Pure Poetry #2: Eileen Myles

Pure Poetry Week:

#1 - 2/23/2011 - Def Poetry Jam, by Riese
#2 - 2/23/2011 - Eileen Myles, by Carmen

I met Eileen Myles on Autostraddle, which was a good sign. My first thought at meeting her was that I had to leave this class I was in because oh my god I found this poet. Eileen knew everything, and her poetry felt genuine. I always feel when I read an Eileen Myles poem that I am getting to know her so much better.

My first Eileen Myles poem said this and was called "Smile":

"Every
time he smiled he thought Eileen
is a fool. Or that's what love looks
like."

Somewhere between that day and today, the day you let me talk about Eileen Myles, I left class and bought a leather bomber jacket and bought Skies. I had also developed an ebay addiction. Skies is a collection of poems. It was really cheap on ebay. The day after it arrived, I packed a bag and left home. I packed Skies. I didn't want to lose it so I carried it with me.

That night I ended up at a close friend who also writes for Autostraddle's house. At the end of the night it was my two friends and I and Eileen. I read Skies to them.

When I put Skies in my backpack I put away a photograph inside of someone I thought I was losing. I knew it would be safe there because I was going to keep Skies on my bedside table. It seemed cute, just her and I and Eileen.

THIS IS ACTUALLY WHAT I WOULD LOOK LIKE IF I WERE EILEEN MYLES.

Soon I had bought Sorry, Tree and The New Fuck You: An Adventure in Lesbian Reading which wasn't written by Eileen, but she edited it and I knew she'd have good taste. And I took Cool for You out of the library... and renewed it. I saved up for Inferno.

Every time I read a new Eileen Myles book, I end up carrying it on me for weeks. I think I'm going to end up with a good collection. I would never lose it.

"in a few
days you'll
be shaped
by this
& a new

meaning
will
come."

26 responses to “Pure Poetry #2: Eileen Myles”

Rachel (member)
February 23, 2011 at 7:20 pm Permalink Reply

HI CARMEN I LOVE THIS

1
1. Carmen (member)
  February 23, 2011 at 8:39 pm Permalink Reply Report user
  
  HI RACHEL THAT MEANS A LOT
  
  1
audiodoll (member)
February 23, 2011 at 8:23 pm Permalink Reply Report user

laughing @ u

0
1. Carmen (member)
  February 23, 2011 at 8:39 pm Permalink Reply Report user
  
  haters gon’ hate
  
  0
  1. audiodoll (member)
    February 23, 2011 at 8:54 pm Permalink Reply Report user
    
    you wanna fight? let’s fight. as soon as you get home
    
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Emily (member)
February 23, 2011 at 8:43 pm Permalink Reply Report user

I love you too
don’t fuck up my hair
I can’t believe
you almost fisted me
today.
That was great.

best.

0
1. DarcyOH (member)
  February 23, 2011 at 11:00 pm Permalink Reply Report user
  
  is that a william carlos williams poem?
  
  0
  1. diver
    February 23, 2011 at 11:03 pm Permalink Reply
    
    Thankfully, no.
    
    0
  2. kj (member)
    February 24, 2011 at 5:15 am Permalink Reply Report user
    
    I love you too
    don’t fuck up my chickens
    I can’t believe
    you almost fisted me
    in the red wheel
    barrow
    today.
    That was great.
    
    0
    1. khadija (member)
      February 24, 2011 at 6:00 am Permalink Reply Report user
      
      This made me chuckle aloud in my Constitutional Morality course at a really inappropriate time…now people are really confused on my position on same-sex marriage and religious liberty.
      
      I look forward to listening to this. thank you.
      
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    2. Claire (member)
      February 24, 2011 at 3:50 pm Permalink Reply Report user
      
      This is just to say
      I have eaten
      the babies
      that were in
      the icebox
      and which
      you were probably
      saving
      for breakfast
      Forgive me
      they were delicious
      so sweet
      and so cold
      (I cannot claim credit for this. I need to go search through the bowels of the internet again to find where I first encountered this version)
      
      0
      1. Claire (member)
        February 24, 2011 at 3:54 pm Permalink Reply Report user
        
        Credit: Warren Ellis
        It was a t-shirt design of his.
        I still want this shirt.
        
        0
Rachel B (member)
February 24, 2011 at 12:24 am Permalink Reply Report user

This was really beautiful, Carmen.

Really, really fucking beautiful.

0
1. Carmen (member)
  February 24, 2011 at 4:58 am Permalink Reply Report user
  
  <3
  
  0
riese (member)
February 24, 2011 at 12:51 am Permalink Reply

i like this

0
1. Carmen (member)
  February 24, 2011 at 4:57 am Permalink Reply Report user
  
  i’m blushing
  
  0
lola k
February 24, 2011 at 7:43 am Permalink Reply

i’ve had my eye on her for a while (mostly thanks to you, autostraddle). what should i read first?

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1. Carmen (member)
  February 24, 2011 at 10:06 am Permalink Reply Report user
  
  the poem “bone” appears in skies and is my absolute favorite thing in the world. also on page 93 is the poem i excerpt at the end, 44th st station i think? it’s the page i put the photograph in. you’ll know why.
  
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spit of love
February 24, 2011 at 9:11 am Permalink Reply

I feel the exact same way I have all of her books and compilations including the new fuck you ( which as you said she edited. They are constantly amazing me everytime i read them I feel like im sitting having coffee with her and I dont know if its me picking what I want out of her poetry and novels but she makes me understand myself so much and in general it helps me through alot. I havent bought or found inferno here yet but I’m destined to read it sometime soon . Eileen is great she is like my voice that says just do it! and she gives confidence in myself I like it alot. Im super shy and anxious so Eileen feels like my big sister. In short she rocks and her writings are soooo important. La fin.

H

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bani (member)
February 24, 2011 at 9:31 am Permalink Reply Report user

yes. we need eileen myles. she’s ours.

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dusty629
February 24, 2011 at 4:59 pm Permalink Reply

been readin autostraddle forevs but am seriously impressed this time!
Eileen is my dykon…

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dusty629
February 24, 2011 at 5:07 pm Permalink Reply

just saw that you were the author, Carmen. Check out Bridge Street books in Georgetown – you just missed Eileen on the 4th, she usually stops in a few times a year.

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1. Carmen (member)
  February 26, 2011 at 4:44 am Permalink Reply Report user
  
  cannot believe this. so excited.
  
  0
Dani (member)
February 25, 2011 at 7:25 pm Permalink Reply Report user

I like this even though I don’t know quite what to do with Eileen Myles yet.

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e
February 25, 2011 at 9:25 pm Permalink Reply

carmen, this was awesome. and yes, eileen.

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ingrid (member)
March 9, 2011 at 1:38 am Permalink Reply Report user

I love that feeling when you discover something new and it makes so much sense and seems to be talking right to you and makes you feels all these things at once and you can’t sit still because you just want to get up and do something with it.

I will look for ‘Skies’ now. thank you.

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