http://www.norddahl.org/english Humming the bird Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:01:37 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en [caption id="attachment_363" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Apparently (that is to say, according to the internet) this dog is one of the Führers cuter creations. "][/caption] The philosophist Theodor Adorno famously stated, in 1949, that writing a poem after Auschwitz was barbaric. He proceded: “And this corrodes even the knowledge of why it has ... http://www.norddahl.org/english/2010/03/the-barbaric-arts/ [caption id="attachment_359" align="alignright" width="225" caption="Portrait of the artist as a young man. "][/caption] Most poetry’s pretty fucked up. It tries hard to be hard. Not only hard to understand, but also hard to touch – hard to feel. Sentiment isn’t really welcome in poetry anymore, it’s been outlawed. Sentiment is bad ... http://www.norddahl.org/english/2010/02/so-what-you-gonna-cry-now/ [caption id="attachment_356" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Drunkard/poet Li Po. Not to be confused with Oulipo, an entirely different poetic project. "][/caption] Poetry is a culture heavily impregnated with the idolisation of poets. Popular knowledge of poetry stops where the anecdotes about poets end and the poetry begins. We remember Rimbaud as the original ... http://www.norddahl.org/english/2010/01/the-death-of-a-poem/ [caption id="attachment_351" align="alignright" width="188" caption="Dr. Hugo Heyrmans Alpha Bet - literally a walking poem: http://www.doctorhugo.org/e-poetry/walkingpoem.html"][/caption] The difference between poetry and prose? Poetry sings, prose talks. Poetry dances, prose walks. Poetry’s fewer words with more (“deeper”) meaning. Poetry’s about form while prose is about content. Poetry’s the memory and prose the remembrance. Poetry’s ... http://www.norddahl.org/english/2009/12/poetry-and-prose/ [caption id="attachment_347" align="alignright" width="300" caption="A road sign. "][/caption] I recently saw a norwegian sketch on Youtube about the invention of the book. A medieval man has just gotten his first book and can’t seem to get it to work, so he has to ask for help. A help desk employee shows ... http://www.norddahl.org/english/2009/11/read-this-column-don%e2%80%99t-read-this-column-now-read/ [caption id="" align="alignright" width="196" caption="The cover of Eitur fyrir byrjendur was designed by Una Lorenzen. "][/caption] My second novel, Eitur fyrir byrjendur (Poison for beginners), will be published in Germany next year by Kozempel & Timm publishing . The book was originally published by Nýhil in 2006, but Iceland's biggest publisher, ... http://www.norddahl.org/english/2009/11/eitur-fyrir-byrjendur-in-german/ [caption id="attachment_2664" align="alignright" width="200" caption="All good poetry festivals must have a good poster. Otherwise noone shows up. "][/caption] Next saturday I will perform at the poetry Festival Verbale Pupiller in Aarhus, Denmark. It's an international festival and amongst the guests this year are Cia Rinne, Charles Bernstein, Tua Forsström, Anne Cotten, ... http://www.norddahl.org/english/2009/10/verbal-pupils/ Are you tired of writing your own damn poems? Does it feel like you’d rather plunge through the fiery gates of hell rather than come up with one more metaphor/ simile/ aphorism to explain the human condition? There’s so much poetry in the world already! So much language! Why make ... http://www.norddahl.org/english/2009/10/i%e2%80%99ll-have-what-he%e2%80%99s-having/ [caption id="attachment_331" align="alignright" width="270" caption="Glossolalia by Jason Liekhus. "][/caption] They say human beings use language to make sense of their surroundings. We frame, categorize and systematize the objects around us with the help of nouns and verbs and adjectives. The sky is blue. The horse gallops swiftly. The sentence is a ... http://www.norddahl.org/english/2009/09/speaking-like-a-god/ Lo, the oogly woogly wiggly toes of my puffinous pinkster! Lo, the perpetual whirlpool of his gung ho rainbows! Lo, the sabre-dancing jiggifunk of his eyeyeyeyeyes! Behold his umpteen-breasted olympic warrior, mother-of-it-all, and recognize! Lo, his oceanaut stereo-grip on the world, udderly unparalleled! Lo, his unfathomable floods – Earth never saw floating like ... http://www.norddahl.org/english/2009/09/babe-come-onto-me/