Remember This About Why You Write (Michael Intro) (10/19/2019)

Remember This About Why You Write | The Weekly Atticus

October 19, 2019

This letter is a recap of the week at

Atticus Review

, along with some extras.

Earlier this month, the literary community lost one of its brightest defenders, Jon Tribble. Many people knew Jon through his groundbreaking work at the Crab Orchard Series in Poetry, as well as Crab Orchard Review (alongside his wife, acclaimed poet Allison Joseph), that it’s easy to forget he was one hell of a poet in his own right.The last few days, I’ve been thinking of something Allison said: Jon was a prolific writer (he published three stunning books, with another forthcoming), but he didn’t actually send out his own work very often until somewhat later in life. The reason? He didn’t want to take away time from the many authors (especially writers of color) that he was using his position to publish and promote. Yet, a glance at his work (like this poem from Poetry) makes it clear just how much effort, insight, and passion went into his craft.There’s something else I remember about Jon: whenever he spoke, you could tell right away that he was probably the smartest person in the room. At the same time, he was also one of the kindest, and most humble. Every time I close my eyes and picture his face, I see him smiling, maybe offering a joke or word of encouragement to a particularly naïve grad student from Iowa who was trying a bit too hard to be clever.But this isn’t intended to be a eulogy. Rather, what I want to tell you is that if you’re looking for an example of how to live as a writer, how to work hard and accomplish great things while still keeping yourself honest and being a decent human being, Jon is a stellar example. So this week, let’s be good to each other. Let’s be good to the page. Let’s remember why we read and write in the first place.Thanks for reading. We’re glad you’re here. Michael MeyerhoferPoetry Editor 

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THIS WEEK AT ATTICUS

BOOK REVIEWAN UNFLINCHING TAKE ON A STYLIZED TALEA review of EMERALD CITY by Brian BirnbaumReview by Emily Webber"What propels this work is Birnbaum’s prose styleunderlining the chaotic and violent world he portrays."GET THE BOOKREAD THE REVIEW

FICTIONLADY MONDEGREEN AND THE AUGERby Lavanya Vasudevan"He asks her what seems to be the problem.She says she doesn’t know, has never known."READ ON

POETRYHAMMOCKby J.R. Solonche"Slowly clouds move white across the sky. / I amneither sleeping nor awake. / The world sways.It is balanced on my eye."READ ON

CREATIVE NONFICTIONTHE NEW WORLDby Charles Duffie"The view swayed like a spyglass, like I wasstanding on the deck of a ship, gazing acrossthe ocean to a new world where mothers becamechildren again and cried for their fathers."READ ON

psychoanaLITicalMUTUAL FEELINGS by Boo TrundleLatest episode of psychoanaLITical, in which Boo Trundle talks about notions of "the poet" as archetype. About feelings. Feelings. Feelings. Feelings. "Emotional resonance." Seagulls.READ ON

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