Revision Process

[ellajam]

I find it almost incredible to hear that others don't think about the author as they read -- I think about the author almost continuously. In fact, I like to read a bio of the author before I even get into the work. I love to see how a person's life experience and training could be impacting the choices that they make as an author. Topics, recurring themes, word choice...I can see the person reflected in all of these things; that's part of what makes poetry interesting to me. I just read a great article about E. E. Cummings and his background, in fact: http://harvardmagazine.com/2005/03/the-r...-cumm.html

I don't have much interest in a poet's actual life. That doesn't mean I'm not interested in them as a person, it's the voice and ability to speak interesting things to me that I enjoy, and that is surely atteched to the person, but the details of their lives? Not necessary for me, I'm not concerned with how they came to be, I just enjoy what they are.