This past Friday night, I had the pleasure of hearing Dorothy Allison and Natasha Trethewey read from their respective works. Since the Dorothy Allison post is past due however, it will suffice to say that she put on an entertaining show. Natasha Trethewey, though decidedly less energetic in her reading, was equally impressive. It’s hard to put into words the feeling you get hearing a Pulitzer Prize winning author read her works live, the way they were meant to be heard, before a small crowd of like-minded dorks and literature enthusiasts, but that said, I shall try. Reading from her book of poetry, Native Guard, Trethewey prefaced most poems before reading, setting the scene and mood of each piece.
In “The Southern Crescent” Trethewey deals with feelings of maturation and memory, of plans failed and set again. The scene is on board a now defunct train line and gives a nostalgic feel that is at once sad and hopeful. Though she is burdened with the memories of past trips “gone wrong”, there is still something that “awaits” her, “the rails humming like anticipation.” The mere reading of this poem is great, but having the author read it allows further insight. I particularly liked hearing her thoughts on seeing her mother’s face in the train window, the author’s own face actually, that nevertheless bears the stamp of her mother.
Trethewey’s reading of “Genus Narcissus” is another example of how a poem can be elucidated in a way the text simply cannot achieve. Trethewey spoke of researching in her work to help themes develop. Sure, the reference to Narcissus seems a fairly apparent parallel to the child’s self interest in the work, and the fact that the poem is titled as it is hints that daffodils are probably termed in Latin as genus narcissus, but I did not know that beforehand. And apparently, neither did Trethewey. I just find it immensely interesting to hear how works progress and come about, and attending these types of readings can afford one such an opportunity. Thank you, Pee Dee Fiction Festival, thank you.
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Daniel, I really enjoyed the Dorothy Allison and Natasha Trethewey’s panel discussion too. It was very insightful to hear the authors read their works; it provided me with a clearer understanding of the texts. However, I must disagree with your comment about Natasha Trethewey; I think that she read her work with a lot of enthusiasm; she just seems like a “laid-back” type of person. On the other hand, Dorothy Allison is more outgoing and likes to joke around. Also, I think the question about research from Dr. Autrey really added a lot to the discussion. It was very helpful to learn that Trethewey’s poetry requires a lot of research because they are a little difficult to understand if someone does not know the background information about the poem. In conclusion, I’m very glad that I attended the Pee Dee Fiction and Poetry Festival too!!!
ReplyDeletetouche, amanda
ReplyDelete(about Trethewey's reading)
i totally agree
though i would argue the difference between 'energetic' and 'enthusiastic'
ReplyDeleteI was able to hear poet Billy Collins this past weekend, and hearing his prefaces to several poems completely changed how I had read them on the page. I like having these new readings, and demonstrates the connections between the writer and the text and the reader.
ReplyDelete