Crafting The Practice by Dike Omeje, ISBN 0946745625, Crocus Books (Commonword Ltd) 2004, Reprinted 2008, £5-00
If one has heard a poet read their work, the voice comes back, naturally when one reads it, iin that person's absence.
The power that comes through, indeed physically resonates on a reading or perusal of these verses is far far stronger than I've experienced with any other poet of whatever renown
And I had no idea that he and I shared a 'contradictory' thing. A great wariness of Criticism. As expressed in a poem one suspects meant to be an articulate summing up of much of what he did and stood for: The final poem in this volume: 'I exist'.
But just because it's open 2 constructive criticism
doesn't mean it's vacant 4 destructive discussion
So when self appointed building inspectors enter 2
test my poem's poetic stability they soon discover the
versatility in collapsibility
But by the time they open their eyes and really realise
their blunder, they're far 2 deep inside just long
enough 4 me 2 push down on the plunger and explode
they didn't see it coming much less expect it
He adds:
As I thumb my nose at academic tradition...
But heh! we all have a wariness of Criticism! And the knack lies in knowing just what to ignore. But he does us great service by bringing the matter to the fore.
Again he's being the spokesperson for every writer everywhere when he speaks of 'crafting the practice that has become the snctuary of my [underlined] integrity'. And it was to that integrity that most of us responded. It would be an easy (and in some way a lazy) practice too to harp on his integrity. A cheap bit of idolatory. Yet it really was true.
He would - and I'm recalling our first meeting - look into you and connect up with something that few others did. Or if they did they took many years, an indefinite time even, to do so
Just writing this makes me realise at least in part the reason for his standout success. As quickly as he could home in on what was of great value in you; and indicate so in his actions. He was as fast on the ball in knowing what HE had to do to hone his supremacy. So that in performance none of could get near him
Those who give the most, get the most? Something like that
Very very good value here. Buy it. Soon
Comments
Crafting perceptions
I never made that connection Ed: Dike Omeje's ability to (a) look into you and connect up with something straight away that others take years to find; and (b) connect fast with an audience. You point it out well. As for his aversion of criticism, well he did attend the workshop for ten years running and so, although he did not like straight on criticism (eg 'rewrite that line, it's rubbish!'), he liked to listen to poets musing about how they might write better. And although he did not revise much poems he had created (refering to abandon those that did not work), many of his best poems emerged from debates on poetry that he had at the workshops, something that gave me and I'll bet others, an added pleasure when he performed them.
Good to have your review and the debate on criticism here on the Blog. -pete
Comment from Nabila
Thanks : )
There will never be anyone like Dike again .......I plucked up the courage, held back my tears and began the event at Waterstone's with 'Trademark' and ended it with 'Pen-ultimate' and people asked about him afterwards. I could feel the energy as I read his words.
I totally agree with what you say about him knowing something about you that others didn't - when I first read in the group ( very nervous and scared) the first thing he said to me was I should perform (with such confidence) and I said 'no way' and every time I get up to read now and/or run an event I remember his words. It took others a long time to see what he saw in the first meeting : )
I have the book and read it often.