A stupid question.

[Brett]

How many who post poetry here are avid readers of poetry?

Told you. Well, maybe it is not as stupid as it sounds - it is a fact that people write 'poetry' without reading it.

So, who are you reading? What poetry journals do you regularly read? What can you recommend?

To start the ball rolling I can tell you that I am currently revisiting the work of two of my favourite poets: R.S Thomas and Sean O'Brien (I recommend Sean O'Brien's Cousin Coat - Selected Poems).
I regularly read the journals Other Poetry, The Interpreter's House, Poetry Wales and The Frogmore Papers. A wide variety of styles to be found among them.

Hwyl fawr

Brett

[Keith exD]

Hmmm .... I'm keeping out of this one, except to say I kinda like reading the poems in the Paris Review, (not that it did me much good on GW1 or GW2 ).

[Brett]

Aw, don't be a killjoy, Keith

I'm not familiar with the content of The Paris Review but I do know it is well respected.
Oh, I missed The Rialto out of my list of regular reads.

For several reasons I'm merely interested in members' views (if they have any) regarding the contemporary poetry scene and which poets they enjoy reading.

Brett

[Keith exD]

I just like the poems they publish, some are very quirky and I don't always understand what's so great, they made it into the magazine. However, I do like the kind of poetry they publish, even though it is a bit (well a lot really) biased towards the US writers.

[Ben Allen]

I mainly rely on the 'net. Poem Hunter and Poetry Archives and anywhere I bump in to stuff, including youtube which is good for poets reading their own work.
Current reading from various sites is Walt Whitman and Bukowski though my mainstay is the later writings of Sylvia Plath.

I wouldn't say that I'm an avid reader of poetry, I enjoy varied reading, I've only been reading poetry for the last year or so...although I seem to be reading more and more of it lately.
Perhaps as a person begins to write more poetry and attempt different ways of getting words across they begin to read more of it, seems logical.

Ben

[NoHoldsBard]

To My Valentine

More than a catbird hates a cat,
Or a criminal hates a clue,
Or the Axis hates the United States,
That's how much I love you.

I love you more than a duck can swim,
And more than a grapefruit squirts,
I love you more than a gin rummy is a bore,
And more than a toothache hurts.

As a shipwrecked sailor hates the sea,
Or a juggler hates a shove,
As a hostess detests unexpected guests,
That's how much you I love.

I love you more than a wasp can sting,
And more than the subway jerks,
I love you as much as a beggar needs a crutch,
And more than a hangnail irks.

I swear to you by the stars above,
And below, if such there be,
As the High Court loathes perjurious oathes,
That's how you're loved by me.

(Ogden Nash)

[Sue]

Currently having a bit of binge on Thomas Stearns Eliot... there was just a single phrase I wrote recently that reminded me of The Journey of the Magi. Murder in the Cathedral - well, I am rediscovering that TSE rather overdid things for the stage, and why I did a lot of parodying/copying of him when I was in my early 20s. I think it takes a Burton to carry off some of his more florid passages.

I'll let you know when I get into The Waste Land.

For various personal reasons I have kind of steered away from modern poetry in the past couple of years. Emotions have been too raw for me to risk reading something that might "set me off". So I've rather stuck to poetry I know. That's cowardly, of course, but I have had to survive!

[Ben Allen]

More than a catbird hates a cat,
Or a criminal hates a clue,
Or the Axis hates the United States,

NHB - glad you brought this one up, I'd never heard of Ogden Nash, a quick search sorted that out and I've just spent an impressive hour of reading.

Cheers
Ben

[kanasta]

I subscribe to Popshot magazine http://www.popshotpopshot.com/ - it has an interesting selection of modern poetry and fantastic illustrations.

[Brett]

Ben - certainly reading more poetry informs a writer. Can't say I'm a lover of Bukowski but I do like Plath.

NMB - Thanks for sharing the Nash poem. If I remember correctly he collected some delicously vulgar limericks!

Sue - Odd thing about Eliot; although the father of modernism (arguably) he is still guilty of some awkward syntax.
Speaking of Burton, I recently watched the film version of Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe. Burton and Taylor both magnificent - 2 hours of booze fuelled bitching (I wonder if they were aware their were cameras rolling )

Kanasta - I read a very good review of Popshot some months back. It is themed if I remember correctly - something that usually puts me off - you obviously find the content varied enough to justify subscribing? I may take a look.

Thanks all

Brett