Alice L. Teeter, String Theory, Georgia Poetry Society, Box 2184, Columbus GA 31902, March 2008, wrappers, 24 pp., $10.00.To order from the author mail a check made out to Alice Teeter for $12.50 ($10+$2.50S&H) to Alice Teeter, PO Box 766, Pine Lake, GA 30072-0766.
The winner of the 2008 Georgia Poetry Society’s Charles B. Dickson Chapbook Contest is titled String Theory, and its author is Alice L. Teeter of Pine Lake, Georgia. It is an exceedingly unusual and very interesting collection of poems for several reasons, one of which is that the author has clearly developed a personal style of writing that is instantly recognizable as uniquely hers and no one else’s. In that regard, the manuscript stood out over all the others submitted.
It stood out also, however, because, of the four levels of poetry (the typographical, the sonic, the sensory, and the ideational) the third level, that of trope and image, is highly developed and engaging. If I had to describe it, I’d say that it is at base ambiguous — ambiguity is a strong feature of modern poetry — but simultaneously clear and concrete, as in “The Woman Who Ate Anger”:
The woman who ate anger was as big as a house.
She was fat and fatter, dined on anger served up daily
by a husband, children, mother, father,
friend, neighbor, coworker, clerk, self.
She ate it all down.
She grew enormous, moved less and less,
until she couldn't fit through the door,
so she lay on her bed,
a pond of flesh flowing over the sides.
The TV cameras filmed her,
the woman who ate anger
weighed a ton.
One day she clenched her jaw against it — ground a "no"
and with her one hand that still could move
pushed away instead of pulled toward.
It wore her out. She slept.
The next day, her jaw ground shut,
then opened with a retching sound.
Her arm pushed back harder, both hands clenched,
the bed shook with her effort.
Drenched in sweat, she slept.
She dreamed she unzipped her skin and stepped out.
By the end of the year her legs kicked constantly.
Mid way through the next she got up and walked
to the door. They used saws and cut away the door frame.
Months later she left the house and the cameras
filmed her moving with her flesh
hanging like chains from her waist hips ankles and arms.
She walked into the swimming pool and rested,
her fat kept her afloat, high in the water.
All day, every day, she swam back and forth,
soon the distance got shorter.
The TV cameras grew bored and went away.
She swam and started singing.
She sang so loud that the neighbors complained.
She said “Good.” “They should complain,” and “I don’t care.”
She swam and sang and the day came
When she left the pool all wrinkled like a prune,
And still singing, she danced naked across the lawn.
Often the poems reminded me of one of my favorite novelists, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, whose landscapes and locales, characters and incidents are so dreamlike and simultaneously earthen that one might almost be persuaded that Marquez lives on two planes of existence simultaneously. Not that I think String Theory has the mark of Marquez upon it, just that this author, too, lives on two levels in these poems, and both levels are absorbing. “One Variation on a Theme” says and shows so in almost so many words.
Poem after poem here is going to be hard for readers to forget: “10 year old dancing,” or “Poem for Ellen,” about the birth of twins — I won’t quote parts of it because to do so would be to commit an injury upon it; the very strange and beautiful “Nine Womensong”; “Sleeping Giant Love,” the point of which I could not, and would not want to, pin down because it says what it says in just the way it ought to have been said, whatever “it” is.
Here I am going through the collection again and picking out poems I think are wonderful, and I shouldn’t because there isn’t a poor poem, or even a mediocre one, anywhere on these pages. I’m just very pleased String Theory came my way and I am able to guarantee that others will now be able to read and bathe in it too.
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COMMENTS
I was the judge who chose Alice L. Teeter's chapbook String Theory as the winner of the 2007 Georgia Poetry Society's Charles B. Dickson Chapbook contest. I love the poems, but apparently some members of the Society object to them, on what grounds I know not unless it's the fact that they're not written in traditional forms — nor could they have been. I'm involved in none of this. I've not heard from the GPS since I turned in my choice long ago, except that apparently I received a copy of String Theory before Alice had seen it in its final, published form. The chapbook is quite cheaply produced and fairly ugly; nevertheless, the poems are terrific, in my opinion, and what matters is that they are in circulation. Here is her biography as it appears in String Theory followed by a recent letter she wrote and asked me to post on my blog:
“Alice Teeter has been writing poetry since the fourth grade in Winter Haven, Florida. She attended Eckerd College in St. Petersbujrg, studying poetry under Peter Meinke. In 1975 she moved to Atlanta “just for the summer.” She currently lives in Pine Lake, Georgia, with her partner, Kathie deNobriga; ‘Archie,’ a six-toed cat; and his sister, Veronica. Alice is a member of the Artist Conference Network, a national coaching community for creative persons. She also is a member of Alternate ROOTS, a service organization for artists which does community-based work in the Southeast. She has led ‘improvoetry’ workshops with Lesly Fredman. These use improvisation techniques as poetic inspiration and poetry as a springboard for further improvisation. Alice designs CD cover art for Atlanta musicians and is a graphic artist foor Coverdell, a marketing services company. Alice is currently collaborating with Priscilla Smith on a performance piece combining dance, physics, visual art, music, and poetry.”
Dear Mr. Turco,
I'm writing to fill you in on what has and hasn't been going on here. I never received a proof of this book. I had no idea it was printed. I never approved it or signed off on a proof. I did receive my copies of the book today — 200 copies that are my prize for winning the competition. It would have been a shock if I hadn't heard from you yesterday. I haven't done more than look at the huge photo of me they put on the cover, note that there seem to be four less total pages than there were, and that they moved the Table of Contents to the inside front cover.
I'm very pleased by you and your good wishes and that you want to promote my poetry. I am distressed that my book went to press without my approval.
Mr. Ottley never responded to my Feb. 29 letter that included the email from you. No one on the GPS board replied to me. The only proof I ever received is the one I rejected. I've attached a pdf of that proof (the markups are my attempt to bring the proof back to my original poems). It shows the edits that Mr. Ottley insisted I accept — made by his editors who are "experts in grammar and punctuation." That insistence on his part is what led to my contacting you. The edits are at best sloppy and hurried, at worst deliberately destructive.
I don't know Mr. Ottley so I can't really know what went wrong between us. His first letter to me was congratulatory and cordial. He assured me he had two excellent proofreaders who would ensure my poems were correct — no need to send electronic copy — he doesn't do email. Our first conversation was pleasant when I called him to say I was sending him my bio, acknowledgements and press list.
The only thing I can think is my bio must have upset him. Why else would he suddenly edit my poetry completely without discussing it ahead of time, send the proof with edits as a done thing, and insist that I had to accept them?
Two of the people I contacted — in addition to you and Jen Benka from Poets & Writers — are Virginia Dickson and Jo Ann Adkins. Virginia Dickson is the wife of the late haiku poet Charles Dickson for whom the chapbook contest is named. Jo Ann Adkins is a founding member of the Georgia Poetry Society, editor of the Chattahoochee Review, and used to do the job that Mr. Ottley is now doing for the Society. Ms. Dickson and Ms. Adkins had been attempting to get in touch with Mr. Ottley on my behalf ever since Feb. 29. He finally called them each back on last Thursday. He was cordial with Ms. Dickson and assured her the chapbook was being handled, that he would call me that evening and that she shouldn't worry. He called Ms. Adkins back and when she asked what she could do to help, he became angry and hung up on her. He never called me.
After I learned from you that my chapbook was in print, I called Mr. Ottley and left a message for him to call me back. He called me back this morning. I also contacted Ron Self, the president of the Georgia Poetry Society. They both have said basically the same thing — quoting Mr. Self's email: "My understanding is that your book was printed just as you requested, without the editorial changes. You indicated you did not want the benefit of the editing process, so the book was printed as submitted...." They both seem to think, or say they think, that my stating strongly that my poems must appear as I submitted meant that I did not need to see another proof — they were complying so why would I need another proof? Neither seemed to think I should have been contacted and told the book was going forward.In addition, Mr. Ottley implied that he was overwhelmed and cowed by a barrage of emails attached to the fax I sent him that were 'purported' to be from Mr. Turco and Ms. Benka. He blames me that the cover he solicited from me wasn't used because I didn't send it — overlooking the fact that he never responded to my letter. This can't be correct behavior. I can't believe it's a good idea for him, as one of the funders of the competition, to be the Chapbook Committee Chairman, especially if that position is going to hold editorial powers.
My hat is off to Mr. Ottley though — he's been very clever in his hi-jacking of my book. He put that huge picture of me on the cover — how can I complain that the book looks cheap or ugly?
Jo Ann Adkins emailed me tonight to say that she and others will be reprinting my book. They will turn the dedication back to Charles Dickson only. This is all I know right now and all I should deluge you with.
I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Alice Teeter
Dear Alice Teeter,
Please take care of this with Mr. Ottley and his people. I have nothing to do with its publication. I just like your work, but I am not involved with the chapbook itself.
Lewis Turco
Lew,
isn't this awful! They actually designed a cover for her book and didn't allow her to see it and approve it before publication? No wonder she's upset. I suspect her "crime" was insisting that her poems be printed in their original form, without accepting the changes that were being made without prior consultation with the poet.
I'm sorry for this poor lady. It's a good thing the book is being reprinted by responsible, principled people who obviously care about the competition…. I'm curious to learn if Poets & Writers does anything for her…. I can understand your desire to stay away from this mess, but maybe they should know, at least, that you are aware of what happened to the cover for this poet's good work, and that you regret it.
