AF2 Commentary: "P O S T L I T" by Jack Foley

Visual poetry collab by Robin Tomens (UK) & De Villo Sloan (USA)

P O S T L I T

by Jack Foley

"How many grammatical errors, in printed articles, everywhere

*as our culture slowly moves away from writing as a primary mode*.

People no longer HAVE to master writing, so they don’t."

"Many people don’t."

"It has become only one medium among others."

"But if you can't write, it will still limit what you can do."

"Yes. Writing is not gone. We are not illiterate but post literate. So many of my poet friends, when they are touched by something, turn to popular songs. They are far more likely to quote Bob Dylan than William Shakespeare. You probably know that Shakespeare was known and widely quoted in the Nineteenth Century and throughout major parts of the Twentieth."

"Your poet friends have probably not read Shakespeare since high school."

"One person I know has *performed* Shakespeare. He still quotes Dylan. And writes in a style resembling a song lyric. Writing is no longer 'the queen of the arts' but, again, only one medium among others."

"Something is lost."

"Much is lost. But there is also gain, and a realization of what writing, wonderful as it was, could NOT do.

This is the world we live in. Words matter but writing as a form is losing ground. Novels become films or a TV series. Gore Vidal wrote of "screening history." Writing will not vanish but it will no longer rule--and "correctness" will matter less. We have lived with writing for centuries now. *There is a world elsewhere*.

What we call Modernism was the search for a new language. It was writing's attempt to open itself to the world that was arising. Something was done, certainly, there were many extraordinary achievements, but the new language did not appear. Perhaps it will. *All may yet be well*. I think of this language as the language spoken by the head of Orpheus after he has been assassinated and the head, still talking, is tossed upon the water."

...

I am your voice—It was tied in you—In me it begins to talk.

I celebrate myself to celebrate every man and woman alive;

I loosen the tongue that was tied in them,

It begins to talk out of my mouth.

[The concluding four lines are by Walt Whitman, who also wrote, "Camarado, this is no book...I spring from the pages." Two italicized phrases are from Shakespeare.]

Jack Foley (photo by Sangye Land)

Jack Foley is a widely published poet, critic, performer and radio host on (legendary) Berkeley radio station KPFA. He grew up in New York State, attended Cornell University and has been a guiding light in San Francisco Bay Area poetry for many years. Jack has mentored several generations of poets. A number of them have emerged as visual poets, including Jake Berry. Deepest thanks to Jack for granting permission to re-post "POST LIT" on Asemic Front 2.

- De Villo Sloan