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The Method
The Method is a manuscript of theorems written by Archimedes in the tenth century, a palimpsested text. Steensen takes The Method and its history as a jumping-off place for a meditation on the relationships developed between a person and her historical truth. She treads carefully in the terrain of fact that foregrounds investigations, and emerges centuries and centuries on.
- GenresPoetry
61 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 15, 2023
Fence Books is an extension of Fence, a biannual journal of poetry, fiction, art, and criticism that has a mission to redefine the terms of accessibility by publishing challenging writing, distinguished by idiosyncrasy and intelligence rather than by allegiance with camps, schools, or cliques. It is part of our press's mission to support writers who might otherwise have difficulty being recognized because their work doesn't answer to either the mainstream or to recognizable modes of experimentation.
from Fence Books advertisement at end of this Fence Book
IN PALESTINE
Its hard to hate a people,
Method chants,
Saba, Savva,
old man,
fiih,
when you've read
their poetry.
So on the back insert of Sasha Steensen's poetry collection The Method, we have a picture of our author (presumably) not looking at the camera but at the bottom-left corner of the photo (for her, the street), her expression belying whether or not she is even the subject of the photo (is she just someone in a crowd of tourists?) and that she just happened to stroll in front of the lens while the photographer was attempting to capture the mosque behind her. The choice reflects her poetry: The author, for the most part, is so steeped in her esoteric examination of medieval scripts and civilization cycles that she is largely unaware and not actively seeking to connect with any reader. This poetry is esoteric, riddled with archaic references which obfuscate any attempt by an engaged reader to bridge the chasm between their world and Steensen's.
We can trace the basic spine of this collection: Archimedes created a document entitled The Method which was then written over (can't waste good vellum in the good olde dayes) and, when discovered, sold for a high price at auction. That much is reasonably clear. But Steensen also gives "The Method" a character and voice which permeates these poems. What exactly is happening is never really clear.
At a point midway, I started to get John Berryman vibes. Like Berryman, the more effort put into deciphering and contemplating the text the more whiffs--and I emphasize only the faintest tinges--of meaning one discerns. To confirm my theory, Steensen then springs this poem on us: "A Second Offence for John Berryman," which emulates Berryman's style in his The Dream Songs.
As they state in the end, Fence Books prides themselves on the esoteric and challenging, so I cannot rightly purchase one and then complain the poems are esoteric and challenging. But are they rewarding? I can't rightly say. Each poem contains a historical rabbit hole or reference which the reader needs to traverse before returning to the syntax of the poem to discern how Steensen reflects on this historical event.
In the end, it is what it is. It's a mixed bag of pretentious ponderings and esoteric references with some stunning lines of imagery and clarity. Caveat emptor, here, indeed.
Nothing has happened in this place
and it happened forever
until recently.
It was forever happening
amid Method's fluctuacting vision.
He heard rustling in the bushes,
the bandicoot poking around in its pouch,
to pull finally nothing
out.
from THIS PLAIN PLACE
from Fence Books advertisement at end of this Fence Book
IN PALESTINE
Its hard to hate a people,
Method chants,
Saba, Savva,
old man,
fiih,
when you've read
their poetry.
So on the back insert of Sasha Steensen's poetry collection The Method, we have a picture of our author (presumably) not looking at the camera but at the bottom-left corner of the photo (for her, the street), her expression belying whether or not she is even the subject of the photo (is she just someone in a crowd of tourists?) and that she just happened to stroll in front of the lens while the photographer was attempting to capture the mosque behind her. The choice reflects her poetry: The author, for the most part, is so steeped in her esoteric examination of medieval scripts and civilization cycles that she is largely unaware and not actively seeking to connect with any reader. This poetry is esoteric, riddled with archaic references which obfuscate any attempt by an engaged reader to bridge the chasm between their world and Steensen's.
We can trace the basic spine of this collection: Archimedes created a document entitled The Method which was then written over (can't waste good vellum in the good olde dayes) and, when discovered, sold for a high price at auction. That much is reasonably clear. But Steensen also gives "The Method" a character and voice which permeates these poems. What exactly is happening is never really clear.
At a point midway, I started to get John Berryman vibes. Like Berryman, the more effort put into deciphering and contemplating the text the more whiffs--and I emphasize only the faintest tinges--of meaning one discerns. To confirm my theory, Steensen then springs this poem on us: "A Second Offence for John Berryman," which emulates Berryman's style in his The Dream Songs.
As they state in the end, Fence Books prides themselves on the esoteric and challenging, so I cannot rightly purchase one and then complain the poems are esoteric and challenging. But are they rewarding? I can't rightly say. Each poem contains a historical rabbit hole or reference which the reader needs to traverse before returning to the syntax of the poem to discern how Steensen reflects on this historical event.
In the end, it is what it is. It's a mixed bag of pretentious ponderings and esoteric references with some stunning lines of imagery and clarity. Caveat emptor, here, indeed.
Nothing has happened in this place
and it happened forever
until recently.
It was forever happening
amid Method's fluctuacting vision.
He heard rustling in the bushes,
the bandicoot poking around in its pouch,
to pull finally nothing
out.
from THIS PLAIN PLACE
March 26, 2020
Solid 3.5 star.
I went to a reading of Steenson's poetry once in college, and bought this book and one other of hers, House of Deer, on the basis that I thought her poetry was very rhythmic and satisfying to be read aloud. This collection delivered that.
While there were several poems I liked on a gut level, the main conceit of this collection, the personification of Archimedes the Method, went all the way over my head, as did the poems which touched on Christianity and Islam.
At this point in time, I don't really have the bandwidth to engage poetry interpretation/explication which would lead to a truly rewarding reading experience, which is no fault of the collections, but this collection doesn't really compel me to expend that time and energy to it, the way that Ada Limon's The Carrying did.
Overall a decent read. I might return to some of the more compelling pieces later in life, when u gave more bandwidth to spend on interpretating poetry, which could raise the star rating to 4, but I can imagine many futures where that does not occur.
I went to a reading of Steenson's poetry once in college, and bought this book and one other of hers, House of Deer, on the basis that I thought her poetry was very rhythmic and satisfying to be read aloud. This collection delivered that.
While there were several poems I liked on a gut level, the main conceit of this collection, the personification of Archimedes the Method, went all the way over my head, as did the poems which touched on Christianity and Islam.
At this point in time, I don't really have the bandwidth to engage poetry interpretation/explication which would lead to a truly rewarding reading experience, which is no fault of the collections, but this collection doesn't really compel me to expend that time and energy to it, the way that Ada Limon's The Carrying did.
Overall a decent read. I might return to some of the more compelling pieces later in life, when u gave more bandwidth to spend on interpretating poetry, which could raise the star rating to 4, but I can imagine many futures where that does not occur.
December 5, 2010
Beautiful language play, fascinating scenes created here. All of the poems revolve around this "Method," so it is interesting to see how our understanding of it develops through the book. The poem "Pantoum" is particularly lovely. My criticism would be that some of the more experimental forms I found less enjoyable, as they seem to make their reading more difficult. The poems kept my interest throughout, however, so I found this well worth picking up.
December 17, 2008
Simply the best book of poetry I've read in a long time. Not a collection, a book that deserves to be read in a single sitting. I've written a post on this on my blog, http://www.jacobrussellsbarkingdog.bl...
January 11, 2013
the intoxicant that was reading this while listening to the live disc from the knife's silent shout with holy mountain playing in the background was very effective, & equally difficult to exasperate aurally
October 14, 2012
oh. my. god. someday I'll be more articulate.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews