August 2, 2011
To whom it may concern:
Learning is never [a thing] about politics or theory isn't also. One must expect to be blindsided by this again, and again, and again. (One might also expect it again.) It is not only a gathering of spots outside one's particular constellation, but also, quite specifically, a childhood memory. When working with this structure, one must construct a finale from torn-out family secrets and an obligatory confession, and essentially compose a memory poem in prose (this is the obligatory form). The events that occurred in the Gun Room are a crass example of this, while the accompanying text is proof positive that the comma is not devastating. (Somebody said something about devastation, and then went on, and on, and on...)
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Learning is never [a thing] about Allen Ginsberg, but is something wholly other for all those who've never read Howl. (These apostates are political skeletons stripped of their most significant representations, and, therefore, must rattle themselves to be heard and historicized.) Alternately, a rewrite/revision requires a tractable embouchure and a penchant for aesthetic provocation, or simply a textbook that outlines the syntactical approach to the dilemma. Regardless, it is not necessary to name your enemies, as they should become quite revealed to the reader upon his/her analysis of the between-the-lines subtext. This is very important work. As a matter of fact, one might say it's the work of a dream poem (the "I"s...).
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Learning is never [a thing] about breaking the line or social practice. The line is ALWAYS already broken, and one must adapt one's ecstatic social process to incorporate the steps that present themselves as a direct result of this. (Note: Do not allow political rage or the misinterpretation of a dream to cloud your better judgement.) In order to have it be misconstrued, one must place "it" upon a stage and assign "it" the most mundane -- and incorrect -- of marks. Do not underestimate the importance of this staging, or the resulting spots to be occupied by commercial advertisements. Also, be sure to incorporate any news photo that might assist in corroborating your story; that might make clear the time that you have allocated. (Example: It is now 10:10 PM.)
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Learning is never [a thing] about constructive criticism and is never an exercise in using meter. (Let us take a moment to say a prayer for these things: [.....].) Poetry (which is learning written) should be a social practice that observes the theory of one thing and its antecedent. (That one thing is __________, and its antecedent is currently unavailable.) What one is attempting to execute, in the end, is the proper placement of the I, and one must exhaust all resources in order to achieve this goal. (One might consider a villanelle as a means of realizing -- formally -- a division or truncation of the I. This is something to which many have resigned themselves, and it will suffice as a substitute for, or rather, a simulation of, the proper placement of said I.)
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Learning is never [a thing] or most other things. It is an engagement with the ridiculous, or the inane, or the violent, or the surreal, or the confusing, or the incoherent, or the audacious, or the ignorant, or the man who bummed a cigarette from you outside the Quik Mart this morning. (Perhaps he asked you about 'Cuba'?)
G. Matthew Mapes is attempting to extract a crippled knowledge from you and those others who have been dehistoricized, with the ultimate goal of constructing something awkwardly wrong (or right -- it makes no difference to him), or, at least, something that resembles it. This is his class; this is his home.
[to be removed]
"And I won't tell you where it is, so why do I tell you
anything? Because you still listen, because in times like these
to have you listen at all, it's necessary
to talk about trees."
-- Adrienne Rich
Trees, indeed. (It is trees.)
Naturally,
Anise A. Thiele-Columbry
Associate Director, Dept. of Critical Thinking
The Brobst Conservatory
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