Last night’s reading at the Mercury Cafe went really well! Huge thanks to uber talented Katharyn Grant, who hosted the evening and who also very generously read a couple of my stories and did them more justice than I ever would. Thanks also to Sally Reno, who read a fantastic story of her own before giving the kindest introduction, ever. The F-Bomb series that Nancy Stohlman curates is a fun, interesting, flash fiction only event and I was glad to be a part of it. So thanks also to Nancy for the invitation! I think I read better than usual last night, so maybe with practice I’ll come to really enjoy giving readings. Anything can happen!
I want to talk a little here about the intersect between microfiction and prose poetry. How do we tell them apart? Is it even necessary to distinguish them? For myself, prose poetry is more imagistic, metaphoric, and well, poetic. It doesn’t require the arc that flash fiction does (and some would argue even flash fiction doesn’t require an arc, but I would say, it should at least give the sense of an arc, if that makes any sense). Prose poetry, to me, is pure sound and image and language and rhythm and flow. I like to write it. I like to get out of pure storytelling mode sometimes, though I don’t consider myself a poet at all.
So! I’ve started participating at Fictionaut again and I’m having a lot of fun. Just throwing up whatever strikes me to get new readers to the work and also reading all the fantastic stories and poems on there. Jane Hammons is posting her work again and do go and find her, she’s a genius.
Anyway, here is a link to three prose poems/micros that appear in my Matter Press chapbook, WILD LIFE. They are…strange, be warned:
I agree that prose poems have a certain something when read aloud. I’ve always wished I wrote more poetry for that reason. That said, your work sings. 🙂 I wish I could have heard your work read, Kathy.
Last night I read two straight flash fictions and two prose poems. I wish I wrote more too, but I have to be in a certain frame of mind to write them. Is that true for you too, Jen? And thanks, I don’t do many readings, at all, so I was glad it went well!
I love all of these. This is a class I wish you’d teach. My poetry education is completely lacking and I know that affects all my writing. I’d love a class on prose poetry just to crack open that part of my mind and who better to teach it than you, my friend. Congrats on the reading. Getting up in front of people like that isn’t my thing either. It’s kind of the antithesis of the introverted nature of a lot of writers. Except Nancy — who’s just a wild woman. 🙂
Thanks so much, Jayne! I really enjoy writing prose poetry. I love playing with language and sound. It’s a nice diversion. One book I recommend is the Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Prose Poetry. And yeah, I’m still considering teaching a class on flash fiction. Lots of notes from my teaching at American University. The thing is to make it fun, I think, and generate a lot of new material for everyone. Hmm!
And I’m with ya, about the introverted nature of writers. And Nancy is so great and such a natural on stage. I envy that!
Thanks as always for stopping by. I’m so inspired by you taking hip hop! I’m looking around for some sort of dance class for myself, actually.