Comments on: Poetry and the Information Age http://www.robertpeake.com/archives/854-poetry-and-the-information-age.html An American Poet in London Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:26:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: mmSeason http://www.robertpeake.com/archives/854-poetry-and-the-information-age.html/comment-page-1#comment-20602 mmSeason Sun, 27 Dec 2009 17:14:51 +0000 http://www.robertpeake.com/?p=854#comment-20602 Well, it was the Radio 3 <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006tmr6" rel="nofollow">Breakfast</a> show with Rob Cowan, no particular day i'm afraid, but over the last couple of weeks the subject of ebooks came up because it was in one of the national dailies (could have been the Telegraph but don't ask me – i'm not 100% awake this programme!) and the discussion went over a few days with listeners texting and emailing in. Almost entirely they disliked digital reading and put that down to being relatively old. I wanted (but didn't bother) to chime in, agreeing that i couldn't do without the physical experience of a book – dusty Crime Club hardbacks are my sensual favourite ;0) – but with painful hands n fingers, the ease of page-turning and not having to hold the book open makes me devoted to my ereader. When it comes to writing, i certainly can't <i>write</i> poems onto a screen. The keyboard just blocks it. I even need a pen in my hand for ordering my thoughts when planning my week. Well, it was the Radio 3 Breakfast show with Rob Cowan, no particular day i’m afraid, but over the last couple of weeks the subject of ebooks came up because it was in one of the national dailies (could have been the Telegraph but don’t ask me – i’m not 100% awake this programme!) and the discussion went over a few days with listeners texting and emailing in.

Almost entirely they disliked digital reading and put that down to being relatively old. I wanted (but didn’t bother) to chime in, agreeing that i couldn’t do without the physical experience of a book – dusty Crime Club hardbacks are my sensual favourite ;0) – but with painful hands n fingers, the ease of page-turning and not having to hold the book open makes me devoted to my ereader.

When it comes to writing, i certainly can’t write poems onto a screen. The keyboard just blocks it. I even need a pen in my hand for ordering my thoughts when planning my week.

]]> By: Robert Peake http://www.robertpeake.com/archives/854-poetry-and-the-information-age.html/comment-page-1#comment-20475 Robert Peake Sun, 27 Dec 2009 01:11:01 +0000 http://www.robertpeake.com/?p=854#comment-20475 Tony--I am a better writer because I read, too. In fact, I got the gift of some greenery this Christmas, and am delighted to be able to put it toward new books in the coming year. Tony–I am a better writer because I read, too. In fact, I got the gift of some greenery this Christmas, and am delighted to be able to put it toward new books in the coming year.

]]> By: Collin Kelley http://www.robertpeake.com/archives/854-poetry-and-the-information-age.html/comment-page-1#comment-20023 Collin Kelley Thu, 24 Dec 2009 18:51:15 +0000 http://www.robertpeake.com/?p=854#comment-20023 Happy Holidays, Robert. Happy Holidays, Robert.

]]> By: Tony Derbyshire http://www.robertpeake.com/archives/854-poetry-and-the-information-age.html/comment-page-1#comment-19630 Tony Derbyshire Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:31:19 +0000 http://www.robertpeake.com/?p=854#comment-19630 You bring up an interesting point for me. I have picked up writing again, something I consider a gift I have been aware of since about second grade, after about a decade long break. I began to write and then felt a need to read as my writing seemed to lack depth. The reading helped the writing immeasurably, just as listening to someone else makes for a more substantive conversation. As a result, I am not just a better writer because I write. I am a better writer because I read. All of the information that we have access to has the potential to numb our consciousness, but I also believe that there comes a time when we hunger for the silence and the things that others observe to make us feel like we are not completely lost. Like an old and faithful friend, poetry and any art will be there for us. It is a reminder of our connection to our creator, our world and each other. So ends my pseudo intellectual pontification for the day... Good post, by the way. You bring up an interesting point for me. I have picked up writing again, something I consider a gift I have been aware of since about second grade, after about a decade long break. I began to write and then felt a need to read as my writing seemed to lack depth. The reading helped the writing immeasurably, just as listening to someone else makes for a more substantive conversation. As a result, I am not just a better writer because I write. I am a better writer because I read.

All of the information that we have access to has the potential to numb our consciousness, but I also believe that there comes a time when we hunger for the silence and the things that others observe to make us feel like we are not completely lost. Like an old and faithful friend, poetry and any art will be there for us. It is a reminder of our connection to our creator, our world and each other.

So ends my pseudo intellectual pontification for the day…

Good post, by the way.

]]> By: Robert Peake http://www.robertpeake.com/archives/854-poetry-and-the-information-age.html/comment-page-1#comment-19367 Robert Peake Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:30:34 +0000 http://www.robertpeake.com/?p=854#comment-19367 Actually, we can get BBC Radio online. It's daily bread for my English wife, and she often recaps highlights to me. Would love any clues like the program(me) name or air time. Sounds fascinating. Actually, we can get BBC Radio online. It’s daily bread for my English wife, and she often recaps highlights to me. Would love any clues like the program(me) name or air time. Sounds fascinating.

]]> By: mmSeason http://www.robertpeake.com/archives/854-poetry-and-the-information-age.html/comment-page-1#comment-19337 mmSeason Sun, 20 Dec 2009 14:18:04 +0000 http://www.robertpeake.com/?p=854#comment-19337 What intelligent reasoning - or perhaps it's just that i too use the self-observation method with the singleton research sample ;0) and get tired of friends telling me that's not valid! Radio Three has been talking this week about the sensual aspects of physical as opposed to digital reading (strange phrasing but i expect you know what i mean), though i don't suppose you listen to a lot of BBC radio in California. They're discussing ebooks rather than computer screens, methinx, but still. We sit differently when at the computer and the act of reading is different. Certainly online reading is far more about taking in information and less about the experience of doing so, which is why the advice is to write more journalistically, short paragraphs and so on. - mand What intelligent reasoning – or perhaps it’s just that i too use the self-observation method with the singleton research sample ;0) and get tired of friends telling me that’s not valid!

Radio Three has been talking this week about the sensual aspects of physical as opposed to digital reading (strange phrasing but i expect you know what i mean), though i don’t suppose you listen to a lot of BBC radio in California. They’re discussing ebooks rather than computer screens, methinx, but still. We sit differently when at the computer and the act of reading is different.

Certainly online reading is far more about taking in information and less about the experience of doing so, which is why the advice is to write more journalistically, short paragraphs and so on.
- mand

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