Selected Prose, Daybooks, and Papers

by George Oppen, Stephen Cope (Editor)

This is the first comprehensive critical edition of the unpublished writings of Pulitzer Prize-winning objectivist poet George Oppen (1908-1984). Editor Stephen Cope has made a judicious selection of Oppen's extant writings outside of poetry, including the essay "The Mind's Own Place" as well as "Twenty-Six Fragments," which were found on the wall of Oppen's study after his death. Most notable are Oppen's "Daybooks," composed in the decade following his return to poetry in 1958. iSelected Prose, Daybooks, and Papers is an inspiring portrait of this essential writer and a testament to the creative process itself.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Essays

294 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 2007

About the author

George Oppen (April 24, 1908 – July 7, 1984) was an American poet, best known as one of the members of the Objectivist group of poets. He abandoned poetry in the 1930s for political activism, and later moved to Mexico to avoid the attentions of the House Un-American Activities Committee. He returned to poetry—and to the United States—in 1958, and received the Pulitzer Prize in 1969.

Reviews

[Blueberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I will always read this book. I will never be done with it. It is awe-some to see Oppen's fragmented thought-bits. . .there is so much in here, I've read it so slowly because I'm always furiously scribbling down quotes as I read. I keep wanting to write essays that begin with a quotes from the Daybooks. So many interesting thoughts on poet-culture and all. He does discuss women's history and come up with the idea that women have no history:::: that women feel and are the smae'today'as they were in the 17th century. (!!??) Yes, some of his ideas about women I find puzzling! Anyway, this review is long because this book is important to me. I will close with a quote:::;

"--I believe in something like natural childbirth.
To know, as far as once can face it, what happens."

[Ryan Van Runkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's so much fan lit on Oppen. And it's always by people who are true blue- ie Lyn Hejinian. They can dissect his genius really well. I can just say he's special. I used to have a cd of his poems. I'd play it in the car. At that time I was living in the middle of nowhere on the west coast of Ireland. I had four CDs on repeat- Oppen. Beckett's three novels. Best of Sade. And Lou Reed's The Blue Mask. I can still hear Oppen's voice. Haha. I just remembered he has this one poem where he goes like- "an advertisement sign in a subway / with a brassy young blond and beneath her / in graffiti / COPS BITCH". That's the thing, Oppen had a great moral compass, but he was also funny and generous. Plus he lived on Polk Street in San Francisco. I'd like to actually find his house one day.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much needed to read this--a poet who poured years into political action sorting out aesthetics, politics and commitments with themselves in brilliant, messy, and evolving ways. I can't get behind all of Oppen's views, but can appreciate his commitment to working them out over and over with precision. He wasn't trying to hide unequivocal positions from himself; he pinned some things down and went from there. This is also one of the rare instances where reading the poet's "journal" bolsters their myth. imo Keats' letters=yawn.

[Greg Londe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally finally finally! Stephen Cope has done a bang-up job of putting the volume into order, annotating the entries, and clearing up the confusions of having the Daybooks appear piecemeal in a half-dozen journals over the last decade.

Full of gems, but here's one that I particularly love: Oppen writes, either w/r/t Pop art or to Leroi Jones and the early Black Arts Movement, "Like a bull in a china shop: it is striking for a while. After that, the china shop becomes a bull pen, and the bull is an ordinary bull" (103).

An astonishingly accurate, yet brusque, image for the exhaustion of avant gardes; but an image that leaves open the question of what we are to do with the bull. Add more china? Or let the still-heavy force free?

[H]

“It is possible to find a metaphor for anything, an analogue: but the image is encountered, not found; it is an account of the poet’s perception, the act of perception; it is a test of sincerity, a test of conviction, the rare poetic quality of truthfulness” (31-32)

“Your job is to find what the world is trying to be” — William Stanford on the poet’s vocation (36)

“Poetry has come from everywhere: life-style, rebellion, anger and happiness and everything we know or think we know” (50)

“I THINK THAT A POEM SHOULD BE THE WORK OF A MAN WHO REALLY MEANS TO DRIVE A NAIL—NOT TO POSTURE OR TO SHOW OFF— AND WHO KNOWS FROM CHILDHOOD— HOW A HAMMER SHOULD BE HANDLED” (191)

“OBJECT in the poem: its function is to burst” (207)

“The music of a poem/ is wave after wave/ of meaning. The wave/ must be perfect. Each/ wave as perfect as the wave of pitch,/ perfect as the wave of rhythm” (226)

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful selection of Oppen's papers, taken mostly from what various people found of his lying around. The books is basically just a long collection of fragments, some in prose and others in poems, and still some others morphing from one to the other as you read. Probably not a great read for someone who doesn't already love Oppen's work, but for those of us who do this one is a gem.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book made me fall in love with george oppen. i used it as a primary source for my extensive study on oppen in a modernist poetry class. this book was great for exploring oppen's poetics on a more personal, intimate basis because it includes so many of his little scribblings in his daybooks.

[Kevin Holden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. So smart & strange & perfect.

[Jennifer Scappettone · Rating 5 out of 5]

!!!