Spring Break
Young poets welcomed at OSU
Averill Curdy, V. Penelope Pelizzon, Jeffrey Thomson present their poetry in Valley Library Rotunda on Friday evening
Gail Cole
Issue date: 11/24/08 Section: News
All three read in distinctive styles; Curdy explained that she speaks quickly as a way for readers to concentrate on the images of the poem.
"To me, that's a conscious decision," she said, adding that it's easier to focus on the mechanics when reading a poem than to focus on the experience.
Since Pelizzon and Thomson read several funny pieces, they discussed writing humor and admitted that they often do not try to be funny.
"Jokes, I think, are all based on a logical skip; that missing place is why it's funny," Tomson said.
All three agreed that poetry is a way for them to express themselves.
"I feel like I don't know how to feel or think about things until I write them down," Pelizzon said.
"The thing that writers do is that they teach themselves what they know by writing it," Thomson said.
When asked about poetry's place in society, the three admitted to the complicated dynamic that is found between poets, poetry and the world.
"We live in a culture where we're not really sure what poets do," Pelizzon said, and added that some poets often use their poems to change the world rather than taking action themselves.
Each poet agreed that it takes intense persistence to be a professional writer since submitted work is often rejected.
"You really have to have tough skin about it; you have to not take it personally," Pelizzon said.
Curdy shared that she always wrote on her own, but began taking the idea of writing as a career seriously when she was in her thirties.
She also advised young writers to always pursue their dreams.
"You may not know, it may just be a hunch," Curdy said. "You jut have to do it."
The next guest to visit OSU in the series is Bill Guttentag on Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the LaSells Stewart Center C&E room.
Gail Cole, senior reporter
news@dailybarometer.com, 737-2231
"To me, that's a conscious decision," she said, adding that it's easier to focus on the mechanics when reading a poem than to focus on the experience.
Since Pelizzon and Thomson read several funny pieces, they discussed writing humor and admitted that they often do not try to be funny.
"Jokes, I think, are all based on a logical skip; that missing place is why it's funny," Tomson said.
All three agreed that poetry is a way for them to express themselves.
"I feel like I don't know how to feel or think about things until I write them down," Pelizzon said.
"The thing that writers do is that they teach themselves what they know by writing it," Thomson said.
When asked about poetry's place in society, the three admitted to the complicated dynamic that is found between poets, poetry and the world.
"We live in a culture where we're not really sure what poets do," Pelizzon said, and added that some poets often use their poems to change the world rather than taking action themselves.
Each poet agreed that it takes intense persistence to be a professional writer since submitted work is often rejected.
"You really have to have tough skin about it; you have to not take it personally," Pelizzon said.
Curdy shared that she always wrote on her own, but began taking the idea of writing as a career seriously when she was in her thirties.
She also advised young writers to always pursue their dreams.
"You may not know, it may just be a hunch," Curdy said. "You jut have to do it."
The next guest to visit OSU in the series is Bill Guttentag on Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the LaSells Stewart Center C&E room.
Gail Cole, senior reporter
news@dailybarometer.com, 737-2231
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