Don Yorty

Guatemala Notebooks

… Guatemala Notebooks or Trying to Understand Something for Pat who asked me when he left to keep this journal in his stead The same symbols keep repeating themselves. … December 9, 1990— I got you into the cab by … Continue reading →

Five American Poets: Stevens, Swenson, Rukeyser, Jarrell, and Lowell

18 Jan ’14

… Wallace Stevens (1979 – 1955) The Idea of Order at Key West She sang beyond the genius of the sea. The water never formed to mind or voice, Like a body wholly body, fluttering Its empty sleeves; and yet … Continue reading →

Performances at Saint Mark’s Church, New Year’s Day 2011, 12, 13, 14 & 15

4 Jan ’14

… I began to perform at the Poetry Project’s New Year’s Day benefit with my nephew Daniel in 2010. Our first performance wasn’t recorded, but in 2011 my partner Akram began to record us. The following are those five performances. … Continue reading →

In my words, December 23 – 24

31 Dec ’13

… I was working on a sonnet I’d written awhile ago, summer of 2008 in fact, but still not finished. I’d written a line that went, “The world is always beautiful when you look,” but recently it’s occurred to me … Continue reading →

In my words, December 9 – 15

31 Dec ’13

… Take a walk. There is nothing better. Go at your own speed and stop to look at whatever you want. Take a notebook along to jot down your thoughts. Something comes, or better yet you will come to something. … Continue reading →

In my words, November 25 – December 1

31 Dec ’13

… When Akram moved in in August of 2010, the apartment I’d lived in for over twenty years suddenly wasn’t mine anymore. For awhile things stayed pretty much the same, then one day Akram let me know that he really … Continue reading →

In my words, November 18 – 24

30 Nov ’13

… I was in Mr. Holt’s 9th grade science class when the principal Mr. Grumbine came on the intercom and announced that the president and the governor of Texas had been shot in Dallas, but there was no further news. … Continue reading →

In my words, November 11 – 17

30 Nov ’13

… On Thursday morning I saw Lou Reed’s memorial announced in an AM NewYork a student had brought and decided to go on the spot. After class, I caught the 1 and headed north to Lincoln Center where the celebration … Continue reading →

In my words, November 4 – 10

30 Nov ’13

… In English we deal with the future by using nine helping verbs called the modals: will, shall, can, could, would, should, may, might and must. Only will and shall will ever happen; all the others are possibilities, the wouldas, … Continue reading →

In my words, October 28 – November 3

19 Nov ’13

… I can only say this in the present: the past is everywhere you look and obviously the older you get, the more of it there is. As I was waiting for the L train yesterday reading some graffiti on … Continue reading →

In my words, October 21 – 27

10 Nov ’13

… Walking to class through Tompkins Square, I see red roses in the brisk air. I’ve been thinking about the present because that is what we will be talking about in class and here it is, a blooming rose. Although … Continue reading →

The Monkey at 9th and C

4 Nov ’13

… I’m not exactly sure when the monkey appeared on my apartment building’s wall. I look at him every day coming and going. No one has desecrated him yet. People walk by but they don’t destroy him. Art often appears … Continue reading →