Can anyone recommend any of the following???

[adamswildhoney]

I have been going thro a dry spell of not be able to write my poetry or songs!! Can anyone recommend

*Books to read

*Poets to check out

*Short stories to read


basically anything that could stir something up in my brain to help me write again!!!

Thanks!!!!

 

[arw]

I have been going thro a dry spell of not be able to write my poetry or songs!! Can anyone recommend

*Books to read

*Poets to check out

*Short stories to read


basically anything that could stir something up in my brain to help me write again!!!

Thanks!!!!

Shakespeare

 

[u2popmofo]

I dont think you'd want to read any of the books I like.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

comedy "fast food nation" option.

 

[adamswildhoney]

I am looking for anything that might help me and i am willing to hear all of what people offer up as good reading!!!! thanks for the replys keep them coming!!!

 

[u2popmofo]

Well, my recomendation would be to listen to The Smiths or maybe even Idlewild. Those are 2 bands who I personally think put a lot of poetry into their lyrics.

 

[meegannie]

What kind of books do you like?

 

[joyfulgirl]

But Beautiful by Geoff Dyer is one of the best, most satisfying, gorgeously written books I've read in a long time. It is stunning! Here's a blurb about it from the New York Times review:

You don't have to be a jazz buff to savor this book--but you may be one when you're done. Although Mr. Dyer, an English critic and novelist, roots his portraits in some true-life episodes, such as Lester Young's courtmartial, he goes on to improvise, inventing dialogue and action as a jazzman might take a standard and embellish it, making it his own. Here is his description of Monk at the keyboard, playing as though he'd never seen a piano before: 'Came at it from all angles, using his elbows, taking chops at it, rippling through the keys like they were a deck of cards, fingers jabbing at them like they were hot to the touch or tottering around them like a woman in heels.'

Or for an amazing and hilarious collection of David Foster Wallace's Harper's essays, check out A Supposedly Fun Thing I've Never Do Again--it's brilliant and side-busting funny.

Poets to check out: Marilyn Chin, Adrienne Rich, Mary Oliver, Lucille Clifton and of course, Seamus Heaney.

Short Stories: Russell Banks has a nice collection (The Angel on the Roof, and I really like Lorrie Moore's Birds of America.

 

[~LadyLemon~]

Yep, Rich is excellent. Also check out Ginsberg, Frank O'Hara, and John Ashbery.

 

[Mrs. Vedder]

Read anything by, Gabriel Garc?a M?rquez! I've been reading a lot of his short stories and his book "News of a Kidnapping"..OHMYGOSH!

 

[ouizy]

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
The ALienist by Caleb Carr


Two very different books, both exceptionally written...

 

[beegee]

you should fall in love...it takes creativity and inspiration to a whole new level...

 

[jkayet]

Possession by A.S. Byatt - especially if you haven't seen the movie. Not that it was a bad representation, but the book is so much better.

 

[kobayashi]

d coupland
c pahlaniuk
k vonnegut
n hornby
n mailer

they work

 

[adamswildhoney]

What kind of books do you like?

I like basically all types of books, except some books that overly "lovey-dovey stuff ie Nora Roberts, I like some of her books but not all of them!!!



Oh I forgot mention types of music ie bands and such that might help.

I will definately check out the Smiths!!

 

[jkayet]

If you like postmodern type stuff, Don DeLillo's White Noise is good, as is Thomas Pynchon's Crying of Lot 49.

Umm...trying to think of more stuff, I"ll get back to you.

Oh, I love Robert Browning - some of his works are very dark, but they are just amazing:
Porphyria's Lover
My Last Duchess

If you like that sort of darker stuff, let me know, I have more recs.

 

[hippy]

Music: I've been listening to a lot of PATTI SMITH lately... she's an absolutely INCREDIBLE song writer (she actually wrote "Dancing Barefoot" which U2 covered)... also THE DOORS... can't get much more poetic than dear old Jim

Books & Poetry go together on my list:

CHARLES BUKOWSKI - I have gobbled up everything he's written... luckily my library has tons of his books... he just has a very frank style of composing poetry. He turns the meanest side of things into the most stunning portraits of life....

and as difficult as he is to read, I would have to say JAMES JOYCE, especially Dubliners, what that man can do with a short story... wow.

aaaaand (last one I swear) SALMAN RUSHDIE. What Joyce does with a short story, Rushdie does with novels....

good thing I don't have any more classes this week... I can finally spend some time actually reading

Good luck! (oh yeah, and I'd be happy to talk about any of these guys!)

 

[beegee]

ah, yes...charles bukowski. hank. he changed my life...

"instead of thinking,
i wonder who's fucking her now?
i think
she's giving some other poor son of a bitch
much trouble right now"

 

[nbcrusader]

The Bible - poetry, history, wisdom, prophecy - its all there!

 

[Bono's shades]

Oh, I love Robert Browning - some of his works are very dark, but they are just amazing:
Porphyria's Lover
My Last Duchess

I second that recommendation. I'd also like to put a word in for John Donne and William Butler Yeats.

 

[Mere Fraser]

Im a big fan of Douglas Adams... OH SO funny and thought provoking. BRILLIANT!!

 

[adamswildhoney]

Wow!! I love all the suggestions!!!! I have to find time to check out all of this stuff now!!! thanks so much for the suggestions everyone!!!