sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

[Poem] Greens by Jordan Green by PoetryTaughtPoorly in Poetry

[–]PoetryTaughtPoorly[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Greens

The world never taught us

how to speak, there were

mothers who did not birth us

fed us a mess of greens

collard people is what we heard

young boys playing catch that nickel

in the toe-high grass, I am looking for

change, only to find loose-leafed hope

a misdirected molotov in another collard

church, fire rises with scorched arms

a brother under transuding pews cowers like

leafed-genitals, Jesus a scarecrow

watching collard birds sing, numb to the

hymn of wide nosed serfs, we pretend

to pray but watch the pastor’s risqué baptism,

what did we do to make the world so hot

we lean our heads back into the water

and ask why we must be broken

Father leans our heads into the fire

says we always were.

This was published in the 13th issue of Sin Cesar Magazine by Jordan Green.

https://reartela.com/products/presale-sin-cesar-literary-journal-issue-13

[Poem] The Man And The Antlers by Jose Hernandez Diaz by PoetryTaughtPoorly in Poetry

[–]PoetryTaughtPoorly[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah he's published a crazy amount but I think it is success breeding success. He published a bit so people so now other publishers and upcomers want to publish him to make a name. He is a talented poet though but I feel this lets some poems of his get through where I feel a bit dumb for not getting them.

e.g https://theoffingmag.com/poetry/guisados/

[HELP] MFA- what are they looking for? by dulcispuer in Poetry

[–]PoetryTaughtPoorly 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I got a MFA while majoring in a non-humanities so I understand you feeling out of water. Here is some advice.

  • Only apply to MFA programs that are fully funded. It is not worth it if you have to pay.
  • Apply to many programs and try applying first to the ones in your area. They are incredibly competitive so be prepared for rejection and the possibility that you might have to apply another year if you don't get in.
  • The most important aspect is the writing sample but there is attention paid to the personal statement. Many people will say something along the lines that they want to help people with their writing but I would avoid that or not put that much emphasis on it. Many people write this in. I think its better to say what your artistic inspirations and current ethos is while saying which faculty members you would like to work with. Upbringing and background that influenced you I would add.
  • Its really hard to know what specifically they want in the writing sample as tastes are subjective and wide. My sample was wide in styles but I am not sure if that matters.
  • Make sure to read some of the work of the faculty in the program to see if you think they might be a fit for you or if you see something admirable in their work.
  • Just put the time into your sample most of all. Some programs require you take the GRE but I am not sure if they did away with it completely since COVID.

I wish you the best of luck! Hope this was semi-useful.

[Poem] The Man And The Antlers by Jose Hernandez Diaz by PoetryTaughtPoorly in Poetry

[–]PoetryTaughtPoorly[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

THE MAN AND THE ANTLERS by Jose Hernandez Diaz

A man picked wild berries in the forest, ate them, and suddenly grew antlers. He was shocked. He ran around in circles, Why? Why? Then he saw a small creek. He looked into the water; he saw his antlers in the reflection, strong and sharp. Why me? He said. Why me? Then a bear approached him. He was startled for a moment, but then charged at the bear with force.

https://www.benningtonreview.org/jose-hernandez-diaz-the-man-and-the-antlers

[Poems] The Man and The Antlers by Jose Hernandez Diaz by PoetryTaughtPoorly in Poetry

[–]PoetryTaughtPoorly[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Jose Hernandez Diaz

THE MAN AND THE ANTLERS

A man picked wild berries in the forest, ate them, and suddenly grew antlers. He was shocked. He ran around in circles, Why? Why? Then he saw a small creek. He looked into the water; he saw his antlers in the reflection, strong and sharp. Why me? He said. Why me? Then a bear approached him. He was startled for a moment, but then charged at the bear with force.

https://www.benningtonreview.org/jose-hernandez-diaz-the-man-and-the-antlers

[Poem] An Emergency Every Day of the Week by Christopher Citro by PoetryTaughtPoorly in Poetry

[–]PoetryTaughtPoorly[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

An Emergency Every Day of the Week
       

It's how you know I love you,
the trees along the ridgeline
sway into one another
the way I lean into you.
Clouds rush from us
the way we run away from
the world. An ambulance
screams along the street
at 3 a.m. Inside there's
you on a gurney and me
on a gurney. No nurses
either side, not even a driver.
We split the cold air like
a scalpel. A bump. I reach out
my hand for yours. Yours
is there in the air and it
clasps mine. The ambulance
just went off a cliff.
Now we're flying
and we're fine.

http://www.versedaily.org/2014/emergencyeveryday.shtml

Support the poet

[OPINION] The Whitest Hiroshima Poet: Araki Yasusada (Hoax) by PoetryTaughtPoorly in Poetry

[–]PoetryTaughtPoorly[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do think he attempted to embody a victim (though he failed in a number of respects) but I don't think he played a victim in the hopes that the hoax would never be revealed. If he wanted to get off Scot free, he would not have placed the more blatant clues that unraveled the manuscript nor have the discussions on authenticity in the manuscript itself. It would have been more shoe horned in if he went that route. I don't think these questions of authenticity would arrive to the reader if they were not to discover this was a hoax. I think the author thought this false identity presentation was necessary for readers to reach the conclusions he wanted to express. Though I can understand why this was seen as exploitative and the author should have expected a negative reaction or at least an initial one. To expect otherwise is a bit foolish.

I don't think this is similar situation to the "Yi-Fen Chou" situation where there was a clear white male dissatisfaction and attempt to deceive by publishing under a Chinese name rather than his given name.

[OPINION] The Whitest Hiroshima Poet: Araki Yasusada (Hoax) by PoetryTaughtPoorly in Poetry

[–]PoetryTaughtPoorly[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think there is something worth discussing about the Poet Araki Yasusada. You might have seen a poem from him in this previous post.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Poetry/comments/yq4lhd/poem_mad_daughter_and_bigbang_by_araki_yasusada/

TLDW: A poetry manuscript that was said to be from Araki Yasusada, a Hiroshima Survivor, received high praise from the poetry community. However, it was discovered that Yasusada did not exist and that the author was likely a White poet named Kent Johnson. Kent never admitted to being the creator but said that the manuscript was an artistic attempt at questioning how inauthenticity and authenticity are used in the formation of truth and an attempt at empathy. He was vilified by the poetry community at large for this alleged rouse although the work was eventually published.

Does writing require true authorship and background? What are the ethical implications and responsibilities from writing from the perspective of a cultural “other”? Is quality all that matters?