no where here

Sitting on the deck in Maine, morning. Rain just starting. I got up to sit under the porch roof. Wearing a lot of layers, including a fleece jacket.

Lingering thoughts about “place.” Being a non-indigenous person and an American in 2010 would of course influence my conception of “place.” World as one big amusement park, localities as different exhibits. I was writing about Montana and one phrase – “mediated by maps” – touched this feeling of distance from the place that I am in. I’d like to think contemporary poets of “place” are acknowledging this issue, but have found no evidence yet.

Another source of poetics reading – I’m almost finished with C. K. Williams’ On Whitman. I got to the chapter on Imagination and got stuck there, a whirlpool of excitement. I couldn’t read it fast enough and I couldn’t absorb it because I was reading it too fast. Will have to read it again (and again) once I calm down.

Off to take an outdoor shower in light rainfall.