Editing a Poetry Manuscript

by another poet that's almost there, but just needs a little push--brings such a good feeling.

I feel in a humble way like Quincy Jones, who was a great musician but also produced and brought along so many other talents.

I've been working on a prose manuscript by another fine author, along with two poetry manuscripts.

It's very rewarding, but I can't keep it up for long. It means I don't get to write my own poems, and I don't get to do any outside reading for fun.

But doing the editing is good for poets. It is a way, when it goes right, to make communion in this spritual calling. I also have been blessed with some good editors.

HERE IS THE LINK TO ORDER Li Po Laughing at the Lonely Moon, by Chuck Taylor

http://www.amazon.com/Like-Li-po-Lauging-Lonely-Moon/dp/1931247595/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1298860400&sr=1-1

5.0 out of 5 stars Focuses on a marriage of eastern and western philosophy, April 5, 2009
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Like Li-po Lauging at the Lonely Moon (Paperback)
Author Chuck Taylor brings his experiences to test with "Like Li-Po Laughing at the Lonely Moon". Another anthology of poetry from the man, this volume focuses on a marriage of eastern and western philosophy as he discusses them with solid and blunt verse. "Like Li-Po Laughing at the Lonely Moon" is a unique read to enjoy for poetry fans. "Haiku 2": Small girl gathering/off the green lawn a bouquet/of peacock feathers.

The line at Amazon to order Heterosexual: a Love Story, by Chuck Taylor

http://www.amazon.com/Heterosexual-Love-Story-Chuck-Taylor/dp/0977179745/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298860126&sr=8-1

5.0 out of 5 stars Held Captive, December 12, 2006
By Melvin A. Kenne (Istanbul, Turkey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Heterosexual: A Love Story (Paperback)
The poems in this book, as its title suggests, take the reader into the trials and tribulations of characters who are tossed about in turbulent times, when gender roles are being overthrown and the male American psyche is beset by the conflict between tradition and changing times. Taylor's characters walk along fine edges, trying to keep their balance even as they're being hit from either side by these crosswinds. As a child of the same times Taylor speaks of in these poems, I was drawn in and held captive to the very end.

Poetry and Transgression

For my generation anyway, art was about crossing some boundary, speaking about injustice, breaking a taboo that needed to be broken.

It's was little hard to do that, however, back in the days when I worked in the NEA's program "Poets-in-the-Schools." I had to be careful, and only once, when I was working with a high school honors English class in Galveston, did an English teacher get upset, telling me that poetry is only for entertainment value, and to relieve you from the stresses of the day by portraying beauty.

I found myself too shocked to formulate a quick and simple and quick reply to such ignorance coming from an honors class instructor, and I had no quarrel with beauty.

I'm going to be working with fifth graders on writing next Friday. I've worked with that age group before and it's fun. They do want me to show my books, but I don't think I will. No, I've prepared handouts especially for them. It's an interesting challenge, to read something, and have them write something, that's important to them, but won't cross lines I have in my head from having raised children, and even sharper lines drawn by school officials.

Beware the Power

Once, in my early 30;s, when I had just begun to teach creative writing, I was invited, as part of a CETA Arts program, to run a poetry workshop in a facility for women who had temporarily lost custody of their children for physical abuse.

The moment I started the workshop was the first moment I met the two PhD's in pyschology in charge of this program. We had no previous discussions about what I would do or how creative writing could be of use with these women.

I did an exercise where I had each woman summon, if they could, the emotion of happiness into their body. I then had them tie the emotion to an incident of happiness. I had them visualize where they were, what the place looked like, and who was with them. After, that, I had them write the incident.

Emotions got really stirred up. Some wrote about happiness. But some wrote where the happiness moved to anger.

Afterwards, the two PhD's told me they thought writing was entertainment and I would provide the group with a little rest moment in their therapy. Despite core curriculums in universities, I am amazed at the ignorance of other fields of study among the supposedly educated. I had a friend who lived on Faulkner street who was a PhD and did not know who William Faulkner was.

Much more pre-preparation goes into creative writing workshops in unusual settings these days. I worked in women's and men's prisons teaching creative writing workshops cold. I just showed up the days I was supposed to and did my thing.

Reading Your Own Books

I re-read two of my own poetry books, on the prompting of a friend. Heterosexual: A Love Story came out in 2004 and Li Po Laughing at the Lonely Moon came out in 2008. This may sound egotistical, but I found I'd gained some critical distance. I was no longer insecure and liked the books. I generally hate a book after it comes out, and it is hard to do publicity then. How about any other writers out there?