Is Russell Edson Great or Just Popular??

Johannes Goransson ponders Russell Edson, pale in the light of Michaux (and more interesting places the prose poem can go. Black Ocean, etc,--- thanks, Johannes).

To read what Johannes (that's my dad's name too) has to say go here


So what's right about Russell Edson?
Well, I do think he wrote many great poems. Especially when he combined the strange with the lyrical. Some of the poems are tender and "deep." Not just bizarre ape story poems.

What's wrong about Russell Edson?
Distinctive poets often have a very bad influence on their followers. Most Edson disciples write lesser and paler versions of Edson's best poems (and perhaps we can count later career Edson among those disciples.) And you can spot these Edson-derivative poems a mile away. If you've read one you've read them all.


I think the best think re Edson is to buy his Collected. Read some of the middle third and then put the book away for a long time. Perhaps even then, for better or for worse, the ape will find its way into your thoughts and poems.

Gorannson's Still Putting it to Hoagland, etc

Over at Exoskeleton Goransson continues to clarify and hammer away at Hoagland, etc:

here's one of the highlights

Hoagland give me a break nobody reads your poetry for wisdom! Don't make me laugh!

Coming Soon

This Blog will soon feature an interview with Johannnes Göransson regarding his translation of Aase Berg's "With Deer" which will release in early 2009 from Black Ocean.

Aase Berg is one of Sweden's foremost poets and, in my opinion, she's the source of some of the most exciting poetry written by any one alive in any language.

Johannes is a poet, critic, theorist, translator, teacher,
husband and father,-- and he has a great blog you should
check out if you're not already familiar with it

"With Deer" is shocking, horrifying, dynamic, powerful, etc, etc, etc and in one word: Wonderful.....

Ever since I read a handful of Berg's first-book poems on Conduit I've been waiting for the release, in English, of the entire collection.

So, look for the interview soon... and after that, the book itself !!,...