Author’s Intent, Cultural Literacy

All cultures have certain references common to them which can sometimes act as a type of shorthand in conveying ideas. This is true of subgroups within the main culture and can sometimes help convey an alternative meaning to that which the words themselves do not. This is why works such as Shakespeare’s plays and the … Continue reading Author’s Intent, Cultural Literacy

Listen to the Warm

When I was a teenager, I had very specific ideas about what constituted poetry, rhyming verses, measured lines, lofty subjects like love and death. Then I read Listen to the Warm by Rod McKuen, and everything changed. I was aware of McKuen's work as a singer and songwriter, having seen him on television in the … Continue reading Listen to the Warm