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Poet Roundtable
8.
AOTW: What advice do you give to aspiring poets? Who do you tell them to read?
Daniel Mark Epstein: I rarely give advice to anyone, but when asked for advice by young poets I always suggest to them what they might read, or study --- in literature, philosophy and history --- depending upon what I perceive as their direction. For each poet, different advice.
Robin Robertson: Apart from advising them against this grim trade, I would suggest they read everything they can get their hands on --- and not just poetry.
Mark Ford: Most young aspiring poets I come across seem to have read nothing more modern than Sylvia Plath or Ted Hughes or Philip Larkin, and nearly all write like one of these three. I tell them there is no chance of their writing a good poem until they are aware of the idioms and styles currently being used by contemporary poets. I suggest they go to the poetry sections of bookshops and browse and see what they like, and subscribe to contemporary poetry magazines like PN Review or Poetry Review.
Carol Muske-Dukes: I'd tell them to never listen to advice from older poets. All writers lie, of course. There IS no advice, anyway: except READ EVERYTHING.
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