Tuesday, November 13, 2007

I'm now finally teaching my poetry class at Rutgers. I luuuv teaching poetry. I could do it all day and all night, for free.

However, I'm now supposed to come up with my own catch phrase (or soundbite) about poetry for the school advertisements. It will go under my insanely grinning headshot. Here are some preliminary tries (please add your own in the comments):

Poetry: better than suicide.

Poetry is the axe, frozen seas, etc.

Poetry: drowning, not waving.

If architecture is frozen music, then poetry is melting architecture.

Poetry: it doesn't have to rhyme!

Self-expression: good for high blood pressure.

Sylvia Plath was dead wrong: poetry doesn't have to hurt!

'Till your fingers bleed.

Poetry is not (just) for sissies.

We can't all be Shakespeare, but damn if we can't spend a lot of money trying.

Poetry is never having to say you're sorry.

If wishes were poems, then beggars would write.

6 comments:

Collin Kelley said...

Poetry is the new pity fuck.

I coined that last year and it's been made into a button. :)

Stroll said...

I was hoping you would have missed "it doesn't have to rhyme!" 'cause that was totally what I had to add.

How about, Poetry: Think, like, song lyrics, but not necessarily set to a tune.

Rachel Mallino said...

Poetry- because it's one more way to piss your parents off.

Poetry - because chicks dig it even if you're poor.

Poetry - because everyone thinks they can.

PS - your sylvia one is so wrong it's so right.

Talia Reed said...

Christine you are truly one of a kind. I like the doesn't have to rhyme, and the Sylvia was dead wrong. They're all great, but hmmm....

Valerie Loveland said...

These are hilarious.

My favorite: "Poetry is not (just) for sissies."

Christine E. Hamm, Poet Professor Painter said...

Collin, I'm so putting that on a t-shirt... but I can't figure out the font.

Stroll -- Interesting. I like the... like, like.

Rachel -- chicks dig it even more IF you're poor and pathetic. Pathetic sounds like poetic -- is that an accident?

Talia -- more suggestions?

Valerie -- (not just mostly)for sissies.