Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2003 22:21:31 -0700 From: Kevin Killian Subject: Enthusiastic Enthusiastic about the new issue of "House Organ" which came to me over the weekend and which I opened somewhat warily. But yeepee, wait till you read this issue, I can heartily recommend it. it's composed of just two poems, "Adamant" and "From Inform to Information," both of them by William Sylvester. While I was reading "Adamant" I had that strange feeling of the hair sticking up on the back of my neck that I associate wrongly or rightly with Emily Dickinson!!! Maybe she said it somewhere or something. Anyhow, if William Sylvester is on this list, congratulations on having written a really great poem. I don't know how you did it! Were you a soldier during World War II? If so, how old are you? If not, how did you make this material so convincing, and yet so all-encompassing, a funnel or tunnel through which we see all of 20th century history actually reassemble and come alive, animated and so life-like? And what a time to write this poem, during US wartime once again, so everything rings so clearly and soundly across the thin air. Or did you write it a long time ago and the editor of "House Organ" has just printed it now? I don't pretend to be able to understand the Greek tags which are sprinkled throughout the second column of the poem, but I think I understand their function-- but what is it, it's hard to paraphrase. The rest of you might have seen this poem before, or perhaps you too get "House Organ" in the mail? If not, maybe you could write to the editor House Organ c/o Kenneth Warren 1250 Belle Avenue Lakewood, Ohio 44107 and get a copy yourself. Gee, this is the kind of thing I should write in a blog, but I don't have one, so I'll put in here in hopes that some of you will pick up on this really remarkable serial poem "Adamant." Thanks everyone-- Kevin K.