Prose authors who show a clear influence from poetry

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
As the title says - any recommendations gladly received, either fiction or non-fiction. Recently I've been enjoying Claudia Rankine's 'Citizen: An American Lyric' (apparently described by some as a book-length poem, but I'd describe it as poetic prose), while David Peace and Olivia Laing are other recent favourites. Anyone who's clearly influenced by poetry as much as by prose - or indeed is a poet themselves.

No suggestion too obvious. To describe my knowledge of the classics as 'patchy' would be unnecessarily kind.
 

catalog

Well-known member
William S Burroughs - recently read Naked Lunch and so much of it is about the rhythm of the words.

Charles Bukowski - started off in poetry, then short stories, then long form novels. And if you read the early novels, like post office, factotum etc, the individual sentences are like lines of his poetry, just organised as prose.

Bolano - famously an ex-poet, who continued with both forms.

Iain Sinclair - did a load of poetry through the 70s and 80s, then started on prose.

there's more I'm sure - I feel like I've read a lot of good stuff recently and then discovered the author started in poetry, and it doesn't surprise me anymore. if they start as poets, i think the prose writing seems to be better
 

luka

Well-known member
I see sinclairs mate b. Catling has been putting out novels too. Not sure if they're any good though.
 

craner

Beast of Burden
Is there a great poet who was also a great novelist, or vice versa? I doubt it. Different disciplines.
 

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
thanks for those recommendations.

great poet and great novelist...that's a tricky one, and even a google search isn't turning up many top candidates

Bolano - famously an ex-poet, who continued with both forms.

there's more I'm sure - I feel like I've read a lot of good stuff recently and then discovered the author started in poetry, and it doesn't surprise me anymore. if they start as poets, i think the prose writing seems to be better

Bolaño - of course, should've thought of him. I thought Distant Star had some exceptional passages that were far from typical prose.

Agreed - I'm far more inclined to persist with prose if there's some rhythm and melody to the writing. I find many novels very hard going where that's not the case
 
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luka

Well-known member
I suppose I'm inclined to ask why read story books at all. They're for children, morons and sub humans. Frankly I doubt you're reading enough poetry as it is. Read more poetry and leave the novels for Victorian housewives
 

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
I'm certainly not a defender of the novel as a form. Too many wasted hours for that. Nowadays, if I don't find the first 20 pages compulsive, I tend to cut my losses. Novellas definitely preferred.
 

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
I do tend to judge the first page harshly when scanning in bookshops. Staggering how some people get book deals
 

luka

Well-known member
"the boosters engaged and we blasted into hyperspace. Stars whirled like diamonds in a washing machine. Sklr wrinkled her pretty blue nose, alien eyes black as infinite space. "our proton packs are seriously depleted commander. If we don't make planetfall in the next 12 earth hours we're toast"
 

jenks

thread death
Hardy - novels and poetry.
Kipling - short stories and poetry
Edward Thomas - Non fiction and poetry
Plath - Bell Jar and poetry

early Ondaatje is good on poery/prose

By Grand Central Station - Elizabeth Smart

must be others - contemporary writers like Ben Lerner and Maggie Nelson claim to be poets but I've not read enough to be convinced.
 

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
The Peregrine by JA Baker - dear god, the prose is good. Cos I can't be bothered to go get the book and type something out, this will have to stand for many other worthy quotations:
"“I have always longed to be part of the outward life, to be out there at the edge of things, to let the human taint wash away in emptiness and silence as the fox sloughs his smell into the cold unworldliness of water; to return to town a stranger. Wandering flushes a glory that fades with arrival"

that great 'how to make friends with crows' article that Sufi posted earlier this year is surely an echo of this book too
 
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