If you were a science-fiction buff in the 1980's chances are you're familiar Warren Norwood and his series of science fiction novels The Windover Tapes: An Image of Voices. Many remember Warren, who died in 2005 after having battled cancer for a number of years, as primarily a writer of science fiction. Those who knew him well knew that in addition to his interest in science fiction he had a love of poetry and was dedication to the craft.
For many years, the Poetry Foundation hosted a website bulletin board open to the public where students and beginning poets could post new work for critique. The moderators were volunteers, some published, many not. Most just had a love of poetry and a desire to share their passion to help others improve their craft. At that time, Warren was a regular on the site. He spent countless hours volunteering and encouraging young poets both online and in his community.
What I remember most about Warren was his Buddhist wisdom that he brought to teaching the craft. When he approached a student's work, he looked for the places where the poem held "power." He pointed those spots out. When a poem was less than stellar, he would say, "I think this poem lacks the power it deserves." For Warren, all poems were on a continuum from least powerful to most. He avoided the terms good and bad. For Warren, there were no "bad" poems--only works that had not reached their full potential. He believed there is always some point of power in each work, and that's where the revision process would begin. And the revision process he approached as a series of problems, each with a solution if you only had the stamina to stick with the piece until solved. It's a graceful way to approach poetry.
For many years, the Poetry Foundation hosted a website bulletin board open to the public where students and beginning poets could post new work for critique. The moderators were volunteers, some published, many not. Most just had a love of poetry and a desire to share their passion to help others improve their craft. At that time, Warren was a regular on the site. He spent countless hours volunteering and encouraging young poets both online and in his community.
What I remember most about Warren was his Buddhist wisdom that he brought to teaching the craft. When he approached a student's work, he looked for the places where the poem held "power." He pointed those spots out. When a poem was less than stellar, he would say, "I think this poem lacks the power it deserves." For Warren, all poems were on a continuum from least powerful to most. He avoided the terms good and bad. For Warren, there were no "bad" poems--only works that had not reached their full potential. He believed there is always some point of power in each work, and that's where the revision process would begin. And the revision process he approached as a series of problems, each with a solution if you only had the stamina to stick with the piece until solved. It's a graceful way to approach poetry.