The framing meta narrative as a biting critique of literary criticism makes it an interesting and funny read but the poetry itself is also beautiful and Nabokov has a way with words like none otherā¦
āI was the shadow of the waxwing slain
By the false azure in the windowpane;
I was the smudge of ashen fluff -and I
Lived on, flew on, in the reflected sky.
And from the inside, too, I'd duplicate
Myself, my lamp, an apple on a plate:
Uncurtaining the night, I'd let dark glass
Hang all the furniture above the grass,
And how delightful when a fall of snow
Covered my glimpse of lawn and reached up so
As to make chair and bed exactly stand
Upon that snow, out in that crystal land!ā
Also recommend reading poetry out loud (to get a feel for its rhythmic nature) and subscribing to the poetry newsletter of The Paris Review they send you a poem every day!!
Apr 1, 2024
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Honestly a lot of poetry is hard to read and has all these layers which is awesome and makes poetry so cool but I donāt have an English instructor on hand to go line-by-line with me (I mean I kind of do my husband is one but that would be annoying so I donāt ask this of him). Anyway David Bermanās poetry has this, but it is also just beautiful and evocative on its surface and you donāt have to be that smart or good at reading poetry to like or understand it (though Iām sure a smart person who is good at reading poetry would get even more out of it).
So anyway maybe starting with something like this and then rereading it and finding those layers and getting that dopamine hit from understanding poetry but also building those skills and positive association with poetry before reading more challenging stuff. Just my dummy 2Ā¢!
Apr 1, 2024
Poetry is often short and so we just skim over it and are left underwhelmed. Sometimes we need to make ourselves hear and feel it more, I find that reading the poem out loud really helps with this! Also maybe try to find videos of poets reading their own poems. (Iāve attached a Mary Oliver reading, Iāve never met anyone who didnāt like Mary Oliver haha)
Also remember that āpoetryā is such a huge and nebulous literary form and that you may well dislike a lot of it (I detest so much poetry that I find it a little embarrassing as a poet). Just because you donāt like a poem, or a hell of a lot of poems, doesnāt mean you donāt like poetry, youāve just not found the poems you like. If you find one poem that you like, find more from that same poet. If you like a poet, look at who their fans like, or who the poet has cited as inspiration. Youāre allowed to find lines you love but not like other lines in the same poem. Itās all worth it when you find one line that hits right through you. āyou do not have to be goodā¦you just have to let the soft animal of your body love what it lovesā.
Apr 1, 2024
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Also: Natalie Diaz, Frank Bidart, Henri Cole, Mary Oliver, Elizabeth Bishop, and Adam Zagajewski, to name just a few.
Highly recommend checking out the Poetry Foundationās daily poem to make reading poetry more of a habit. It has helped me to discover lots of great poets.
Mar 7, 2024
Top Recs from @taterhole
My dad teases me about how when I was a little kid, my favorite thing to do when I was on the landline phone with somebodyābe it a relative or one of my best friendsāwas to breathlessly describe the things that were in my bedroom so that they could have a mental picture of everything I loved and chose to surround myself with, and where I sat at that moment in time. Perfectly Imperfect reminds me of that so thanks for always listening and for sharing with me too š
Feb 23, 2025
Schedule sent my resignation email for the morning, effective immediately ā
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Feb 27, 2025
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Iāve been thinking about how much of social media is centered around curating our self-image. When selfies first became popular, they were dismissed as vain and vapidāa critique often rooted in misogynyābut now, the way we craft our online selves feels more like creating monuments.
We try to signal our individuality, hoping to be seen and understood, but ironically, I think this widens the gap between how others perceive us and who we really are. Instead of fostering connection, it can invite projection and misinterpretationāpreconceived notions, prefab labels, and stereotypes. Worse, individuality has become branded and commodified, reducing our identities to products for others to consume.
On most platforms, validation often comes from how well you can curate and present your imageāselfies, aesthetic branding, and lifestyle content tend to dominate. High engagement is tied to visibility, not necessarily depth or substance. But I think spaces like PI.FYI show that thereās another way: where connection is built on shared ideas, tastes, and interests rather than surface-level content. Itās refreshing to be part of a community that values thoughts over optics.
By sharing so few images of myself, Iāve found that it gives others room to focus on my ideas and voice. When I do share an image, it feels intentionalāsomething that contributes to the story I want to tell rather than defining it. Sharing less allows me to express who I am beyond appearance.
For women, especially, sharing less can be a radical act in a world where the default is to objectify ourselves. It resists the pressure to center appearance, focusing instead on what truly matters: our thoughts, voices, and authenticity. Iāve posted a handful of pictures of myself in 2,500 posts because I care more about showing who I am than how I look.
In trying to be seen, are we making it harder for others to truly know us? Itās a question worth considering.
Dec 27, 2024