The Essential Rumi, a William Carlos Williams collection, Songs of Innocence & Experience by William Blake, Don Marquis’ Archy & Mehitabel, Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman.
That’s my shortlist for the novelist who would make verse. 😁. This set has some modern choices, as I see the transition as smoother if you can skip meter and cadence styles popular 1000 years ago. Rumi is the connector. Don Marquis helps with free verse, which is lacking in any rule, can be frustrating to a storyteller. Luckily, Marquis flexes majorly deep characters, and profundity disguised as absurdity.
Wow, thank you! I've read 9 of these and will soon be reading the other 11. What I often wonder about these books is what would their query and synopsis look like?
This is lovely. I tend to have an easier time writing poems than writing novels, so this is quite inspiring. I have an idea for a book right now but it is pretty rough atm so we will see how it goes. 🙂
What a wonderful compilation!! I might add: Jeanette Winterson's The Passion. Novel as fairytale; prose as poetry. Not a novel, but a gorgeous example of prose-poetry: John O'Donohue's Anam Cara.
Ok now we need a list for novelists who want to be poets!! 🙏🏼
The Essential Rumi, a William Carlos Williams collection, Songs of Innocence & Experience by William Blake, Don Marquis’ Archy & Mehitabel, Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman.
That’s my shortlist for the novelist who would make verse. 😁. This set has some modern choices, as I see the transition as smoother if you can skip meter and cadence styles popular 1000 years ago. Rumi is the connector. Don Marquis helps with free verse, which is lacking in any rule, can be frustrating to a storyteller. Luckily, Marquis flexes majorly deep characters, and profundity disguised as absurdity.
Thx for sharing!
Wow, thank you! I've read 9 of these and will soon be reading the other 11. What I often wonder about these books is what would their query and synopsis look like?
Not to be overly literal, but I'd add Bolaño to this list. Also add Roy's God of Small Things to the list of prose poems.
I second Bolaño!
Camus broke me. Octavia Butler put me back together.
This is lovely. I tend to have an easier time writing poems than writing novels, so this is quite inspiring. I have an idea for a book right now but it is pretty rough atm so we will see how it goes. 🙂
What a wonderful compilation!! I might add: Jeanette Winterson's The Passion. Novel as fairytale; prose as poetry. Not a novel, but a gorgeous example of prose-poetry: John O'Donohue's Anam Cara.
Interesting. I've read a few of these and made a note of all the rest.
I would add Benjamin Myers The Offing to the list.
Love wide sargasso sea!
I know the list is just 20 and still I would add Claire Keegan’s Small things Like These and Jenny Offill’s Department of Speculation
Thank you so much for this !! Furiously adding to my Goodreads TBR
Oooh thank you for this list! Have read 5/20, adding a few to top of must-read-next list!