I've recently begun reading all of CAS' poetry, working slowly through the 3-volume set of The Complete Poetry and Translations from Hippocampus Press.

As I've been doing this, I've become curious about poets living in our own time whose work would appeal to someone who appreciates CAS' verses. I've been impressed by the work of Wade German, and have really been enjoying his own volume from Hippocampus. What I like about German is that he acknowledges CAS as an inspiration, but he's not an imitator. He has a unique voice that makes his verses worth reading on their own merits.

(For the record, I don't know Wade German and have no connection to Hippocampus Press).

I'm curious as to what other living poets readers of this forum might recommend, in terms of writers who share spiritual or thematic bonds with CAS. Any recommendations as to other poets I should be learning about?

I think working your way through the poetry section at Hippocampus Press is a great place to start. Wade German is awesome as is Ann K. Schwader, K. A. Opperman, Adam Bolivar, Fred Philips, ad Michael Fantina (who just recently passed).

Thanks for the suggestions!

I recently picked up the first few issues of Spectral Realms from Hippocampus, so that's given me a chance to read at least one or two things by each of the poets that you mention. Fred Philips impressed me enough that I've ordered one of his own volumes. I'm still trying to get my head around Adam Bolivar's work, but he's definitely got something interesting going on there...

It really is rewarding to discover that this particular vein of poetry has talented creators turning out new works. Poe and Smith (among others) established a vigorous tradition that deserves to live on!

Oldjoe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for the suggestions!
>
> I recently picked up the first few issues of
> Spectral Realms from Hippocampus, so that's given
> me a chance to read at least one or two things by
> each of the poets that you mention. Fred Philips
> impressed me enough that I've ordered one of his
> own volumes. I'm still trying to get my head
> around Adam Bolivar's work, but he's definitely
> got something interesting going on there...

As a sort of teaser, could you try to characterize what you're seeing in hie work? A kind of pervasive worldview, perhaps, or a coherent mythos? Or maybe some stylistic quirks that make him stand out?

I'm asking because, while not much of a poetry fan, I have enjoyed some of Smith's verse, not so much because I can appreciate poetic nuance, but some of his verse has a truly dramatic and vivid flavor, like the well-known Shelley poem, Ozymandias.

Thanks in advance!

>
> It really is rewarding to discover that this
> particular vein of poetry has talented creators
> turning out new works. Poe and Smith (among
> others) established a vigorous tradition that
> deserves to live on!

--Sawfish

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"The food at the new restaurant is awful, but at least the portions are large."
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Oldjoe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for the suggestions!
>
> I recently picked up the first few issues of
> Spectral Realms from Hippocampus, so that's given
> me a chance to read at least one or two things by
> each of the poets that you mention. Fred Philips
> impressed me enough that I've ordered one of his
> own volumes. I'm still trying to get my head
> around Adam Bolivar's work, but he's definitely
> got something interesting going on there...

This interview with Fred (a good friend of mine) was published recently: [www.witchhaunt.com]

Sawfish Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As a sort of teaser, could you try to characterize
> what you're seeing in hie work? A kind of
> pervasive worldview, perhaps, or a coherent
> mythos? Or maybe some stylistic quirks that make
> him stand out?
>

> Thanks in advance!
>

If you're referring to my comment about the poetry of Fred Phillips, what caught my attention was his skilled treatment of narrative poetry, which is somewhat unusual within the realm of contemporary weird poetry. In my experience, many weird poets are more interested in setting a mood than telling a story. That's a fine approach for which poetry is a natural medium.

But narrative poetry can be very rewarding as well. For example, I regard CAS' "The Hashish-Eater" as being a narrative poem. Not all of Fred Phillips' poems are narrative poems, but when he tackles that form, he does so with an enviable skill. An example is his short poem "Secret Passage", which unfortunately does not appear to be available online (I read it in his "Winds from Sheol" volume from Hippocampus Press).

