Comments on: The Best American Poetry 2003 http://www.constantcritic.com/jordan_davis/the_best_american_poetry_2003/ Timely poetry reviews Sat, 07 Aug 2010 11:09:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Jonathan http://www.constantcritic.com/jordan_davis/the_best_american_poetry_2003/comment-page-1/#comment-24 Jonathan Sat, 13 Sep 2003 20:27:00 +0000 http://www.constantcritic.test/jordan_davis/the_best_american_poetry_2003#comment-24 Nice review, very tactful. I wonder what would happen if we compared the Creeley and the YK BAPS side by side, poem by poem. Aaron against Ashbery or Berry against Bernstein, Bidart against Bidart. Sort of a poetry face-off. I'll be attempting this soon in my blog. <br> Nice review, very tactful. I wonder what would happen if we compared the Creeley and the YK BAPS side by side, poem by poem. Aaron against Ashbery or Berry against Bernstein, Bidart against Bidart. Sort of a poetry face-off. I’ll be attempting this soon in my blog.

]]> By: Ron Silliman http://www.constantcritic.com/jordan_davis/the_best_american_poetry_2003/comment-page-1/#comment-23 Ron Silliman Fri, 12 Sep 2003 21:10:00 +0000 http://www.constantcritic.test/jordan_davis/the_best_american_poetry_2003#comment-23 Being disingenuous as to whom Komunyakaa is attacking is not a good idea. In being deliberately vague as to whom the transgressors might be, Komunyakaa is empowered to attack people without them being able to appropriately respond. <br> <br> If we want to follow his lead & use a 1960s metaphor here, it's a tactic not unlike the Sixties police practice of billy clubbing people around their lower backs, where the bruises don't show, but which can be even more painful (I know, I was hospitalized for bruised kidneys after such an assault once). <br> <br> You let Komunyakaa off way too easily in this regard. Still, it's good to know that this series -- which I've found unreadable over the years with the lone exception of the volume edited by Creeley -- is open to including the likes of Terence Winch, whom I would agree is a terrific writer. Being disingenuous as to whom Komunyakaa is attacking is not a good idea. In being deliberately vague as to whom the transgressors might be, Komunyakaa is empowered to attack people without them being able to appropriately respond.

If we want to follow his lead & use a 1960s metaphor here, it’s a tactic not unlike the Sixties police practice of billy clubbing people around their lower backs, where the bruises don’t show, but which can be even more painful (I know, I was hospitalized for bruised kidneys after such an assault once).

You let Komunyakaa off way too easily in this regard. Still, it’s good to know that this series — which I’ve found unreadable over the years with the lone exception of the volume edited by Creeley — is open to including the likes of Terence Winch, whom I would agree is a terrific writer.

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