What Paul Verlaine and I Have in Common

 

   

  It has been a busy couple of days,  I missed posting on the actual anniversary of Verlaine's death on January 8. He died in Paris in 1896. I know enough French to enjoy some literature in the original and to navigate in a Francophone environment. There's an earlier blog about how and why I decided to take German after Latin II instead of French.

     In his poem Malines, Verlaine wrote about les prés sans fiun.."  the endless meadows.

    Malines is the French name for Mechelen, in northern Belgium. My maternal grandmother was born near Charleroi and spoke French as her native language. Verlaine also wrote about Charleroi in Belgium. I grew up near the American town of that name south of Pittsburgh. That Charleroi plays a major role in my second novel, which I am currently revising.

    But back to those endless meadows. Before I knew this poem, I used this image from near where we lived in Saluda County, SC as endless fields for a poem in my first poetry book, Places and Times (eLectio Publishing 2015). The second line contains the fields; I include the entire poem.

     The Island

No islander am I, but all the same

I wander green fields that go forever,

Rolling on towards a distant tree line

Or extending along to a sheltered cove.

At times I am invited, encouraged

Even, to stay for longer duration,

Taking my place alongside the others,

Savoring the stillness of hallowed space,

Watching colors brightening with the sun

And listening to wafting songs of praise

Resounding over and over again.

Contentment I find there from distant waves

And storms that come clashing onto the coast,

Until the stinging subtle reminder

That I am sojourner, not citizen.

Then turns my gaze once again to the strand

And beyond to the mainland, hovering

As it were above the waves, beckoning

Me to return and remain there.

On the mainland I indeed have a place

High on a hill. From its wooded crest my

Gaze penetrates the mists which are covering

The island. I have memories of the

Green pleasant hills but now I turn inland

To see the beckoning and distant hills

     

And link to the Verlaine:

https://clicnet.swarthmore.edu/litterature/classique/verlaine/malines.html

Read in French:  https://www.google.com/search?q=verlaine+malines+&sca_esv=db7ed66b9cb86445&udm=7&biw=1280&bih=613&sxsrf=ADLYWII1BcfG5mahZik_UyS89fbpXuEasg%3A1736811497990&ei=6aOFZ92MPPvhwN4Pzar-wAo&ved=0ahUKEwidpYSD7_OKAxX7MNAFHU2VH6gQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=verlaine+malines+&gs_lp=EhZnd3Mtd2l6LW1vZGVsZXNzLXZpZGVvIhF2ZXJsYWluZSBtYWxpbmVzIDIGEAAYFhgeMgYQABgWGB4yCxAAGIAEGIYDGIoFMggQABiABBiiBDIIEAAYgAQYogQyCBAAGIAEGKIEMggQABiABBiiBEjUCVDFB1jFB3ABeACQAQCYAXWgAXWqAQMwLjG4AQPIAQD4AQGYAgKgAnqYAwCIBgGSBwMxLjGgB-gD&sclient=gws-wiz-modeless-video#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:44c70c90,vid:lh_SWz9X2nk,st:0

My books:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=arthur+turfa+books&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss

https://www.blurb.com/b/10799783-the-botleys-of-beaumont-county

My Thoughts on "A Complete Unknown"

 

    Recently, I went to the movies twice by myself. My wife did not want to see the violence and gore in Gladiator 2. Since I was raised on Sword-and-Sandal movies, I wanted to go (My mother had taught Latin among other things, and thought these movies were educational). 

    For Complete Unknown, I also went stag. No violence or gore, except for dedicated folkies, perhaps. My wife and I saw Dylan in concert a few years ago. He only did one old song, and sat at the piano; we were disappointed. Despite that, I admire Dylan as a great literary figure, and have from high school I remember conversations with an English teacher that went, "I know you want him to be a poet, Art, but...."

    I enjoyed the movie and thought it was very well-acted in the main and supporting roles. Edward Norton's portrayal of Pete Seeger is outstanding and deserves an Oscar.   that it was not 100% historically accurate did not disturb me too much. For instance, no one called him "Judas" at Newport. That happened later in the UK. Dylan actually met Woody Guthrie at his home, not the hospital; Arlo answered the door. 

   Renaming Suze Rotolo confused me, She was extremely influential in his early time in New York. The case could be made that without her, Dylan might have drifted back to Minnesota or into oblivion. A fellow poet friend says she saw where Dylan wanted to rename the character out of respect for Suze. That might stem from residual guilt. She passed in 2011, so obviously she could not have complained. 

   The relationship with Joan Baez, who also helped his career, struck me as being accurately portrayed. Whether Dylan used Suze and Joan, among others, to follow his own path goes beyond my purposes here. Clearly, he is no saint. He has also maintained relationships with people from earlier phases of his life. 

      While the movie brings pleasure to those of us who grew up listening to this music, I find the real importance is introducing that music to new generations. If the music inspires them, that is enough.

Suze Rotolo's books is very informative:

https://www.amazon.com/Freewheelin-Time-Greenwich-Village-Sixties/dp/0767926889

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My books:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=arthur+turfa+books&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss

https://www.blurb.com/b/10799783-the-botleys-of-beaumont-county

I Enjoy Reviewing Books

 

I forget exactly how or when it started. A year and change ago I offered to review a book from Tupelko Press. A few years back I participated in their 30/30 poetry groups; it was in a December. We committed to write a poem a day, and a few have actually been published since.

Kristina Marie Darling from Tupelo asked for reviews. I submitted one, and she liked it. She usually asks if she can submit it to the Midwest Review, which is fine with me. Once in a while, I hear from a poet/writer. Someone out there must like my reviews, because books show up unannounced.

If a publisher wants me to submit the review myself to various places, I tend to stop reviewing. After all, that is their responsibility. If they want to pay me, that's another matter. However, that has not happened.

In 2024 I reviewed 12 books, mainly poetry. I thought I submitted another one, but did not as December became busy. So I sent that one off yesterday. And two more are coming my way!

Reading/reviewing these books helps me to see what has been published and exposes me to various styles. It is like a workshop-without interaction, but it works for me.

My books:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Arthur-Turfa/author/B00YJ9LNOA?

https://www.blurb.com/b/10799783-the-botleys-of-beaumont-county