eating and drinking together has sadly become counter cultural and had always been linked with poetry.
I used to have undoing dinner parties, with the basic fare of face stretches, shoulders, flops, laughing breaths, and worry walks; prior to any art, writing, or “serious”’discussion. This proved infinitely fruitful. I even recall some horrifying hours passed trying to come to terms with the depth brought by the unseeming participants. Even now, I’ve spent years in mediocre situations, hiding out, waiting for another of those moments to creep into the room.
Great start. I have such a love-hate relationship with this little screen, and yet there is no escaping the inexorable infiltration of the digital into culture. Having resisted the siren call of social media, I find myself delighted at the exposure to ideas and poetry made possible by Substack. So many editions of poetry magazine remain guiltily unopened on my bookshelf. In contrast, I get a daily spark of insight and joy from old poems and new on this platform. Hoping it just keeps getting better, but also worried that it may unravel...
I think we can create a culture where engaging more with our neglected bookshelves can foster a richer digital experience, less prone to distraction, and vice versa.
Really enjoyed this. Very inspired. Here's another "definition" of poetry that I love from Jim Harrison: Poetry is the language that the soul would speak if you could teach the soul to speak.
I like this a lot. I write poetry myself, mostly in a pretty weird niche (based in fictional world), so it's exciting to see someone promoting this somewhat neglected art. Good luck!
Collaboration opens doors and strengthens those artistic muscle that have been neglected. I know I’ve gotten much better at my craft through it. I’m excited to see where you go with this.
Whitman pulled off the rhythm without rhyme. And sometimes Robinson Jeffers. Bukowski’s best were ambient prose, where rhyme would’ve felt forced and even trite. Rilke I only know via English translation. Tao Chien, the same.
But in the post-Gurdjieff, post-surrealist, and even post-situationist world, poetry has been defaced, and even degraded palpably.
Subjective art has almost replaced objective, and chastised and shamed the objective poets of our time and all times.
Substack definitely has a feel to it more like real self-publishing than making your own website, weirdly enough. They’ve done a good job handling the “infrastructure” parts that map onto the physical post office or bulletin board that writers don’t have to spend as much energy on the distribution bits. I’m a web developer by day and even I had a real headache that felt like it was of no avail putting together my own site. God bless you and I look forward to seeing where this goes, and to be a part of it, if God wills.
Thank you, Ezekiel. I'll be in touch sometime this month.
Here for it. Let's do this.
Splendid! I applaud you, sir!
In my mind, the trickiest obstacle to reinvigorating the poetry landscape, either on Substack or some other platform, will be to suppress readers' urges to scroll away as soon as they've read the poem. Although the printed formats have their own version of this problem—one could always flip the page instead of lingering in thought—it seems the screen is optimized for this behavior, especially for readers, like myself, who don't like carrying their phone around and who read mostly on the desktop. Resisting the desire to go on to the next thing instead of letting the poem settle and begin to dwell within them, will be of paramount importance for readers and poets.
Another challenge will be to disengage the poetry from the platform. You give several reasons why Substack is the prime environment for a new flourishing of the poetic art, and I agree with you; but for poetry to truly flourish it must be seen as something which exists on its own and not just something allied to Substack. As you rightly say, the fundamental unit of poetry is the poem. It is not the book—but neither is it the newsletter. How can poets position their individual works as of first importance, rather than their own blogs and careers, or the platforms which enable them?
I sincerely believe that for the Substack poetry renaissance to be a success, it must develop an independence from the platform and make its presence known in the real world. Your concept of embedded printable PDFs is excellent. I'm also wondering about broadsheets—individual poems printed, with a QR code link at the bottom maybe, for distribution at coffee shops, college campuses, libraries, and similar friendly spaces.
Again, I commend you for your efforts, and will most certainly be watching as future developments unfold.
Great feedback, as usual. Poetry readings as part of private dinner parties is something else I want to encourage. Getting people together in the same room eating and drinking together has sadly become counter cultural and had always been linked with poetry.
I used to have undoing dinner parties, with the basic fare of face stretches, shoulders, flops, laughing breaths, and worry walks; prior to any art, writing, or “serious”’discussion. This proved infinitely fruitful. I even recall some horrifying hours passed trying to come to terms with the depth brought by the unseeming participants. Even now, I’ve spent years in mediocre situations, hiding out, waiting for another of those moments to creep into the room.
That's a great idea!
Great start. I have such a love-hate relationship with this little screen, and yet there is no escaping the inexorable infiltration of the digital into culture. Having resisted the siren call of social media, I find myself delighted at the exposure to ideas and poetry made possible by Substack. So many editions of poetry magazine remain guiltily unopened on my bookshelf. In contrast, I get a daily spark of insight and joy from old poems and new on this platform. Hoping it just keeps getting better, but also worried that it may unravel...
I think we can create a culture where engaging more with our neglected bookshelves can foster a richer digital experience, less prone to distraction, and vice versa.
Really enjoyed this. Very inspired. Here's another "definition" of poetry that I love from Jim Harrison: Poetry is the language that the soul would speak if you could teach the soul to speak.
Intriguing!
I like this a lot. I write poetry myself, mostly in a pretty weird niche (based in fictional world), so it's exciting to see someone promoting this somewhat neglected art. Good luck!
Poetry will likely make a comeback as modernity continues to fade away. Writing verse as a hobby is underrated and fun!
I hope so!
Yea, I'm pretty new to it, but I've been enjoying it a lot. Much to learn.
Ty given the recent pvk pre Arkansas talk
Ah I just listened to that.
Collaboration opens doors and strengthens those artistic muscle that have been neglected. I know I’ve gotten much better at my craft through it. I’m excited to see where you go with this.
Whitman pulled off the rhythm without rhyme. And sometimes Robinson Jeffers. Bukowski’s best were ambient prose, where rhyme would’ve felt forced and even trite. Rilke I only know via English translation. Tao Chien, the same.
But in the post-Gurdjieff, post-surrealist, and even post-situationist world, poetry has been defaced, and even degraded palpably.
Subjective art has almost replaced objective, and chastised and shamed the objective poets of our time and all times.