Hook, Line, and Sestina

November 3, 2006 8:21 AM

Fisher Poets You've heard of cowboy poetry, sure, but how about the verse of modern-day fishermen and women? Taking the Cowboy Poetry Gathering as their model, fisher poets have plunged into the celebration of occupational culture with their own annual festival in Astoria, Oregon. Get a glimpse into this difficult, dangerous, and unpredictable way of making a living through the work of Erin Frestad, Geno Leech, Toby Sullivan, and others. Listen to the sounds of the gathering on this piece from PRI's Here & Now, too.
posted by Miko (8 comments total)

i wish
i wish
i caught
that fish

i'll bet
i'll yet
with a
bigger net
posted by Smart Dalek at 9:07 AM on November 3, 2006

Just when I thought there was nothing more deperssing than "cowboy poets"... Don't these people get it? The occupations of cowboy and fisherman are towering symbols and metaphors in their own right. In fact, they are downright frickin' cliches. Poetry about cowboys and fisherman is gilding an already cheap and mass-produced lilly. Why do you think Wallace Stevens is revered? He was an insurance-man poet!
posted by Faze at 9:17 AM on November 3, 2006

Poetry about cowboys and fisherman is gilding an already cheap and mass-produced lilly.

Have you read or listened to any of the poetry? A lot of it concerns the popular romantic image of the fisherman/cowboy and contrasts it with the real experience, not the experience as imagined by someone who has never done it.
posted by Miko at 9:41 AM on November 3, 2006

Oh I lobster but never flounder,
He wrapped his line around her and they drove off in his carp;
Oh I lobster, but never flounder
I octopus his face in, he’ll only break her heart.
posted by languagehat at 10:08 AM on November 3, 2006

Wrong, Faze! In fact, Wallace Stevens was revered because he gave a mean abstract blowjob.
posted by Powerful Religious Baby at 10:11 AM on November 3, 2006

Your picture has wounded my soul, PRB.
posted by boo_radley at 10:38 AM on November 3, 2006

As I hoped it would. It's not nearly as disturbing as this one, however. Not to mention the underwater titty pigs, which are far more relevant to this conversation.

Great links, Miko, thank you. I'm especially enjoying the article about Geno Leech.
posted by Powerful Religious Baby at 10:49 AM on November 3, 2006

It's a good thing the Fishermen are learning new skills, what with all the fish being gone in 40 years.

Too bad poetry isn't exactly the fastest-growing industry in the world ...
posted by kenlayne at 12:32 PM on November 3, 2006