I enjoyed the time that I got to spend listening to Peter Fallon, but I especially appreciated his poetry reading. His poem selections were thought-provoking and based in his every-day experiences, which I found meaningful. One thing that he said during his poetry reading that stuck with me was that poems are compositions, leading to composure in the poet and the world around him. I especially enjoying his humorous poem that wrapped up the night, featuring a scene with the police and some people who had overstayed their welcome at the bar. The dry wit was really refreshing.
I also enjoyed the intimate experience of having him in our classroom. He read the poem "A Will," which discussed a tree growing on a rock and a fence post sprouting new growth, and related these images back to our population of 7 billion people.
A few quotes that stuck out to me:
"Learn how to write the poem you're working on, and learn how to start again."
"Could I imaging my life without poems at the center of it?"
"Writing is a tension between the mysterious and the mundane."
"Do I trust that poem?"
"Do I trust that poem?" What a great quote...I didn't catch him saying that the first time. I'll have to write that one down for myself!
ReplyDeleteIt seems like when such a creative person is speaking, it's a good thing to be ready to write down anything interesting they might happen to say. Sadly, I did not, so I'm glad you posted these quotes.
ReplyDeleteI loved all his quotes, especially the one about learning to start again. He was so down-to-earth and humble and yet he had so much wise advice in him!
ReplyDeleteGreat job catching some of Fallon's quotes. I particularly like the "Do I trust that poem?" What do you think he meant by that and how can we apply that to what we write, poetry and other wise?
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