Poetry An Introduction Michael Meyer Pdf

[Verline Wesolowski]

AtPitzer, Bert found it amusing that I called him "Mr. Meyers," a habit I dropped by my senior year. He was so informal that, when he ran out of office hours, he invited me to his home to discuss my plans. There, I was welcomed by his wife, Odette, a writer with whom I was to form a strong friendship. I met the Meyers children, Daniel, and Anat, who were always included at the table, where, after my course list was approved, everyone sat around, talking literature and politics. Bert could be sly, affectionate, blunt, and mischievous, tossing a question or an idea into the air for anyone to grab. Only later did I learn he was a newcomer to academia; he seemed such a natural teacher.

Three years after the reading, Bert Meyers died. I was living in Boston, and had been sending copies of short stories to him and his wife. Soon afterward, I moved back to San Francisco. Through a friend, I was able to reconnect with Odette and the children, who had relocated to Berkeley.

It took over thirty years for a complete collection of Bert Meyer's work to be published. In a Dybbuk's Raincoat includes the poetry mentioned here, as well as other work that exhibits the full scope of Bert's spare, modernist verse and selections from his prose on poetry. Edited by the late Santa Cruz poet Morton Marcus and Bert Meyer's son Daniel Meyers, the substantial volume carries an introduction by Denise Levertov and articles on Bert Meyers and his poetry by Garrett Hongo and Jack Miles. These collected poems form a dense, delicate web, woven by one enamored and exasperated by life in the twentieth century, by one who cherishes the simplicity and elegance of nature, while mourning and satirizing what Grace Paley termed "the little disturbances of man" (in her short story collection by the same name). Here's what Bert once wrote:

Course Descriptions (as of February 24, 1998)

The following course descriptions have been written by individual instructors to provide more detailed information on specific sections than that found in the General Catalog. When individual descriptions are not available, the General Catalog descriptions [in brackets] are used. (Although we try to have as accurate and complete information as possible, this schedule remains subject to change.)

200A (Reading Literature) W

Daily 8:30

Kuske

Reading literature critically does not come "naturally"; it is a productof both training and practice. Many people love reading literature but have difficulty articulating the how and what of why a particular text affects them. This class is designed to help students develop stronger critical reading skills and to enable them to get greater enjoyment out of reading, analyzing and discussing literature. We will read from a broad range of texts--poetry, short fiction and a novel-and discuss the conventions of both literary form and literary interpretation. This course is designed as an introduction to the critical interpretation of literature and is open to students of all interestsand backgrounds. Texts: Lauter & Yarborough, eds., Heath Anthologyof American Literature, Vol. 2 (2nd ed.); Wharton, House of Mirth.

200 U (Reading Literature) W

MW 7-8:50 pm

Hennessee

An introduction to reading and writing about literature at the college level. The course is not designed as an introduction to the English major, though prospective majors might find it rewarding. Its aim, first by a careful reading of poems, short stories, and a novel, and then by careful consideration of what students write about these works, is to make everyone aware not just of the complexity of the works, but also of how much fun and sense of growth can accompany that awareness. Not as much reading, but considerably more writing, than is usual in courses like this one. Those taking the course need not worry much about whether they have the "background" or the "writing skills" for it; what' smost needed is a willingness to work hard and without fear. Texts: Madden, ed., A Pocketful of Poems; Johnson, The Sorcerer's Apprentice; Mukherjee, The Middleman and Other Stories; Morrison, Beloved.

225 A (Shakespeare) W

TTh 1:30-3:20

Alfar

Shakespearean Tyrannies. In this course, we will examine a number of Shakespeare's plays through the issue of tyranny: romantic, sexual, cultural, and political. In our inquiry regarding Shakespeare's treatment of tyranny we will ask questions about the subtleties required of playwrights writing under governmental censorship. What are limits to which Shakespeare could interrogate absolute monarchies, gender and class hierarchies, and race relations? What are the ideological limits of such interrogation? We will view several contemporary films of his plays on video. There will be pop quizzes, written responses, two papers, a midterm, and a final. Texts: Shakespeare, The Winter's Tale; Romeo and Juliet; Merchant of Venice; Much Ado About Nothing; Antony and Cleopatra; Kin Lear; Macbeth; Othello; McDonald, The Bedford Companion to Shakespeare.

