Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Checking Back In on Last Year's Resolutions

Last year I resolved to do two things: read more poetry and try to digest the entire Tom Waits discography. I did neither fully, but at the same time, don't think I failed at either entirely.

I went almost all year without reading poetry and in this last month, have read two books of poetry cover to cover- and I strongly recommend them both:

Billy Collins - Questions About Angels
Wendell Berry - A Timbered Choir

While I didn't "digest" [it might have been a bit ambitious, what was I thinking] all of Tom Waits, I certainly listened to a lot of Tom Waits. And at the end of the year, I will say that I am more convinced I need both good poetry and the music of Mr. Waits in my life.

2 comments:

Mark N said...

Good resolutions. May I suggest Philip Larkin, "Places, Loved Ones"?

elnellis said...

Thanks Mark.