Words of My Father

In Fall of 2002, my father had hit a stride, returning with verve to his writing, especially poetry. He became inspired enough to submit for a Stanford University poetry fellowship. He did me the great honor of asking for my critique of the poems he was to submit.

Here is his “statement of plan” as submitted for the application:

Having put my 67th birthday behind me, I try to keep my plans realistic and achievable. I’ve come back to writing after a hiatus of 33 years, having abandoned the enterprise after the failure of my first marriage in 1969, to begin writing again six years after the demise of my second wife in 1996, chiefly as a way to express my grief. Now, poetic ideas assault me daily and I’ve been asked by several people whom I love and admire to not abandon the pursuit again. I don’t think I could if I wanted to.

Yet, the time away from writing and critical reading of poetry has put me at a disadvantage. I’ve succumbed to economy of expression so completely my poetry often does not realize its potential and I often opt to shorten my expression from lack of understanding how to more fully develop my ideas. It is in this realm I can most benefit from a Stanford fellowship. I’ve deprived myself of the companionship of other writers and the stimulation of instructors for a long time. Further development of my skills as a poet should prove of value to the Stanford University fellowship program as well as to me, individually.

Thanks for your consideration,

Norman Pearl

Here are the poems he asked me to critique, along with my commentary.