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Hello everyone! My name is Lee. I've had this Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ account for a while, but only started really using it this year when I started regularly reading again. I love classics and literary fiction, but haven't read many LGBT books within those genres. I'm also rediscovering my love of poetry.

Book-related aside, I'm a college student; I'm in love with my city; I love dance, traveling, and museums; and I'm a lighting designer. It's nice to meet you all, and cheers!

A warm welcome Lee!

I'm a big reader of classics and poetry as well. If it doesn't put you on the spot, what are some of your favorite poets?

I'd probably give a different answer to that question on different days of the week, but some favorites of mine at the moment are Edna St. Vincent Millay, Denise Levertov, Muriel Rukeyser, and Thomas Gray.

You're in the right place for theater! I've only been lucky enough to see one show in New York, but I do get to see a lot of good ones here in California.

Welcome!

Thanks, Greg! Your question doesn't put me on the spot at all. That's a tough question; some of my favorite poets are Robert Hass, William Carlos Williams, and Anne Carson. I've been reading more contemporary poets recently: Brenda Shaughnessy, Richard Siken, Kate Tempest, etc.

New York certainly is the premiere place for theater. I'm thankful everyday that I get to live someplace where the arts are so celebrated.

Oh, I love William Carlos Williams! I read Pictures from Brueghel and Other Poems: Collected Poems, 1950-1962 a couple years ago and it was wonderful. Williams was a big supporter of Levertov's work actually, particularly in the beginning.

I like Hass too, though I've only read his poems in anthologies.

I'm not familiar with the contemporary poets you mention - are they New York based? For some reason the name Kate Tempest rings a bell, but I can't recall her poetry at the moment. I'll have to take a look. Always enjoy finding out about new writers!

Ooh, now I have to check out Levertov.

I don't believe any of those poets are based in NY, but I'd recommend all of them. Kate Tempest is also a rapper (her poems have so much momentum, I love hearing them read out loud), if that recalls anything.

Welcome, Lee! I'm ashamed I'm not as well read in classics or poetry as you are. A poetry class in high school left a bad taste in my mouth, but I'm certainly open to trying it again. The only poet on your list that I'm familiar with is Edna St. Vincent Millay. I'm from NYC and try to visit every couple of years or so. It's certainly changed a lot since I left in 1979.

Lee wrote: "I don't believe any of those poets are based in NY, but I'd recommend all of them. Kate Tempest is also a rapper (her poems have so much momentum, I love he..."

Oh yes, I do remember now! I think a friend of mine from the UK sent me some links to her reading her poetry before - very raw and powerful.

Welcome Lee!

Thanks for the warm welcome, everyone.

Greg, those are the words I typically use to describe Tempest's poetry as well. There's an immediacy and honesty in her poems that doubles the punch.

Nancy, school has unfortunately turned me off on certain things as well. I'm glad that you're still open to poetry though. My mother also always talks about how much things have changed here. You sounded just like her for a second!

Nancy wrote: "Welcome, Lee! I'm ashamed I'm not as well read in classics or poetry as you are. A poetry class in high school left a bad taste in my mouth, but I'm certainly open to trying it again. The only p..."

Nancy, I think the way poetry is taught in school kills it for many! - instead of something to enjoy the sound of and work your way into, it's taught as a big tortuous intellectual puzzle. Plus they start with all the wrong stuff. My nephew was getting poems with crazy hard syntax in grade school, Shakespeare's Sonnets, I think - I guarantee he will hate poetry forever!

The first poetry I remember I read outside of school - I read a number of feminist poets with accessible lyrics and gradually worked my way up. Some of the first poets I liked were Audre Lorde, Lucille Clifton, and Sonia Sanchez. Lots of anger over racism and politics expressed in them, but if that doesn't put you off, they're quick and powerful reads! Plus they felt utterly forbidden in my fundamentalist home; so that was an extra draw for me, ha, ha :) The difference in perspective between those books and the rest of what I was exposed to at the time was exhilarating, like swinging on a rope over a thrilling drop!

Welcome Lee. I was born in Brooklyn—Flatbush� but moved away when I was 3 or so. But all my relatives lived in or near NYC and we visited every year as I was growing up. As I mentioned in another thread, I spent a year in NYC at Presbyterian Hospital as a research fellow. I was 24 or so and found the city amazing. I don't think I could live there now unless I was one of the 1%. But as a kid there was so much to do and so much opportunity and so many interesting people and cultures.

Where are you going to college?

Hi Kernos. I go to Brooklyn quite often (my brother lives in Park Slope), but I'm ashamed to say I only stepped foot in Flatbush for the first time last month. I went to Kings Theatre (formerly Loew's Kings Theatre). Have you been there by any chance?

Also, I was born at Presbyterian! And I study at Columbia.

Columbia - a great school! I spent most of my time at P&S at 168th St. When not busy I'd take the train downtown and explore. I suspect things have changed a lot since I was there. Flatbush was not a safe place to go then. My only memories are mental images when I was 3 or 4, just a few.

What are you studying?

It is indeed a great school, Kernos! My family has a long history at Columbia. We're firm believers in liberal arts education. I'm an electrical engineer major and art history minor.

Much of Brooklyn has changed in the recent years, but Flatbush still isn't the safest neighborhood, unfortunately.

Greg wrote: "The first poetry I remember I read outside of school - I read a number of feminist poets with accessible lyrics and gradually worked my way up. Some of the first poets I liked were Audre Lorde, Lucille Clifton, and Sonia Sanchez..."

Thank for this, Greg. I am familiar with Audre Lorde and will check out her work soon.

Lee wrote: "My mother also always talks about how much things have changed here. You sounded just like her for a second!..."

Sounding like a mother definitely makes me feel old. ;)

Lee wrote: "It is indeed a great school, Kernos! My family has a long history at Columbia. We're firm believers in liberal arts education. I'm an electrical engineer major and art history minor.

Much of Brook..."

How funny, I have a similar split - electrical engineering major with a second major in English literature. Later I got a teaching certificate for teaching English as a second language; so I guess that puts me all over the map.

I'm a big, big advocate of liberal arts. Even thoug I was pre-med, I got an AB degree. One thing I really wish I had taken was Classical Greek. There is much I'd like to read in the original.

I noticed that Columbia has over twice as many grad studs as undergrads. This is always a good sign. My alma mater, Wash U in St. Louis was like that.