[(Complete Minimal Poems)] [Author: Aram Saroyan] published on

by Aram Saroyan

Long cherished in out-of-print editions, anthologies and textbooks, and more recently celebrated on the internet, the groundbreaking Concrete and Minimalist poems of Aram Saroyan (born 1943) are gathered together here in a single, much-needed volume. Working in the 1960s among the so-called Second Generation New York School of poetry and the international Concrete poetry movement, but also informed by Conceptual art, Saroyan brought an intense focus to the sensuality of words--often single words--highlighting their material strangeness. Among the most popular of these poems are the infamous "lighght" (singled out by Senator Jesse Helms, who publicly lambasted the poem when its author received an NEA award), "eyeye," and his four-legged letter "m." "Even a five-word poem has a beginning, middle and end," Saroyan once stated; "A one-word poem doesn’t. You can see it all at once. It’s instant." Complete Minimal Poems reissues the entirety of Saroyan’s rare collections Aram Saroyan , Pages and The Rest for the first time, as well as his well-known "Electric Poems" (originally published in the 1972 All Stars anthology) and the previously unpublished sequence "Short Poems." The first edition of Complete Minimal Poems was published in 2007, receiving praise in The New York Times and winning the 2008 William Carlos Williams Award. This reprint of that edition includes a new preface by Ron Silliman.

Genres: Poetry

Unknown Binding

First published May 1, 2007

About the author

Aram Saroyan is an American poet, novelist, biographer, memoirist and playwright. There has been a resurgence of interest in his work in the 21st century, evidenced by the publication in 2007 of several previous collections reissued together as Complete Minimal Poems. He is the son of author William Saroyan and actress Carol Grace, and the father of Strawberry Saroyan.

Reviews

[Eddie Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

One might be tempted (as I was) to forego buying this book as it can easily be read in the store during half a lunchbreak.

But being an inveterate booknerd book junkie I forewent 8-9 minimal lunches to plop down the purchase price. Then I indulged in a maximal lunch to celebrate (collards & mac & cheese) - dyspepsia from a soul food truck...

It can also easily be read at one's desk at work, thereby lightening up that windowless place by clearing the mind and populating it with crickets; creating large inner spaces with perfectly formed small singing things.

Some clarifying word pills:

LYRIC

I'm a cardboard poet.
I eat rice.


* * * * *


a cartoon
of
energy


* * * * *


my knees are in my knees
my eyes are in my eyes


* * * * *


black salad

[Özgür Daş · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yayınevi bu kitaba 15 lira etiket koymuş... Her gün bir sayfasını okusa kişi okumalara doyamaz sanıyorum. ''Yazmak Ontolojik Farkındalığın En Hacimli Halidir'' mottosuyla yayın yapan Kült Neşriyat, ayakta alkışlıyorum sizi...

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

They're not kidding when they say minimal.

[Mark Hollingsworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good little poems.

Some fun play with sound:
"corporate pirates"

Some interesting juxtaposition:
a cartoon
of
energy

Some heightened images:
"nnausea"

My favorite (probably because it relates to another book I'm reading):
I leaps

through
my eyes

[Peter Landau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poems as image. Poems as play. Poems that are funny and moving, sometimes almost off the page. These works transported me. They changed my perspective, my perceptions, for the better. What a difference a letter makes when there are only four of them. How strange a page is when its treated as environment.

[Jeff Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best of these minimal poems are conceptual and linguistic masterpieces that deserve to be printed and tacked on the walls of any museum. But perhaps because of their conceptual nature, most of the poems either work brilliantly or fall flat, making the overall collection very hit or miss for me. Richard Hell's rave review in the NY Times provides examples of some of the best poems and more information on Saroyan's project. If you're at all intrigued, this is well worth a read. The book presents the poems thoughtfully and is a gorgeous object.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite recent book discoveries. Each of the little poems in this book is no more than a few words long, but using a variety of techniques, such as misspelling, repetition, unusual juxtapositions, interesting typography (such the concrete poem), Saroyan turns each little poem into a suggestive little gem worthy of savoring, like a rich piece of chocolate in your mouth.

I kept this book by my bed for well over a year, picking it up and enjoying these little word play poems a few poems at a time.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saroyan's at his best when he allows the English language to fully reveal itself as the ugly, weird, unwieldy, and ultimately brilliant language that it is. When he gets too involved, it rarely turns out well.

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few of these poems are terrific.
But I wish the book didn't end with an idyllic vision of a bird flying by, kids screaming, and his wife doing the dishes.

[Anselm · Rating 3 out of 5]

lighght

[Atte]

Poika naputteli (säästäväisesti) sanoja paperille 1960-luvulla. Osa näistä on melko nerokkaita.

