On April 27th, we played part two of our interview with Dennis Phillips, when we discussed his book Measures (Talisman House Publishers, 2013). We start this hour discussing the use of pronouns in this particular book (pronouns also came up when we interviewed Dennis about Navigation) and how these are related to the personal. Dennis talked about writing in Hawaii, which is prominent in this work. During the interview, he describes the writing processes for particular poems but also the philosophy he employs while writing in general. He showed us the actual journal he uses (sorry listeners). After the top of the hour, the interview moved onto narrative and how language is inherently involved in narrative. Dennis shared how he plays with the 'driving linear force' in his writing. Towards the end of the interview, we talked about Dennis's line and the rhythm that seems so effortless but is actually the product of his important attention to "theme and refrain,' syllables and notes. Understanding why a poet breaks the line is something he impresses upon his students. He is very interested in the dynamics and contrasts at play within the line and within the poem. We end our talk discussing the title of his book.
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