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Alice Ordered Me to Be Made: Poems, 1975
- GenresPoetry
63 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
About the author
Alice Notley
85 books225 followersAlice Notley was an American poet. Notley came to prominence as a member of the second generation of the New York School of poetry—although she always denied being involved with the New York School or any specific movement in general. Notley's early work laid both formal and theoretical groundwork for several generations of poets; she was considered a pioneering voice on topics like motherhood and domestic life.
Notley's experimentation with poetic form, seen in her books 165 Meeting House Lane, When I Was Alive, The Descent of Alette, and Culture of One, ranges from a blurred line between genres, to a quotation-mark-driven interpretation of the variable foot, to a full reinvention of the purpose and potential of strict rhythm and meter. She also experimented with channeling spirits of deceased loved ones, primarily men gone from her life like her father and her husband, poet Ted Berrigan, and used these conversations as topics and form in her poetry. Her poems have also been compared to those of Gertrude Stein as well as her contemporary Bernadette Mayer. Mayer and Notley both used their experience as mothers and wives in their work.
In addition to poetry, Notley wrote a book of criticism (Coming After, University of Michigan, 2005), a play ("Anne's White Glove"—performed at the Eye & Ear Theater in 1985), a biography (Tell Me Again, Am Here, 1982), and she edited three publications, Chicago, Scarlet, and Gare du Nord, the latter two co-edited with Douglas Oliver. Notley's collage art appeared in Rudy Burckhardt's film "Wayward Glimpses" and her illustrations have appeared on the cover of numerous books, including a few of her own. As is often written in her biographical notes, "She has never tried to be anything other than a poet," and with over forty books and chapbooks and several major awards, she was one of the most prolific and lauded American poets. She was a recipient of the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize.
Notley's experimentation with poetic form, seen in her books 165 Meeting House Lane, When I Was Alive, The Descent of Alette, and Culture of One, ranges from a blurred line between genres, to a quotation-mark-driven interpretation of the variable foot, to a full reinvention of the purpose and potential of strict rhythm and meter. She also experimented with channeling spirits of deceased loved ones, primarily men gone from her life like her father and her husband, poet Ted Berrigan, and used these conversations as topics and form in her poetry. Her poems have also been compared to those of Gertrude Stein as well as her contemporary Bernadette Mayer. Mayer and Notley both used their experience as mothers and wives in their work.
In addition to poetry, Notley wrote a book of criticism (Coming After, University of Michigan, 2005), a play ("Anne's White Glove"—performed at the Eye & Ear Theater in 1985), a biography (Tell Me Again, Am Here, 1982), and she edited three publications, Chicago, Scarlet, and Gare du Nord, the latter two co-edited with Douglas Oliver. Notley's collage art appeared in Rudy Burckhardt's film "Wayward Glimpses" and her illustrations have appeared on the cover of numerous books, including a few of her own. As is often written in her biographical notes, "She has never tried to be anything other than a poet," and with over forty books and chapbooks and several major awards, she was one of the most prolific and lauded American poets. She was a recipient of the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 26, 2016
I'm a big fan of Alice Notley: Disobedience, Descent of Alette, In the Pines etc. A friend gave me a copy of this earlier work, which is interesting to relate to the aforementioned books. Notley's genius is still gelling at age 30, however. I especially liked the poems "Pure Weather," "Thriller," & "Ode: Of Fire and Sky." Also so many lines, such as the following: "an act of shocking outskirts," "Colors that lean exchanging visits," "matter is of great interest/ dashed to pieces the waves so big/ I saw a few little things/ daily," "I'm sure of my dress's position," "beat/ the dead and whiten the doors/ with undulance," "would you please help me rotate my crop," and "I love you as a fan loves air. oops it's I/ vice-versa I."
A stanza in the poem "To" seems to foreshadow the poetry that is to come:
I am a tart slice
of female Americana. You can underscore my pieties
anyway you want to.
You do it.
Leave Me Alone.
A stanza in the poem "To" seems to foreshadow the poetry that is to come:
I am a tart slice
of female Americana. You can underscore my pieties
anyway you want to.
You do it.
Leave Me Alone.
July 30, 2007
Great book!!! First one by Alice Notley that I ever read, and I still return to it. Mysterious.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews