The cover of the first edition of The Book of Forms: A Handbook of Poetics, 1968
Lew,
I read your recent Typepad post "The Matriarchy of American Poetry" from Visions and Revisions of American Poetry and your Facebook exchange with Charles L. Weatherford and others and wanted to let you know I plan on using a number of your books to teach public high school students about writing poetry, fiction and drama.
Last week, I was hired to be the Lead Teacher of Literary Arts at the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts (http://www.wcps.k12.md.us/barbara_ingram_high/academics_programs/literary_arts.html), an arts magnet high school in Hagerstown, Maryland. The administration has requested that I design their new Literary Arts curriculum (poetry and fiction will come first this summer) and establish the Literary Arts program and department over the next two to three years. I’ll be using The Book of Forms, The Book of Literary Terms and The Book of Dialogue during this process. If you have any suggestions for other works I should consider in developing this curriculum, I’d welcome the advice.
Hopefully, I’ll also be able to get a class set of the fourth edition of The Book of Forms (will it be out in time for the start of school in late August?), The Book of Literary Terms and The Book of Dialogue. As a poet and as a teacher, I thank you for your commitment to literature, art and teaching. Your work has not only enriched my literary life, but my current and future students' lives as well.
Best,
Scot Slaby
On March 2, 2011, [email protected] wrote:
Dear Lew,
I wanted to give you the tentative shipping dates for the fourth edition of The Book of Forms: A Handbook of Poetics Including Odd and Invented Forms, plus the official publication date:
Your book is tentatively scheduled to go to the printer on August 15, 2011.
Tentative shipping date from the printer: October 8, 2011.
Publication date: November 8, 2011;
Best,
Barbara Briggs
Publicity and Subsidiary Rights
University Press of New England
[email protected]
603-448-1533 x. 233
One Court Street
Suite 250
Lebanon, NH 03766
www.upne.com
UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS
My inclusion in your [Book of Forms, fourth edition] has done more for my reputation at Drexel (among the poets) than all the rest of what I've written, edited, and published.
Warmest,
Miriam N. Kotzin
Congratulations, Lewis, on this news that the fourth edition of The Book of Forms is now on schedule for publication. I have just added a link to your post from my Coastcard poetry blog - in celebration of World Book Day!
<http://carolinegillpoetry.blogspot.com/2011/03/book-corner-3-book-of-forms-forthcoming.html>
Caroline Gill, Wales UK
If you are an English teacher in high school or college, or if you have any interest in writing poetry, you should not be without this book or one of its earlier editions. There is simply nowhere else on earth to find the wealth of information that is here. No other book on poetic form even tries to cover as much information as Turco does.
Some reviewers have complained that the book is hard to find information in, but I have had my edition for many years and have not found that to be the case. One reviewer complained about the quality of the original poems Turco uses to illustrate unusual forms (and did not pick up on the fact that "Wesli Court" is an anagram of Lewis Turco, so there are even more poems by Turco than at first appears), but keep in mind that those poems are there to illustrate the form, not to compete with Dryden or Swinburne. And they are VERY helpful -- I would much rather have them there than not.
An absolutely indispensible book.
Rowena Ravenscroft
I simply cannot recommend this book highly enough. I ordered it in February of 2005, and it has been a wonderful tool ever since. But to start at the beginning: I had written poetry from a very early age, but had mostly written in common modern ballad form, and had never considered trying out the classical forms of the great poets of the past. I joined an online poetic community, and discovered that there are wonderful forms out there to use. I've often been frustrated by the proliferation of pulp "free verse," not the beautiful, thought-provoking stuff of, say, Whitman, but very un-poetic ramblings displaying little or no talent. Well-written "free verse" is a treasure -- but the mediocre sort is nothing more than a trial for the reader. However -- badly written rhyme is even worse! Here, in the pages of Turco's Book of Forms, are exact instructions and excellent blue-prints for such flowing forms as the French ballade and ballade supreme, the rondeau, rondeau redoubled, the Welsh clogyrnach (a traditional bardic form), and many more which I have worked with myself with great success. So, whether you are an amateur poet just beginning to touch the waters of the literary world, whether you are beginning to see some success and want more resources, or even if you just want to read some good poety (there are wonderful examples of many of the forms within the pages), this book will make a fine edition to your library -- and I've no doubt that you will use it often, as I have.
Teresa Blaylock
LEWIS TURCO
L etting a poem happen may work for you —
E xceptions prove, that is, they test the rules.
W hat poets do to make a line or a verse
I s mystifying to everyone but fools,
S o do your work: Ignore how others do.
T hat’s not for me. My poems need designs.
U ntil I found The Book of Forms, their phrases
R anged from just OK to much, much worse.
C onsidering that, I have to sing the praises
O f him whose name begins these grateful lines.
Michael Snider
Dear Lew,
Your wonderful The Book of Forms…[has] been my personal poetry Bible for more than thirty-five years…warm regards to you, and thank you for decades of joy, garnered as I tried my hand at working in the various forms in my beloved, dog-eared copy of The Book of Forms!
I'm so glad that working on the “Odd and Invented Forms” collection has filled you with such joy — certainly, all of us who love poetry in form are also filled with joy, discovering all the new forms to try, and your legacy in poetry has grown again, among a new generation of writers! As someone who bought her first copy of your reference work The Book of Forms back in 1968, and has used The New Book of Forms for years both in her own writing, and with her poetry students — I couldn't be happier. I first called your book "the poet's bible" in the 1970's, and when I started teaching poetry, that's what I called it when my students asked what books were "required reading." Now, in the last several years I have noted that others have started to refer to it the same way!
Leigh Harrison
"Lewis,
“The Book of Forms has brought immeasurable pleasure to me (and my children who also use it) over the years. Introduced to it by a local poet and an old friend here in Syracuse, Dugan Gilman, it has given me the structure over the years to write much more pleasing and, I think, effective poetry. Once a proponent of free verse, it was not until Dugan convinced me that I needed discipline and structure and gifted me with a tattered copy of [the] book. Now on my third copy, and having bought several more as gifts, I still find regular pleasure in using it. In fact, I am currently writing a book of poems for my daughter who turns forty in February. It will contain many different poems in many varied forms (hell, I may even include a free verse here and there).
“An attendant pleasure was the respect the book gave me for the poets of the ages. I found myself appreciating and even memorizing many of my favorites.
“Yours quite sincerely,”
Paul Harvey
“One would go far in the study of poetry before finding another magnum opus such as the output of Lewis Turco in this specific field, his perspicacity majoring in that essential feature of mankind’s repertoire of talents. This is summed up in a single sentence in his work, The Book Of Forms (page 4), in the paragraph headed ‘The Levels of Poetry.’ Thus: ‘Since poetry is the product of the poet who is interested in the vehicle itself, in language as the medium of expression, then poetry is ‘the art of language.’ It is here that emphasis must be given to the need for the greatest care that the art be not jeopardized in any way, but protected by all who would aspire to practice it; and we must not be condemnatory, but rather an encouragement to fellow poets that they persevere in an activity that is a thing of joy and immense satisfaction.”
Matthew J. Browning
“Went to college, the only one that didn’t make me write an essay. Majored in Viz Art, but ran out of $$ for paint. Switched to Poetry. Lewis Turco (Mr. Book of Forms) taught there, taught well there, made us write in every traditional form, learn the names and nuances of each. When you finish that, you get a literal ‘poetic license,’ a certificate and permission to never have to touch such a form again.
He also had us buy Messerli’s Language Poetries: An Anthology—that stuff was formal too! I left there a little early, moved back to West Virginia. Finished up undergrad, made more music, wrote poems. Went to the Iowa Writers’ Workshop in ‘98. My first book, Radio, Radio, won the Walt Whitman Award. This was 2000. Y2K luck.”
Ben Doyle (aka “Ben Doller”).
“As it turned out, all those years of reading, writing, revising, performing, and every now and then publishing turned out to be an outstanding apprenticeship for songwriting. Quite by accident, but completely because of my Lew-based grounding in the nuts and bolts of rhythm and rhyme, I found myself on stage with a band. I have NO musical training, but I have a good set of pipes and I can write some good lyrics, with the melody completely formed in my head. I’d sing them to my band mates over and over until they figured out the chords. These were younger folks who were just amazed that I could come in with new songs without knowing the difference between a G clef and a paperclip. I’m drop dead serious, however, when I say that the formal poetry training I got at Camp Turco was what made that possible. Every wannabe rock star or folk hero ought to start off with the Intro to Poetry syllabus. What was it, 22 forms? (And you only had to do 21.)”
Gordon Ferguson
“My poetry has become a synthesis between two schools: formal and free verse. As an undergraduate, I was trained as a formalist poet under the tutelage of Lewis Turco. I enjoyed the challenges of writing in verse and was awarded with my first published poem. Gaining confidence and momentum with other publications, I enrolled in an MFA program for poetry and was shell-shocked by the immense popularity of free verse. Out of desperation and the instruction of Lou Asekoff and Allen Ginsberg, I adopted the writing style of my peers and educators, all the while retaining my formalist training. The result has been a unique blending of the two philosophies, one that will evolve as I continue to write and publish poetry.”
James Reitter
S.U.N.Y. at Oswego campus on Lake Ontario, 2008.
"God, what a beautiful setting." R. S. Gwynn.
http://www.oswego.edu/
"Lew,
“I remember students coming to me and complaining about all the forms and exercises you assigned them. I don't know how many times I had to give them my musician analogy. That without knowing theory and structure and progression and tonal relationships there's no way you can improvise that will mean anything to anyone. That any blues or jazz musician, from Zappa to Clapton, would tell them that. I'd tell them there's nothing lazy and nothing unearned about either music or poetry. Sometimes they'd listen. What you did, you did for thousands of kids.”
Max Zimmer
Lew,
“Thank you for your literary contributions to the world. Your forms book changed my life! It gave me the passion and courage I needed to publish Poet magazine for a few years.
“Your friend,”
Peggy Cooper
I was recently in London, and met a man who does a lot of writing on British intelligence issues, as well as being an investigative journalist for The Sunday Times. He has written several books on the issue, and has a wonderful style, but has had no formal training (cursed Brits). He is now taking a poetry class and felt very lost, and I recommended your book to him. He ordered it right away!! I thought you might like to know that.
Many warm regards!
Nancy Anderson
Dear Lewis:
I just wanted to say that your New Book of Forms goes everywhere with me. I've published 31 books, 11 of them poetry, and I love form. I was the only non-US poet included in the DLB on the American New Formalists. My most recent books are Dog Days (Black Moss Press, 2009) and Mesopotamia (Your Scrivener Press, 2009). The latter included a short guide to form as an appendix. I hope you and 'Wesli Court' continue to flourish. You've had a big impact on my poetry and your work has been indispensable. Many hearty thanks. Best wishes,
Bruce Meyer (Canada)
At present, I happen to be involved in a poetry workshop/class which sometimes drives me nuts, but I keep going anyway. We use your Book of Forms as a reference, and occasionally we are assigned the task of creating something in a particular form. I often, but not always, find those to be good stretching experiences. Two weeks ago, the assignment was to write a clerihew. I consulted your book. Having recently discovered your blog, I decided to clerihew you, the result of which I have copied at the bottom of this email.
In Formal Acknowledgment,
a quasi-clerihew in the manner of a football cheer
Lewis Turco! He’s our man!
For rhymes and meter, yes, he can!
But should his prosody come up short,
we’ll switch allegiance to Wesli Court.
Best wishes — Kate Lydon Varley
Mr. Turco,
Your Book of Forms is a beautiful thing.
Molly Fisk
Thank you so much for the Facebook friendship! You, Sir, are truly one of my poetry heroes. I can't even tell you how often I consult The New Book of Forms. It's such a pleasure to encounter you here!
Terri Lynette Brown-Davidson
I could happily spend weeks on a desert island with The Book of Forms! I like the clear way you explain terminology, and don't hold yourself back from expressing an opinion or personal observation. An essential reference work for REAL poets, I'd call it.
Christopher Wiseman
Winner, Order of Canada
I have gotten a lot of use out of your forms book, as well has having taught it along the way. I love your Wesli Court poems.
Noelle Kocot
The Gathering of the Elders and Other Poems by Wesli Court, www.StarCloudPress.com, 2010, ISBN 978-1-932842, trade paperback, $14.95, 115 pages.
The Collected Lyrics of Lewis Turco / Wesli Court, 1953-2004, www.StarCloudPress.com, 2004. ISBN 1932842004, jacketed cloth, $49.95; ISBN 1932842012, quality paperback, $26.95, 460 pages, © 2004, all rights reserved. ORDER FROM AMAZON.COM.
A CHRONOLOGY OF POST-MODERN BOOKS CONCERNING VERSE FORMS
Mary J. J. Wrinn, The Hollow Reed, 1935
Clement Wood, Poets' Handbook, 1940
Babette Deutsch, Poetry Handbook: A Dictionary of Terms, 1957
Ted Hughes, Poetry in the Making, 1967
*Lewis Turco, The Book of Forms: A Handbook of Poetics, 1968
G. S. Fraser, Metre, Rhyme and Free Verse, 1970
*Lewis Turco, Creative Writing in Poetry, 1970.
Frances Stillman, The Poet's Manual and Rhyming Dictionary, 1972
*Lewis Turco, Poetry: An Introduction through Writing, 1973
Alex Preminger, Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, 1974
John Hollander, Rhyme's Reason - a Guide to English Verse, 1981
* Wesli Court, The Airs of Wales, 1981
*Alex Preminger and T. V. F. Brogan, The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, 1983
*Miller Williams, Patterns of Poetry - An Encyclopedia of Forms, 1986
*Phillip Dacey and David Jauss, Strong Measures, 1986
*Lewis Turco, The New Book of Forms, 1986
* David Lehman, Ecstatic Occasions, Expedient Forms, 1987
E. O. Parrott, How to be Well-Versed in Poetry, 1990
*Lewis Turco, The Public Poet: Five Lectures on the Art and Craft of Poetry, 1991.
*David Baker, editor, Meter in English, A Critical Engagement, 1996
*Michael S. Allen and Michael Cunningham, Webster’s New World Rhyming Dictionary, Clement Wood’s, Updated, 1999
Philip Davies Roberts, How Poetry Works, 2000
*Annie Finch and Kathrine Varnes, An Exaltation of Forms, 2002
Robin Skelton, The Shapes of our Singing, 2002
Matthew Sweeney and John Hartley Williams, Teach Yourself Writing Poetry, 2003
Ted Kooser, The Poetry Home Repair Manual, 2005
Stephen Fry, The Ode Less Travelled, 2005
Gary Geddes, 20th Century Poetry and Poetics, 2006
Leonardo Malcovati, Prosody in England and Elsewhere - A Comparative Approach, 2006
* Heather Sellers, The Practice of Creative Writing, 2007.
___
*Lewis Turco author, contributor, or consultant.
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