Robert Morgan
Robert Morgan
philosophical language preoccupation
It was less a literary thing than a linguistic, philosophical preoccupation... discovering how far you can go with language to create immediate, elementary experience.
encouragement ideas pay
I encourage students to pursue an idea far enough so they can see what the cliches and stereotypes are. Only then do they begin to hit pay dirt.
thinking essence taught
I don't think poetry is something that can be taught. We can encourage young writers, but what you can't teach them is the very essence of poetry.
character events fiction
Fiction is about intimacy with characters, events, places.
people fine associates
If people associate me with a region, that's fine with me.
chinese mathematics interest
I did not have a very literary background. I came to poetry from the sciences and mathematics, and also through an interest in Japanese and Chinese poetry in translation.
book home use
In the later books I am much more at home in the use of language to describe things. I had never thought of that until a critic pointed that out.
powerful writing southern
Maybe the example of Southern fiction writing has been so powerful that Southern poets have sort of keyed themselves to that.
writing people doubt
Some people swear by writing courses, but whether it really helps American poetry, I have doubts.
special details way
With prose you can incorporate more details, develop scenes, sustain the tension in a special way. Prose has its own speed.
discovery interesting long
I love to create interesting textures with language. You can do it as long as it seems like a discovery.
writing southern narrative
Southern poets are still writing narrative poems, poems in forms, dramatic poems.
people labels use
Some people want to call me an Appalachian writer, even though I know some people use regional labels to belittle.
break-through asian watches
A lot of my students are Asian-American, and it has been thrilling to watch them break through the stereotypes into something alive and surprising.