242 B (Reading Fiction) W

Daily 9:30

Frank

This course is focused around the theme "Constructing the Individual." We will read and write about texts that explore the ways in which the formation of individuality (identity, self) is shaped by some of the major cultural issues that influence both private and public life. We will examine nineteenth- and twentieth-century texts in an effort to consider some of the similarities and differences in the ways that these issues are addressed and represented in the popular fiction of these historical periods. At the same time that we explore the ways that fictional characters confront these issues, we will think about the ways in which fiction writers address these issues through our careful examination of both text and genre construction. In other words, we will consider what the text does, what fiction does, and even what we do as readers. Texts: Warhol, The Philosophy of Andy Warhol; Allison, Bastard Out of Carolina; Naylor, The Women of Brewster Place; Baldwin, "Sonny's Blues"; Bront, Villette.

281 A (Intermediate Expository Writing)

MWF 8:30

Oldham

Q: What do the following things have in common: Genes, numbers, dreams, noises, sentences, frequencies, land, human beings, melodies, ideas, rights, faces, and names? A: All have been treated as "property" at one time or another. In this class, we'll look at the idea of "property" from a variety of perspectives-historical, cross-cultural, legal, and bio-ethical especially. We'll examine changing attitudes toward land ownership over the past few hundred years, and look at how people can treat abstract or intangible phenomena, such as songs, rights, or radio frequencies, as property. Along the way we'll touch on some unusual recent developments, like the patenting of human genes and of numbers, or Harley-Davidson's efforts to trademark the sound of its motorcycles. Throughout, we'll be trying to answer the big question,"What is 'property'?" This will propose research in one or more different fields, which in turn will become the basis for a final paper. The course is designed to develop skills in academic (argumentative) writing, in particular forming complex descriptive claims, marshalling evidence, addressing counter-arguments, and organizing an argument for maximum effect. Two different citation formats (MLA and APA) are covered. Two essays, one research paper, various short writing assignments. Text: photocopied course packet. (No freshmen, Registration Period 1.)

281 D (Intermediate Expository Writing)

MWF 10:30

Raine

In this writing course, we'll work on developing complex and interesting arguments that are focused, coherent and persuasive, and on revising and editing your work to achieve greater depth and clarity of ideas. For our course theme, we'll investigate cultural ideas about nature: how social factors such as gender, class, and cultural background affect what we mean by "nature," how we draw the line between nature and culture, and how different writing and reading strategies suggest different ways of imagining, interacting with, or participating in the nonhuman world. Course texts will include articles and films from various scientific, cultural and environmental perspectives. Writing projects will ask you to develop a critical dialogue between the assigned texts, research materials, and your own assumptions about nature. Several short essays and two longer essays will be required, including library and other research, in-class discussion of your drafts, and substantial revision. Text: photocopied course packet. (No freshmen, Registration Period 1.)

281 E (Intermediate Expository Writing)

MWF 11:30

Ralston

The Rhetoric of Life Writing. This course is designed as an intermediate-level expository writing class, where the emphasis is on student writing. You will do a great deal of writing in this course. Toward that end, we will be studying a variety of autobiographic prose that details the lives of individuals, some famous and phenomenal, and some relatively unknown before they choose to set their lives down in print. The memoir is gaining a great deal of popularity in contemporary society, for possibly very different reasons that the popularity of the autobiography in years past. We will explore the important social and political reasons behind those differences as we analyze the rhetoric of life writing. Texts: Kathryn Harrison, The Kiss; bell hooks, Bone Black; Connors Lunsford, The Everyday Writer. (No freshmen, Registration Period 1.)

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