You might think there is no theoretical underpinning here.

Does it matter?

I read about the Prose Poem today. Peter Johnson's Introduction to The Best of the Prose Poem: An International Journal. I wonder what Peter Johnson is like. He's the editor of the journal. I wonder why they are not reading again until December of 2001. Seems strange.

He quoted Charles Simic describing the prose poem:

an impossible amalgamation of lyric poetry, anecdote, fairy tale, allegory, joke, journal entry, and many other kinds of prose. Prose poems are the culinary equivalent of peasant dishes, like paella and gumbo, which bring together a great variety of ingredients and flavors, and which in the end, thanks to the art of the cook, somehow blend. Except, the parallel is not exact. Prose poetry does not follow a recipe. The dishes it concocts are unpredictable and often vary from poem to poem.

(Charles Simic, "A Long Course in Miracles." In Peter Johnson. Pretty Happy! Fredonia: White Pine Press, 1997: 15-17. )

I especially like the idea of amalgamating poetry and the journal entry. Seems obvious that that's what I try to do, but it was still a revelation to read someone else saying that.

There's a whole bibliography after the Introduction. My holiday reading!

read Johnson's whole article here