[Jamjun Rorsoongnern · Rating 4 out of 5]

tdlr: craft 5/5, editorial/compilation 1.5/5 = average 3ish/5

This collection gives big “read this for craft” in an academic way. Don’t get me wrong, there are some beautiful plays with the limitations and boundaries of poetry, the word, sonics, and concrete poetry. But this form of compiling was just not my cup of tea. I think the compilation of these poems is wonderful for collection/archival purposes, but if you want to really appreciate the brevity and beauty of minimal poems, a 280-page book that doesn’t include color or the original medium/aesthetics makes it hard to be still with each page. Googling the poems in other contexts (in artists’ books, newspapers, and projected in art galleries) gave more texture and pause for each poem. I think an introduction or editor’s note would have been nice. Again, I understand why they probably didn’t (minimalism and such), but just on a personal level, it was difficult to fully immerse into the collection. Again, I cannot stress this is a personal prefrence. It has many craft elements and philosophy enriching this poetry practice, but it is just not my thing. I would HIGHLY recommend it for folks who already have engaged with his work or are big fans of other minimalist poets. However, it’s not the best introduction to minimal poetry; it’s more of a book to get into after having some experience with minimal poems. The alteration of the formatting really took away from the beauty and complex layering of the poems.

This article was super helpful to re-read some of the poems and posture my reading! If you decide to read this book, definitely check I out beforehand.
https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/ar...

[Ray Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first encountered an Aram Saroyan poem through a daily poetry email distribution list. The poem?




lighght



I was intrigued not only by the simplicity and brevity of the poem, but also by the spelling which highlighted (no pun intended) both the usefulness of "gh" to pronounce the word "light" correctly and at the same time the arbitrariness when doubled. Such a slight change made light of the word "light" (pun intended).

Here are two more favorites:

POEM

One two
three there
are three are
never seen
again.


----------------------------------------------

Not a
cricket

ticks a
clock


Saroyan's poems, as brief as they are, require multiple readings to fully experience them and appreciate the possibilities of language they reveal. What a nice surprise to discover so much in so few words.

[M.W.P.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Complete Minimal Poems brings together poems from Saroyan's various small press publications, including: Aram Saroyan, The Beatles, coffee coffee, Electric Poems, Gertrude Stein, I Am Rose, In, My Mummy's Dead, Pages, and The Rest

[Mike Walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

minimalistic and mind bending

I read once that poetry is as much about the white space on the page as it is about the words. While that sounds trippy I think it has some merit. I thought of that saying as I read a book of poetry by Aram Saroyan. He’s known for his “minimalist poetry” with some of his works consisting of one word or even one letter (so, yeah, lots of white space).

Read each poem in this book multiple times and was still finished with it in under an hour. I think I’ll try it one more time later after an edible.

[Evan Pincus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that this is barely even a consistent redefinition of poetry - sometimes it's a lovely little miniature (and these poems truly are miniature!), sometimes it's a question posed to the reader like the famous lighght, other times they're simple observations, other times still they're tossed off jokes. "Surely they can be all things at once," you may ask? Well, not these - they're truly all over the place in a wonderful and charming way.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A coworker seemed frustrated after flipping through. "How can a poem be one word?" It's a joy to read this book. Small moments of beauty and playfulness. The printed version of saying a word over and over until it doesn't mean anything, or spelling it in strange ways to say it new ways. A book I'll be revisiting often.

[David S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conceptual, strange, funny, beautiful. Some are impenetrable, some are simply a single word on an otherwise blank page, and some are among my favorite poems ever. Often feels like more of an art project than a language project, if there's even a difference between the two. Lots to think about. One of those books you can open to a random page and let it be your fortune for the day.

[e]

if your discernment could use a recalibration then these quippy quill spills might be just the thing.
diagnostics for rut-ridden minds. kibble dribble or the king's swanging cock-piece? only YOU can decide.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh oh oh oh
loved this book
laughghed and laughghed
oh oh oh oh

[EIJANDOLUM]

آودددي.

[sophia · Rating 2 out of 5]

certainly minimal…

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

lighght

[Regulator · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah minimalism. This is a quick, enjoyable a read. Some small moments in this book can be frustrating if you're looking for meaning, but there are a number of great haiku-like images and thoughts, and many funny poems in here. Overall, it's worth reading if you love poetry and want to see where the extremes of minimalism can take you.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

some really great stuf in here. close to perfection but he doesn't take the minimalism far enough to enjoy just one word, or two words. sometimes the trickery (either with misspelling or punctuation) obscures the force of what one word can really be, and how it can be enough in itself. my favorite:
Not a
cricket

ticks a
clock

[Steve]

http://ronsilliman.blogspot.com/2007/...

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

i wish we could get away with one-line poems today...i liked "crickets" quite a bit

[The Rev. Baron Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read, best when shared aloud.

[Jac · Rating 3 out of 5]

worth it for such brilliance as "nighght" and certainly makes you reconsider what we blindly accept and gloss over in language, but I think Saroyan maybe let himself rest on his laurels a bit

[Cooper Renner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minimal, "concrete," smart--sympathetic to Ian Hamilton Finlay and Robert Lax. Fine, fine, fine.