Friday, March 28, 2014

Bookmarks List/Bedside Table

Currently reading and enjoying...

Pepper Girl, by the brilliant Jonterri Gadson. More on this later. Here’s her stunning poem, “Cousins.” I love this poet’s voice!

This essay, “Eye Candy,” by Mohan Matthen in Aeon Magazine (one of my favorite online publications). Matthen’s essay investigates the philosophical and biology implications of beauty and aesthetic pleasure. Here’s a sparkling sample:

“Aesthetic pleasure encourages us to contemplate its object. But why is this good, from an evolutionary point of view? Why is it valuable to be absorbed in contemplation, with all the attendant dangers of reduced vigilance? Wasting time and energy puts organisms at an evolutionary disadvantage. For large animals such as us, unnecessary activity is particularly expensive. The answer might lie in our modes of perception.....”

This subtle, intriguing poem by Luc Phinney, “Compass” (over at Verse Daily).


And you, friends? Reading/writing/watching/listening?

3 comments

  1. Aeon Mag. is quite interesting read and the "Eye Candy" by Mohan Matthen article was truly enjoyable.

    gracias Hannah. have a wonderful weekend

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  2. I loved Pepper Girl. "Patricide Epistles" was my favorite poem from this collection. YesYes Books has the most lovely chapbooks. I highly recommend No by Ocean Vuong. I hope you're well, Hannah!

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  3. Did I already say this here?--Jamaal May, Mary Szybist. I've only scratched the surface, but I'm much more optimistic about sticking with them than I usually am with new-to-me poets.

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