go on nerve...
– from Personism: a Manifesto
You just go on nerve. If someone’s chasing you down the street with a knife you just run, you don’t turn around and shout, “Give it up! I was a track star for Mineola Prep.”
Frank O’Hara
*
Yes. That’s true. You write because you have to, because that’s all you know to do, because you cannot, will not, help yourself about it. The words will take care of themselves.
8 comments:
I love it. Helen
This is my absolute favorite Frankie quote. I not only take it to mean don't try to write just write - I also take it to mean that a poet is always writing, whether or not the poems are getting to the page. So that, when you finally do meet the page, you are ready.
it is a sweet illness
(hi, Sam)
Thanks for the read, Helen and Melissa - and I agree with you pwadj - about meeting the page.
And GF, I'm glad you dropped by. I've been wondering...
Sweet, sweet, Frankie. Where would I be without him?
Where would we all be? Thanks for the read, Collin.
Sam,
Each entry you post is something I *need* to read at the moment I read it.
How do you do that?
:)
I don't know Clare, but thanks for the read.
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