Shmesis
Conversations you probably shouldn’t have with your friend who is in her final semester of grad school, getting her MFA in poetry:
So what have you been up to lately? Anything exciting?
Ugh. Nothing. I’ve got to work on my thesis.
Thesis shmesis. Write some poems. Hey, I saw this thing on TV-
Okay, I love how you ask me what’s going on, and I tell you I’m working on a 100 page thesis so that I can complete my master’s degree and that’s your reaction – thesis shmesis.
No, just listen to me. I’m trying to help you. So I saw this thing on TV – quick muse? – have you heard of this?
Of course.
Well, I think it’s to help you write poems or something. There were these two poets – a husband and wife – hey, is it national poetry month or something?
In April. Where did you see this?
PBS. Anyway, there’s like this couple – Mary Jo somebody and Brad Lightsomething-or-other – do you know them?
Actually, yes. Well, not personally, but yes, I know who you’re talking about.
Well, FYI, they’re wackos. Anyway, they both go to this quick muse thing all the time and have contests with each other to write poems in 15 minutes. I guess the website gives you a theme or something. They were like, “Poetry keeps our marriage fresh!” or something like that.
Hmm.
Yeah, well, the theme this day was a poem by William Carlos… what is it – Williams?
Yes.
Anyway – his poem was like blah dee blah roses something something love, so then that was supposed to inspire the two poets’ work. The woman took the whole 15 minutes, but the guy finished his in like 6 minutes.
So they actually had an entire show on poetry? That’s so cool.
Well, so then they read their pieces, and I don’t know – it seems like poetry is basically just talking, isn’t it?
What do you-
I mean, it’s just like having a conversation. But slower.
Well, it is made of language, yes.
No, but I’m just saying, it’s just a bunch of sentences with weird line breaks. Like, I could just talk about anything – waiting for the train, eating some cheese, washing my hair – and if I stressed certain syllables differently, it would totally be a poem.
I cannot believe we’re having this conversation. You do realize I’m working toward my MFA in poetry, don’t you?
What? No, look – all I’m saying is that there sure seems to be a lot of poetry stuff on TV for a non-poetry month. That’s all I’m saying.
Filed under: General on February 19th, 2007
February 19th, 2007 at 8:43 am
yeah, um, you probably shouldn’t have that conversation with her. oh jen!
February 19th, 2007 at 8:44 am
Now I want Jenny to post for an entire month in verse.
Conversations you
probably shouldn’t have
with your friend
who is in her
final
semester
of
grad
school,
getting her MFA in poetry:
So what have
you
been up to lately?
Anything exciting?
Ugh.
Nothing.
I’ve got to work on my
thesis.
See? Poetry.
February 19th, 2007 at 9:26 am
Nothing so comforting in this world as a friend who really gets you. Nice work, Jen.
February 19th, 2007 at 9:45 am
sizzle: ha! yes, but fortunately she knew i was performing for her, so it’s all good!
sween: you know, seeing my words laid out like that really makes me feel a lot more artistic. i like it!
shari: that’s the kind of friend i am.
February 19th, 2007 at 10:36 am
Now, see? That’s the kind of thing that warms the cockles of my shriveled, black heart.
February 19th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Dear Jenny,
The irony is and deny it all you like but you are a poet at heart!
Love
Vivian
February 19th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
I have that sort of conversation all the time, and when I remember with whom I’m speaking, I backpedal and stammer, and it’s just not pretty.
February 20th, 2007 at 6:20 am
tracy lynn: careful now – you don’t want to ruin your badass rep!
vivian: that might be an insult to poets everywhere… but thanks – you’re sweet. please tell mary jo somebody and brad lightsomething-or-other that i was totally kidding.
narcissist: i’ve found that backpedalling can be a good workout – great for the thighs.
February 20th, 2007 at 9:18 am
I wonder if they ever have a Haiku month…?
February 20th, 2007 at 7:12 pm
Haiku Month would be
a lovely reprieve from this
My blog-hopping days
February 21st, 2007 at 7:09 am
sandra: if there isn’t, i think we should start one!
mocha: and it looks like mocha is going to sponsor haiku month – sweet!
February 22nd, 2007 at 7:34 pm
You rhymed “thesis” and “schmesis,” which is pretty damn poetic.
I did my MFA in writing at a froo-froo arts school while my sister was an undergrad in math at UCLA. I would be like, “So today in my collage class, Raj smoked pot and we filmed him.” She would be like, “Shut up. Blah blah polynomials, blah theorem blah blah.”