Talk the Talk: Poetry

Recently on the VS Podcast I heard a terrific discussion about editing. The hosts Franny Choi and Danez Smith were talking to Carmen Giménez-Smith about Be Recorder, Giménez Smith's most recent collection of poetry, and about Noemi, the small press where she is the publisher.

Together these three poets give us a real gift of a conversation, a free, hourlong seminar about writing, editing, and the importance of community. Speaking of Noemi, Giménez Smith says,

How do you make a book that is the very best book that it could be? So I think what we do at Noemi is we come to a manuscript and we see the vision and the gift of the writer, and we say, “Are you sure you’re—because we see that you’re not quite at, you know, maximum, you’re at seven, and we think you could be at 11.” And so, that conversation of editing is going from seven to 11, right, is like, “You’re so good at this thing in this moment. So how do we, like, amplify it across the book?”

I was nodding along and periodically chiming in "Yes!" as I listened. In the show's outro, Danez Smith told Franny Choi, "The other day after we finished that conversation, I literally felt electric." Whether you're a writer, editor, or reader, I think you'll enjoy the discussion, too. And Be Recorder? It's one of the best books of poetry I've read this year.

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The August 20, 2021, Poetry Friday roundup takes place at the blog The Apples in My Orchard.

Photo by ST. Norwalk, Connecticut, basketball court, 2020. The mural was painted by the artists Jah and Vert.

Comments

[Heidi Mordhorst]

Susan, I am so excited to discover anything that combines Danez and Franny! Thanks for pointing us in this direction. I hope you have a writing community that does that for you!

[Susan T.]

Heidi, I'm am working on it! Danez & Franny have hosted the podcast for five years, and I have so much more to listen to. I believe new hosts start soon, but those two did an excellent job. I also like Kevin Young's New Yorker Poetry podcast. He sounds a little professorial at times, while Danez and Franny are like the two funniest kids in the class who are also the smartest.

Thanks for stopping by!

[Marilyn Miner]

I look forward to listening to this podcast. We all need others to help us get from 7 to 11! Thank you for sharing this.

[Carol J. Labuzzetta]

I am grateful for the podcast suggestion. Thank you! It's nice to have the number increased (7 to 11) instead of the other way around (11 to 7). Thanks for participating in the round-up this week.

[Jone MacCulloch]

Thanks for the podcast, I will check it out.

[Linda Baie]

Thanks for the share, all new to me & I like the idea of listening to some approaches instead of just reading for help. I love your pic of "community", too - a priority!

[Denise Krebs]

Susan, thanks for sharing the links to all these great conversations, and what an endorsement of Be Recorder--"one of the best books of poetry I've read this year" I've added it to my list. Thanks!

[Susan T.]

Thanks for stopping over, y'all! It's nice to hang out and drink coffee this morning, even if the hang is just virtual.

Marilyn, yes, we do! Isn't that 7 to 11 idea excellent? It's such a refreshing way to look at the editing process.

Hi, Carol. It's fun being back at Poetry Friday after an absence of many years. For one, it's gotten the blog going again! Thank you for stopping by.

Jone, the podcast is a lot of fun, and I get all kinds of books to read from it.

Linda, thanks for your kind words! The VS podcast is so interesting. I hope you enjoy it!

Denise, if you read Be Recorder, do tell me what you think! I almost passed it over at the library, and I am SO glad I didn't.

[Elisabeth]

Thanks for highlighting this podcast episode and the book. I look forward to checking them both out.

[Ruth]

That sounds worth listening to! Will check it out!

[Mary Lee]

Another podcast to listen to (guess I'll be getting some extra embroidery time in!) and another poetry book on reserve at the public library. THANKS!

[Alan j Wright]

Thanks for the suggestion and the book alert Susan. Poets share and your post is living proof of that maxim.

[Bridget Magee]

Yay for sharing resources! Thank you! :)

[Susan T.]

Elisabeth, Ruth, Mary Lee, Alan, and Bridget—

thanks for stopping by,
Poetry Friday is such a
good day of the week,
it even makes me feel poetic
on a noneventful Tuesday.