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Lost places in the USA. Transient poetry
Heribert Niehes lives in Düren, Germany. A self-proclaimed “confessed fan of classic car”, he drives around the US in old American vehicles and takes pictures of derelict sites. His latest publication is called “Transient Poetry – Lost Places in the USA”. In it, he describes the many different locations where people come together in the US. They include gas stations, restaurants, motels, buildings and even cars. All of them are described in detail, including their history and what used to happen there. There are no names mentioned here, however, because the author wants to protect the locations from vandals.
Poetry Foundation
“New York Times”
“Washington Post”
“Chicago Tribune”
“San Francisco Chronicle”
“Boston Globe”
“Wall Street Journal”
“Los Angeles Times”
Esther Belin in Conversation with Manny Loley
– From ThePoetryMagazine Podcast May 2022This week, guest editor Manny Loley speaks with poet and scholar Esther Belin.
– While there are many ways to read poetry, one way that I like to think about it is that poems are like songs. They’re meant to be listened to and heard, rather than just looked at. And while we might know what some words mean, we often don’t know how those words fit together musically. In conversation, we can ask questions and learn things about the world around us.
– While there aren’t many places where you can find people discussing poetry online, PoemTalk is one such place.
– Poet and scholar Esther Belin talks about her work in the form of essays, interviews, and podcasts. She’s also written books including A Story Is Not a Song, How We Talk About Poetry, and The Poetry Handbook.
The Poetry of Decay
From ruins porn to transient art: urban and architectural decay offers a rich source of stimuli for the mind and imagination.
In the late 19th century, the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote that “the most beautiful thing we experience is the mysterious.” In his view, there is no greater mystery than life itself. He saw it as a process of becoming, where everything changes and nothing stays the same.
Today, the idea of change resonates across disciplines, including architecture, design, literature and photography. In cities around the world, buildings crumble and fall apart; abandoned factories become derelict sites; and urban landscapes transform into something else entirely.
This book explores how the poetic nature of decay inspires creativity and inspires thought. Contributors include photographers, architects, poets, philosophers and critics. Their work ranges from the sublime to the absurd, from the melancholy to the humorous, from the romantic to the brutal. Together, they offer a collection of images and words that explore the poetry of decay.
A Poetry of Transience
Joseph McElroy reflects on his favorite works in “The Invisiblerow: Buddhist Spirit in ContemporaryArt,” an exhibition opening Friday at the Snug Harbor Museumin Staten Island, New York.
McElroy writes about the works in the exhibition, which includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings and prints by artists including Robert Gober, David Hammons, Helen Pashgian, John Stezaker, James Tipton, and others. He says he finds the show both strange and familiar, like something he has seen before.
“Somehow, somewhere, somehow, I feel that I know these people,” he says. “In some way, they are my friends. They seem to be saying things that I want to say. But they don’t quite look like me. And there is no way I could ever paint them.”
