Casual, yet not: 2 or 3 questions for Michael Homolka
We like the relaxedness almost-everydayness of Michael Homolka's poems, which is one reason we've published him twice - running a batch of four poems two years back, and now two more, live today. Also, the first time I read "Vertigo," I thought of Frank O'Hara, and that's a very good thing. But there's a lot more in there... about which, a question, below. Also, the Great Seldini - an explanation thereof.
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Your writing has a casual air and you use everyday language, both of
which features almost obscure your focus on rhythms that mark your
work as "poetic." We're curious from whence your poetry comes. Did
you start off writing more formally, using more obviously poetic
language? Or is it possible that you began as a prose writer,
adopting poetic forms only because this seemed necessary to the
character of your writing?
Yes, these poems definitely reside in the camp of poetry that tries to
disguise its own form through more natural language, rather than
emphasizing its form with more obvious poetic language. Personally, I
love reading both camps of poetry---and I do write in both camps, but
these poems, as I was working on them, seemed to require the sparest
possible form and the simplest possible language.
The Great Seldini?* Do tell.
Seldini by nature is born anonymous and goes on being born and being
anonymous. Seldini is the inspiration which doesn’t awaken to its own
presence until it is too late and language has begun to unravel toward
lyric. Seldini is the recipient of messages gone rogue, messages that
gather, messages that retreat for the sake of another. Seldini is
responsible for mountains that come down off their mountains and lakes
that gravitate toward traveling storms---Seldini, in other words, is
responsible for all that is straightforward growing incessant and
bathing in its own deviance. Seldini is the blessing of continuous
inspiration on altitudinous trails that wind through what one thought
was one’s city---the endeavor of single-mindedness, forlorn and
joyous.
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* - Mentioned, per Michael's request, in the bio we run with his poems.