What Richard silken poems (or volumes of poetry) would you recommend to someone interested in him but hasn't read that much of his works?
Oh god, well. Definitely read his two books : they are very different and very interesting and beautiful —both on their own terms. You can sense the evolution, the years past, the new thoughts. Crush is my favourite, perhaps because I’m still run by my heart and felt it raw in throat and guts while reading —if you can’t have the book, look for:
- A Primer for Small Weird Loves- Wishbone- Saying your Names- Scheherazade- You are Jeff- Little Beast
which are the most iconic.
War of the Foxes is simpler in language but more complex in ideas. It’s very cerebral; it crawls in your brain and makes you ask and think and contemplate. Turn and turn a poem at different angles. It’s really a series worth reading as a whole, but once again, if you can’t get it, check out these to get a general idea:
- Detail of the Fire- Detail of the Woods- Lovesong of the Square Root of Negative One- The Language of the Birds
And after that, if you can’t get enough, know that you can find some of his prose and exclusive poetry on sporkpress, and that he is on tumblr.