Chris Rizzo at "In Place of Chairs" comments on lines, especially it seems the relationship between syntax and rhythm.
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Sound and sense that old high school poetry text book.
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Mike County has broken his blog's mold. I will break mine.

Aaron Tieger at fishblog linked to a mixed tape site.
There I found this:
"Songs (that if all were fair, even and right with the world would be) in the top 40"

1) luna - california (all the way)
2) zombies - care of cell 44 **
3) belle and sebastian - boy with the arab strap
4) andrew bird - lull
5) the shins - new slang
6) fiona apple - paper bag
7) love - you set the scene
8) jayhawks - waiting for the sun
9) built to spill - the weather
10) wilco - kamera
11) the cure - just like heaven **
12) postal service - such great heights
13) super furry animals - it's not the end of the world
14) talking heads - this must be the place (naive melody) - (stop making sense version)
15) grandpaboy - silent film star
16) the slickers - johnny too bad
17) pavement - major leagues
18) xtc - earn enough for us
19) new pornographers - miss teen wordpower

** due to laziness and indifference, i never actually looked these two up, so if they DID actually make it into the top 40 --and i am fairly certain they didn't-- then great. just don't be a know-it-all-music-asshole and email me about it.

The compiler of the tape, cru jones, added this caveat "This is NOT a list of songs i think DESERVE to be top 40, nor are they the best songs each band or artist has to offer. Those lists would look much different, and would be far too long... this is a small mix of songs I think would ACTUALLY HAVE A CHANCE to be top 40, (in their respective years) if they had simply been given the opportunity."

{Three of the songs--Luna's "California (All the Way)", the Shins' "New Slang," and Wilco's "Kamera"--are songs about which I've said the same thing. The songs are hits, damn it! Maybe not great songs but hits! Interesting two of the three--"California (all the way) and "New Slang"-- have been used in commercials (for CKOne perfume and McDonald's fries respectively).}
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A few years back a GHS colleague, Don Orth, and I exchanged miniature poetry anthologies (consisting of 20 or more pages of poetry, I think). It was not unlike exchanging mixed tapes.

His anthology included many poets from what Silliman has called, dismissively and uncritically, "The School of Quietude"--which is to say that I knew many of the names but hadn't read previously read the poems. I wish I could say that I encountered inspiring or strong work that I wouldn't've otherwise, but I didn't. I did, however, deepen my understanding of what's out there in contemporary poetry.

Don did include a poem, "Walking Around," by Neruda which I quite like. It begins (in one translation at least), "It so happens I am sick of being a man." He also reminded me of Yeats' "Adam's Curse" which I'd read years before but had neglected since.

I remember Pavese and Montale translations too. Don spoke Italian very well and was interested in Italian poetry though I don't recall if he'd read much in the original language.

Does anyone want to exchange short anthologies (10 or so poems)? You or I could name a topic. (Mike County are there "lifestyles" poems? Poems that handle the line differently? Poems to read instead of listening at meetings? {The Hotel Wentley Poems?) Poems to read aloud at meetings? {Why do I immediately think of Mayakovsky's "My University")

slan,
j.c.