The American poet Edward Field is visiting the English Department this week and I had the pleasure yesterday of attending an intimate session with Field and a group of AUB students and faculty. Field spoke about his distinguished career, his writing process, and his bohemian experiences in Tangier, Greenwich Village, and even Afghanistan. A few bites:
* "Sentimentality used to be the biggest sin in poetry. I know what they mean--false feelings. But what about real feelings?"
* "Rewriting is the hard part. And the fun part."
* "In my poetry, I take off all my clothes."
A lovely session. I hope that tomorrow--when I head to Cafe Younes for a day of writing--that his words continue to resonate. I should also say that I walked away from his session wanting to visit Morocco but not Afghanistan. I'm hoping to attend his more public reading this evening.
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