Books and Poetry: I am currently reading Possession (later made into a somewhat lacking movie) by A.S. Byatt. It concerns (simply put) a pair of young English academics investigating a mystery involving two Victorian Age poets and how their investigation changes their lives. The author amazingly recreates not only the age, but the poetry, fables, and other writings (all a creation of her imagination and worthwhile on their own) of those being investigated. I have just started the rather long book, but it is both quite readable and astounding in its range and breadth. The introduction and forward alone draw you in, including a lovely third person summary of the author's life, followed by her own comments in honor of the tenth anniversary edition of the book.

One thing the author creates are the poems of the 19th century individuals being investigated. [The importance of such things suggests why a film version is inherently lacking, though the film is worth seeing -- it does a decent job translating the book into a new medium.] Poetry is not my thing really, partly because its tendency toward abstractions, which is not quite how I view the world in general. (The flowery, poetic, language of some also annoys.) I prefer poetry in prose.

Still, while reading the characters' poetry, I considered the remarkable power of poetry to say so much in so few words. Prose requires pages, poetry a few stanzas ... like a picture that is worth a thousand words, poetry can through its imagery open up deep truths. I have deep respect for quotes and passages of prose that get to the heart of the matter in a particularly powerful way. Shall I not too honor poetry's ability to do this, even if the mode might turn me off in certain cases? The answer is implied ... the literary device of the rhetoric question, used both in poetry and prose.

On the subject of authors ... Bill Moyers had the actor Hal Holbrook (best known, perhaps, as "Deep Throat" in the movie version of All The President's Men) on recently to talk about his continuing portrayal (over forty years) of Mark Twain in one man shows. It was a powerful interview, and it was amazing to hear the passion in Holbrook's voice. I wish I will have the same passion he has in that later time in my life. Holbrook was especially empathetic on the importance of expressing Twain's unpleasant descriptions of racism, including the repeated use of the word "nigger." He notes that Twain WANTED us to be uncomfortable ... we HAVE to be uncomfortable for his writing to truly have force. I use caps advisably -- it reflects the passion of the speaker.

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News: Balkinization has excellent coverage (along with Political Animal and Legal Fiction) on Bush and terror, recent FCC anti-speech rulings, and Bush's "compassionate conservatism." The Richard Clarke interview in particular again makes be wonder: "what exactly would make anyone want to vote for this guy?" If the President's foreign policy/war on terror bona fides are criticized even by "hawks" like Clarke, what is left? Is Kerry that bad?