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Sometimes you get lit students that know a lot about the canon but virtually nothing about contemporary poetry and vice versa. I like to mix things up.

Elaine Equi

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Elaine Equi
Age: 71
Born: 1953
Born: July 24
Poet
Writer
the United States of America
Vices
Students
Poetry
Canon
Nothing
Versa
Sometimes
Lit
Things
Virtually
Like
Vice
Contemporary

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In a machine, every part has a function. In a poem, every word needs to be there.
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I think the more stability a person has, the more they can follow esoteric or intellectual pursuits.
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I tend to like poems that are short as well as funny. I love Joe Brainard and Aram Saroyan. And I think their sense of humor and minimalist approach are pretty radical.
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I have a lot of respect for advertising. If I didn't teach and could go back in time, I might try and become a copywriter. I especially like print ads that combine a photo with a short caption or tag line.
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What I like best about teaching is that it allows me to explore my own interest with a group.
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I think poetry workshops get a bad rap. I'm sure some aren't good, but in general, I like the format. I try and keep mine pretty informal. Sometimes we have wine or sake, and we read aloud, and we talk.
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I tend to be a pretty spacey and scattered person, so anything that makes me feel grounded comes as a welcome relief.
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I don't like speed. I would have made a terrible Futurist. Even when I did take drugs, I never liked amphetamines and much preferred the slow taffy-pull of time that you get with opiates.
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The postcard is sacred to me. It makes me sad that no one sends them very much anymore because of email and texting. I still like to buy them, but they've lost their original function and now just seem like reminders or mementos of what they used to be.
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There are fewer and fewer philosophies that everyone subscribes to. We don't seem to have as many beliefs in common as we used to. Also, we interact much more online. We have all these gadgets to help us manage different aspects of our lives.
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I can never plan out what direction my poems will take in terms of either form or content. I wish I could but it doesn't work that way for me. If I try to write something, I'd probably end up doing the opposite.
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The earth has always supported me in all my endeavors. I trust it.
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