Thanks for your offer of a copy: I look forward to receiving it, whatever the cover looks like.
Rhina Espaillat
Rhina,
I'm sure GPS knows how I feel because the fax she sent Mr. Ottley apparently contained my email to Alice supporting her position. As to the cover of her chapbook, do you remember the cover of the original edition of The Book of Forms back in 1968? E. P. Dutton designed it, and I never saw it until the book hit the bookshelves.
Lew
Well, we read and judge poems, not poets.
Shame on any who would judge lifestyle of the writer rather than their words….
I am curious about the strange and wonderful poems by Teeter. Also curious about the problems concerning her book and bio. My judgments are on a shelf. Please send me the book….
Vivian
Lewis,
It sounds great. I empathize with the author's distress, because my book Namesong, which was printed by publishing friends as a kind favor they wanted to do me, not as an award winner or anything — still had similar issues. One editor chopped the ends off some of the poems saying they really finished there. Maybe they did — but one I wanted to keep as written because what most needed saying was in the end lines...anyway, the book wasn't satisfactory, with the forms index all fouled up and other errors sore-thumbing their way through it. This was the same editor who wrote the fulsome encomiums about my wisdom and such on the covers, so how could I complain? It began seeming as though self-publishing, using the local Xeroxery as printer and supplying camera-ready copy, was the best way to go, to have materials come through whole. So my sympathies are strong for Alice Teeter; the pleasure goes out of winning — or of seeing the work in print — when the result is tainted in this fashion.
Ruth Harrison
Lew,
Wonderful, strange, haunting poem! Eager to see the rest, and glad you are championing her work.
Cheers —
Rhina
Mr. Turco,
As a longtime friend of Alice's and admirer of her work and daughter of Charles B. Dickson whose chapbook contest this is (set up by the Georgia Poetry Society in his name), I want to say thanks for your wonderful participation in this process. I saw in an email that you wonder if perhaps the problem with the Society has to do with preferring traditional forms. If that is the case, it is truly an irony since my dad became best known for his haiku which are traditional elsewhere, of course, but hardly in GA. My mother, who is 90 this year, is very concerned about how the Society has done this and we plan to pursue it further with the Georgia Poetry Society. Thanks again for your involvement. I could not agree more with you on Alice's work. I am so glad you are helping her share it.
Diane Dickson
Ms. Dickson,
I've done nothing much more than choose Alice Teeter's book as winner of the GPS Dickson prize. I like it a great deal, as you know, but I have nothing, really, to do with the brouhaha at GPS. I have no idea what is going on or why, and I'm not really interested in getting involved. Whatever is going on, though, is unfortunate.
As to tradition and the haiku, you might be interested in "Revisit 'The Paradigm' with important update by Ruth F. Harrison" in Poets' Forum Magazine, Winter 2008, a portion of which also appears on my blog.
Yours,
Lewis Turco
Lewis,
About the String Theory: I am concerned that you are being pulled into a mess. I wonder if you had considered removing names from the letters on your page. I don't know all of the people Alice Teeter names in her letter. However, I do know John Ottley. I've already told you I think highly of him. The Georgia Society is a strong society in NFSPS of which you are Honorary Chancellor. It seems unfair that because you judged this contest you are being involved in this mess. I hope this won't backfire on you who did the society the courtesy of judging poems.
I intended to comment on Alice Teeter's poem. Indeed it is "strange and wondrous." No wonder you are so taken by her voice and content. I cannot get it out of my mind. I have found one splendid poem in the batch I am judging. Unrhymed. I can't stop reading it.
Vivian Stewart
Vivian,
As to the String Theory "mess": I update it regularly. Did so again today. Alice Teeter asked me to post her letter, and I'm sure not going to edit it without her permission (she did give me permission to change one sentence that didn't make sense). I'm actually not involved in the controversy at all, as I reiterated today, but my blog is a forum. If Mr. Ottley wants to contribute to it, he's welcome.
I assume you've also seen the "Paradigm" confusion in Poets’ Forum Magazine, just out. I've updated that on my blog today as well.
Lew
Mr. Turco,
Thanks for your reply and the suggestion to see your website regarding haiku. I am very aware you played no part in what has happened through the negative actions of a particular person at the GPS. The part you have played has provided some positive balance, however, in this experience overall. And that has simply come from sticking to your guns as the judge.
We have just learned that there is money available for a re-doing of the chapbook if Alice so chooses. This fund was set up in years past to honor the founder of the Society, a gay man who died of AIDS, and a friend of our family (who is also a founder) is in charge of that money. I regret that the Society has let its reputation be injured in this way by the wrong person in the wrong role, but we are working on a repair.
Diane Dickson
