Question: What is Richard Hugo's fascination with unhappiness and why does he feel it is the key to being a successful writer?
On page 73 in The Triggering Town (sorry, can't find the italics button), Hugo states, " I was distrustful of both Eliot and Roethke when late in their careers they announced they were happy."
Sounds like someone in the last part of their career was maybe jealous? IDK. I would love to hear what you guys think!
Do we have to be miserable, and feel completely inferior to be successful writers?
On page 73 in The Triggering Town (sorry, can't find the italics button), Hugo states, " I was distrustful of both Eliot and Roethke when late in their careers they announced they were happy."
Sounds like someone in the last part of their career was maybe jealous? IDK. I would love to hear what you guys think!
Do we have to be miserable, and feel completely inferior to be successful writers?
I think this is a really interesting question. Perhaps Hugo is just cynical, or leery of a writer making an announcement that he was happy when his writing suggested otherwise. I had a mentor who told me that all good writing finds joy in the sorrows of the world, and sorrow in the joys of the world. Perhaps Hugo echoes this sentiment--that life is too complicated for just happiness, or just sorrow. I don't think we have to be miserable to be writers, though history seems to reiterate your point (esp. with the Confessional poets who committed suicide: Plath, Sexton, Berryman). There are some great poems that, I think, that are ecstatic with joy. Check out this video of the wonderful poet Coleman Barks, reading his translations of Rumi:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0ya-4WuCb0
If you're interested in these poems, you can google Rumi and find many more of his ecstatic poems. What do other people think?