Barbara Guest (1920–2006)

This seemed to me to be the poetic version of [[Gertrude Stein's]] [Three Lives]...and that's not a compliment. It seemed to relish being neither poetry or prose, and while I don't have a problem with a text working in that gray area, I do think there should be some reasoning that comes across, which didn't here outside of simple experimentation. While I enjoyed the language at times, it seemed fairly simple and straightforward prose at others without any real memorable moments. It was also show more difficult to get a feel for the context of the pieces, and as a whole, I felt dissatisfied at the end. show less

This fascinating collection of essays by poet Barbara Guest looks at nature of art and poetry and discusses the idea of imagination in a poets life and work. Her style essays are often poetry in and of themselves, delving into strong form and powerful language to convey her ideas. This is a book that should really be read multiple times and discussed among a group, as her thoughts are open to multiple interpretations.

One-sentence summary: Slightly disorganized but otherwise lovely biography of H.D.

Do you like the cover?: Yes -- I was reading from the now out-of-print hardcover edition, which uses a Swiss train advertisement from the '30s and '40s.

Did you enjoy the book?: Yes, very much so; overall, I like Guest's writing, although she is a bit disorganized and repetitive at times. But I really appreciate her attitude toward H.D. and her life.

Ryan Murphy, author of Down With the Ship, on Barbara Guest's influence on his writing:

"...one of the things I thought that I would read a little bit of is Barbara Guest’s 'Red Lilies,' which is one of my favorite poems, and has certainly been a pretty direct influence on my writing.

[T]he reason that I want to read that poem, aside from the fact that it’s a pretty beautiful poem, is I have a poem called 'The Mingulay Boat Song,' [which] essentially takes its construction directly from show more 'Red Lilies.'"

(Interview by Open Loop Press) show less