leonardcohenforum.com

Today
I finished reading a book
of short stories
so clever
so brilliant
they inspired me
never to write again.


michael

Please name
the author
and please share the title
of that book
of short stories
so clever
so brilliant
they inspired you
never to write again.

.

hi, Imaginary Friend. The book is No One Belongs Here More Than You, by Miranda July. I have never been much of a fan of that format but she has sorted it.

michael

my husband made me

If that's the case
you'll be waiting for a sign forever
...and I suspect it'll be there
but you won't run with it.
It is no three-leg'd race.

Michael,

I'm not familiar with that book. Excellence, though, has a way of both intimidating
and inspiring. I hope the first goes to the wayside in favor of the inspiration.
The book didn't affect your short poem writing, evidently.

right on, Steven (and write on, Michael) . (I remember once saying on this forum "bang on" meaning "precisely" and it was taken as a criticism, meaning "tedious".)

After the initial "intimidation"of reading brilliance, plagiarism of style follows, then finally, and best of all, inspiration emerges. So not a bad deal at all!


michael

.

I heard it said (probably on Radio4) that short story writing is a tougher medium that novel writing.
I have never written either so am not qualified to comment.
There is always someone better at anything you can do.
You know, there may even be a better trial attorney.
So why refuse a challenge?

Heretic.

Heretic wrote: You know, there may even be a better trial attorney.


Heretic.

where is she, the bit*h.

Hi,

No one's pointed out that Michael's poem is enormously funny and witty in its own right, and very pleasingly so. It hits just the right note, and so I wouldn't change a thing.

As for the trial lawyer crack, you're sounding quite misogynistic, Michael.

v.


[much later edit: just perusing my posts, seeing what I'll leave here at this Forum] [I was into ellipses for some reason, and find myself removing them at this late date]

thanks for the poem compliment, Violet.

pleads emphatically Not Guilty to the misoggythingy, it was my feeble imitation of the line about God- "I think she's black", slipping in a presumption in favour of women.

In fact I have for years commented to juries about their selection of a foreperson that "these days, you could even pick a man".

I overwhelmingly prefer females and unhesitatingly vote for them to rule the world. men are meaner and stupider. As Loudon Wainwright sang "I wish I was a lesbian", but I actually mean it.

Born the wrong way, I was.

michael (who accepts there may be some generalisations in his post)

Michael, I'm glad to hear that misogyny is not at all your failing (even though I don't always understand your reasoning.)

[much later edit: same as last note]

Here's the revised, truer version, mickey.


Today
I finished reading a book
of short stories
so clever
so brilliant
they inspired me
to read only shit
by nobodies on the internet
lest I
never write again.

they inspired me
to read only shit
by nobodies

where I come from,
nobody's a nobody.

Mat (Australian)