Hello my loves, you marvelous rabble you. It is time once again for your Word List, and this time the words are all taken from the poetry collection The Crack In Everything by award-winning poet Alicia Suskin Ostriker.
The title may well sound familiar. It is taken from Leonard Cohen's magnificent song Anthem, and Ostriker quotes and credits it at the beginning of the book. "There is a crack, a crack in everything; that's how the light gets in." (I have seen this quote attributed to Ernest Hemingway, but that's inaccurate. Hemingway did write "The world breaks everyone, and afterward many are strong at the broken places." I am well familiar with this quote because I have it framed on my living room wall.)
Ms. Ostriker has been called "America's most fiercely honest poet" and collects awards like your Aunt Mildred collects Hummels. She is a Jewish feminist poet whose writing once prompted a visiting professor to sputter, " You women poets are very graphic, aren't you?" I suppose it made him twitchy for a woman to tell the truth about her life, her body, her experience, and to do it without sugar coating. A woman after my own heart!
What we do here is to use at least 3 of the 20 words provided in a new, original poem of one's own. Then just link, visit others, and sit back in smug satisfaction. Enjoy!
And now, your list:
bees
bughouse
catastrophe
cerulean
cottonwoods
cricket
dynamited
Eskimo
feathery
flamenco
foam
glassy
goons
gorgeous
mime
public
razor
samba
sicko
zinnias
Thanks for introducing me to this poet. I LOVE her work. Good bunch of words, too.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you like her, Sherry. She's good yeah?
DeleteWay!!!
ReplyDeleteWAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!
DeleteAnyone who loves Leonard Cohen is instantly of interest to me. :-). Thanks so much for sharing this amazing poet with us. I hadn't heard of her before.
ReplyDeleteLC is the last word in cool. ;-) So happy to have you here at the Word Garden Word List, Jo.
Deleteexcellent list shay, i really had fun with it. i'm going fishing for the weekend, so i'll be back sunday night to read everyones poems.
ReplyDeleteWatch out for Jaws. I'll be over to read yours post-coffee!
DeleteHello. I followed Jo, and I’m very happy to be here.
ReplyDeleteAnd Word List is very happy to have you, Misky!
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ReplyDeletethank you. I'm working on it ;). I will be back
Okay, Anonymous. :-)
DeleteLOL. It's me. Posting an odd one in a moment.
DeleteI was not familiar with her but she sounds wonderful! I may be out of the loop but my spirit floats about here my friend! Wanted to come by and gander at the words before gandering at muse possibilities. Hope you have a wonderful weekend Shay!
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend, ducky.
DeleteHi, this is my first time here. Found you through Misky. I love the word list and the source of the title for her book. It has enticed me to check out the poet. Thanks for the challenge!
ReplyDeleteWelcome!
DeleteI am on it, my G.
ReplyDeleteoh oh here she comes... :-)
DeleteMine does both last week and this. Also, a prompt from a book I have by Alicia Ostriker from the 80's where she says to write a seduction poem. I didn't do a very good job, but what can one do?
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