Amy Lowell

The current issue of Bloom has a nice interview with Honor Moore (by Joan Larkin), about the new American Poets Project edition of Amy Lowell's selected poems, which Moore edited. Interesting stuff. Like many people, I suspect, I was only slightly familiar with Lowell's work -- but along with the interview there are a couple of her poems in Bloom, and one of them, "The Weather-Cock Points South," had me practically fanning myself. Oh my. I know "labia-as-flower" is the biggest cliche in the Big Book of Lesbian Cliches, but the detail and specificity in this poem and the lovely unhurried rhythm of it fully redeem it from cliche-land, as far as this reader is concerned.

I've just read it again, and I think I need to go be alone for a while. Good night.