In Array, Greg Masters writes: “What needs to emerge is implanted, it’s just covered in the dust of inhibition or self-doubt.” And in a very real way that is what this journal is about, a writer summing up the courage to write and get it out there no matter what. So the reader gets to see the writer’s thoughts not only on the page but while they’re being made. As a writer, I find this fascinating, but Array isn’t just for writers. It’s an historical account of post-pandemic New York City when people began to go out again, taking a chance meeting up with friends in restaurants, poetry readings and art galleries. Array is as valuable as it is enjoyable. I read it in two sittings and cannot recommend it enough.
In the introduction to For the Artists: Critical Writing, Volume 3, Greg Masters writes:
“My point in writing these pieces was to champion the work of writers and artists I thought deserving of wider acclaim. Some are known, but most are hovering around the perimeter or laboring in obscurity—a consequence, I’d venture, of the lack of regard for arts and critical voice in the United States.
“Many of the books under review have been issued by small publishers, meaning that distribution resources are paltry. Many of the titles are not available in bookstores. Rather, they’re known only to those seeking them out or reach a small audience of friends and colleagues.
“That they’re not widely available doesn’t diminish the quality of the work. My crusade aims to amplify the resonance by, at the least, introducing them to eyes open to suggestion.”
True to his word, in For the Artists: Critical Writing, Volume 3, Greg Masters gives worthy writers their due. What comes across is the appreciation he has for them. When I arrived in the East Village in the late 1970s, Greg Masters was already here co-editing the literary magazine, Mag City and later editing The Poetry Project Newsletter. For me he is a seminal figure who keeps the poetry and the art flourishing and flowing, not only for those of us in the East Village, but for a much wider deserving audience as well.
In the Vimeo below, Greg Masters reads from both of his new books. Enjoy.
Greg Masters reads from his journals and critical writing
This is “Greg Masters reads from his journals and critical writing” by Don Yorty on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.
You can check out books by Greg Masters here:
Greg Masters: books, biography, latest update
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