Lake Superior

our 20th century dickinson. great poet.

Niedecker’s work is essential in terms of its ontological presentness. (Read some Ecocriticism y’all. Just saying.) Niedecker’s work is absolutely in the realm of expressing and confronting the environment in which one inhabits—in the present tense. And translating an emotional landscape, an internal reality in juxtaposition or conflict or marriage to/with ones’ (Deleuze & Guattari—Rhizome Theory. Look it up.) external reality. AKA environment.This text is fundamental in terms of recognizing, internalizing, and bouncing back with honesty in regards to the relationship between that which is more felt than heard. In terms of the context in which we each live. Yes. This collection requires patience. This is what is so amazing about the way in which Niedecker’s writing works.It calls readers to slow down enough to ingest the world(s) in which they live. It is the opposite of escapism. While also, obviously, the act of writing on the part of Niedecker, was a form of escaping back to the truth of experience. A recognition of ones’ place within the environment, the system, in which one exists. It rejects, without intention of rejecting, systems of rhetorical argument (as opposed to conversate) that continue to pervade and systematically diminish those whose patience, intelligence, and ACTUAL recognition of the environment around them (as opposed to the environment of a virtual reality—not demeaning that space, but really. Privilege.)Also, if you’ve never been to or even researched about Lake Superior, ya shouldn’t take license to write a negative review.

This reading of this book is an exercise in pedantry. It is comprised of several essays, poems, critiques, and journal entries that supposedly aid in understanding a fairly boring poem. There’s a relatively enjoyable, if totally absurd, bit about the extinction of pigeons (although it’s only about three pages long and then it gets back to the boring stuff). The poem, upon which the whole book is based, is predominantly comprised of exceedingly obscure references to Lake Superior. In order to understand much of the poem at all, one MUST read the whole book. Most of the particulars are themselves uninteresting as well. Such pretension should not be encouraged.