Oldjoe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sawfish Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > As a sort of teaser, could you try to
> characterize
> > what you're seeing in hie work? A kind of
> > pervasive worldview, perhaps, or a coherent
> > mythos? Or maybe some stylistic quirks that
> make
> > him stand out?
> >
>
> > Thanks in advance!
> >
>
> If you're referring to my comment about the poetry
> of Fred Phillips, what caught my attention was his
> skilled treatment of narrative poetry, which is
> somewhat unusual within the realm of contemporary
> weird poetry. In my experience, many weird poets
> are more interested in setting a mood than telling
> a story. That's a fine approach for which poetry
> is a natural medium.
>
> But narrative poetry can be very rewarding as
> well. For example, I regard CAS' "The
> Hashish-Eater" as being a narrative poem. Not all
> of Fred Phillips' poems are narrative poems, but
> when he tackles that form, he does so with an
> enviable skill. An example is his short poem
> "Secret Passage", which unfortunately does not
> appear to be available online (I read it in his
> "Winds from Sheol" volume from Hippocampus Press).

Great discussion!

Because I have little background in poetry, I would like to clearly grasp the idea of narrative poetry as opposed to mood-based poetry. I will offer two examples and I would like your opinion/input.

I'd see Coleridge's "Rime of he Ancient Mariner" as a narrative poem, and the afore-mentioned "Ozymandias" as a mood-based poem.

How do you see it?

--Sawfish

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The food at the new restaurant is awful, but at least the portions are large."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sawfish Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Because I have little background in poetry, I
> would like to clearly grasp the idea of narrative
> poetry as opposed to mood-based poetry. I will
> offer two examples and I would like your
> opinion/input.
>
> I'd see Coleridge's "Rime of he Ancient Mariner"
> as a narrative poem, and the afore-mentioned
> "Ozymandias" as a mood-based poem.
>
> How do you see it?

Yes, I would completely agree with your classifications for "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" and "Ozymandias". And such great examples - two wonderful poems to re-visit!

It's worth noting that in my opinion, CAS wrote many more verses within the mood-based category, but he was also a master of the narrative poem, as evidenced by "The Hashish-Eater". But his mood-based pieces can be thrilling as well. Just to pick a random example, "To the Nightshade" is something weird and wonderful - sort of a sinister contrast to "Ozymandias":

http://www.eldritchdark.com/writings/poetry/601/to-the-nightshade

Terrific poem!

Thanks!

--Sawfish

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The food at the new restaurant is awful, but at least the portions are large."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I recommend the prose poems of W. H. Pugmire, especially in his collection Uncommon Places.

I just recently picked up a copy of "Uncommon Places" myself, following the sad news of Willum Pugmire's death. His was certainly a unique voice in the Lovecraftian tradition, and he will be missed as both a writer and a person.

I am sorry to hear of Wilum Pugmire's passing. Although he wasn't my kind of man culturally, politically, or sexually, he addressed me civilly on the few occasions we communicated. For that I liked him. I also liked him for his exalted enthusiasm and focused dedication. Bless his soul and memory.

I only heard of Wilum's death a few days ago. Having corresponded with him (albeit I fell out of touch with him -- and damn' near everyone else, for that matter -- over the past year or two) it hit hard. He was one of the gentlest, kindest, and most generous people I've ever had the privilege of knowing, as well as being a writer I admire and respect (I use the present tense as those feelings have not altered).

On the subject of the thread... several of his collections are well worth looking up. If you can find that rather massive tome, The Tangled Muse, it provides an excellent cross-section of his work to the time of its release....

There are two new poetry books coming out soon that may be of interest to readers on this thread. Wade German's LADIES OF THE EVERLASTING LICHEN AND OTHER RELICS (Mount Abraxas Press) and ORACLES FROM THE BLACK POOL by D.L. Myers (Hippocampus Press).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 16 Sep 19 | 04:30PM by Noivilbo.

I'm excited about both of these volumes! In the last few months, I've read through all of the back issues of S.T. Joshi's excellent journal Spectral Realms, and Wade German and D.L. Myers are definitely a couple of the brightest lights among the contributors to those pages.