22 Comments
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Cleo Kearns's avatar

Thanks for this. I have been so turned off by the dreck that I would have

missed these This is a real service

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Nick Chapman-Jones's avatar

This is not only very nice to see about Substack poets, but also very helpful in understanding the work of poets I already follow and read, beyond the barely-above-layperson's perspective I have. Appreciate the effort that went into this.

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Robert Charboneau's avatar

Thank you Nick. I'm glad you found it useful.

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Sadie Laurel's avatar

Fantastic selection. Thanks for this.

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Robert Charboneau's avatar

Thank you Sadie

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Evelyn Mow's avatar

Thanks so much for these reviews. I found them really helpful!

Reading this directed me to re-visit Tullius' "Suicide Notes, for which I'm grateful, since I recently lost a close friend. I've also found myself returning to In Memoriam in the last few weeks.

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Robert Charboneau's avatar

Thank you, Evelyn, and I'm sorry to hear about your loss. In Memoriam is a journey through grief. Whitman's "Out of the Cradle, Endlessly Rocking" is also good for those times.

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Peter Whisenant's avatar

You're the Ezra Pound of Substack, Mr. C. You're tireless. You know everybody. Folks that don't like each other like you. You're savage but not unkind. (You have a beautiful wife.) And better than Ezra, you don't rant about Monetary Policy.

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Robert Charboneau's avatar

Thank you Peter. If I ever turn into an old fascist, you have my permission to eviscerate me in the literary fashion of your choosing.

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Joffre Swait's avatar

What a wonderful post! I laughed aloud in the Whisenant section when you granted that some good poets do post on Instagram.

Thanks for all the kind words. We probably discussed this at some point, but in my head the Bard and the Mocker are the same character...both my Jesus in the tale. I leave it to the reader to assemble the pieces. That may be a mistake, which maybe I'll fix in the second edition eight years from now!

Anyway, this was great. Thanks.

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Robert Charboneau's avatar

Exceedingly few on Instagram, but it was where I started, because I didn't know any better. Glad you liked the review.

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Zane Paxton's avatar

Thanks for introducing me to two new poets!

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Robert Charboneau's avatar

Anytime Zane

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J. Tullius's avatar

I was hoping you'd forget about the Dickinson debacle since I was so clearly wrong. Haha! You do me too much honor, but I highly approve of the gesture here. Your generosity, honesty, and insight are welcome aspects of your own writing as well as your disposition toward others, and such reviews are helpful to people (like me) who are trying to discern what is worthy of further attention. Many thanks!

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Robert Charboneau's avatar

Thank you Tullius. I hope you found it a fair analysis.

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Cleo Kearns's avatar

Guys could you think me to that Dickinson debate? I find her cognitively acute but I have had to defend that!!

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Robert Charboneau's avatar

I'm not sure how id find it Cleo. It was a random comment on a note from pretty long ago.

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Weston R. Newbell's avatar

Good list!

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Robert Charboneau's avatar

Thank you Weston

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Weston R. Newbell's avatar

Of course!

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Buku Sarkar's avatar

Thanks for this

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Robert Charboneau's avatar

Np

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