Tag Archives: Tony Hoagland

Into the Mystery

Posted on July 4, 2018 by Meryl

Here is the final poem from Tony Hoagland’s new book, Priest Turned Therapist Treats Fear of God. Into the Mystery Of course there is a time of afternoon, out there in the yard, a time that has never been described. … Continue reading →

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From Tony Hoagland’s new book

Posted on January 8, 2018 by Meryl

There is nothing to say about this poem–just buy the book. The Age of Iron When I see an ironing board folded in the closet of a motel room, and the iron resting like a sledgehammer on the shelf above, … Continue reading →

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Bumpy

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Meryl

One of the pleasures and also the problems of travel to another country is that each simple transaction is slightly mystifying: the language, the currency, the customs. Your habits are left at home with the clothes in your closet, and … Continue reading →

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Another by Tony Hoagland

Posted on July 21, 2015 by Meryl

Reading though poems this morning, trying to find one to post, I couldn’t resist this one. He’s got the jargon so perfectly. I especially like his description of “holding the fear inside/like a tipsy glass of water”: And The Men want … Continue reading →

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A hard rain

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Meryl

A friend asked me to show her a poem by Tony Hoagland that “hit it out of the park.” I hope this qualifies: Hard Rain After I heard It’s a Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall played softly by an accordion quartet … Continue reading →

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Befriending Frankenstein

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Meryl

I have been reading Tony Hoagland’s newest book of essays, Twenty Poems that Could Save America (published by Graywolf Press, a wonderful imprint). In his first essay, “Je Suis ein Americano: the Genius of American Diction,” he talks about the current direction … Continue reading →

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Luckily for me

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Meryl

and my resolution to be more timely with Poetry Monday, a wonderful chapbook, “Little Oceans” by Tony Hoagland, arrived in the mail today.  I’ve posted his poems before, and some of these I’d read before, but I was so glad … Continue reading →

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Poetry Monday

Posted on July 21, 2013 by Meryl

Tony Hoagland wrote an article about teaching poetry in school, or rather about the need to change how we teach poetry in school, called Twenty Little Poems That Could Save America. His idea is that poetry as a living part … Continue reading →

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The exemplary sentence

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Meryl

Regular readers know I stole this category from Mark Doty’s blog. And now I’ve stolen an image of a diagrammed sentence from another blog I like, Jottings, by Jim to be its icon.  Does anyone under 50 even know what diagramming a … Continue reading →

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Ekphrastics, take two

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Meryl

In the comments to yesterday’s post on ekphrastic poetry, a reader asked if I’d ever written a poem about a poem. Self-referential creatures that we are, poets often write about poems, and I’m no exception. So here in order, are … Continue reading →

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