QuickMuse is a cutting contest, a linguistic jam session, a series of on-the-fly compositions in which some great writers riff away on a randomly picked subject. It's an experiment, to see if first thoughts are indeed the best ones. We're not entirely sure about this, but we suspect QuickMuse will bring readers closer to the moment of composition than they have ever been before.
We've always loved the moment in George Steiner's memoir, Errata, in which the critic admits regretting his decision not to drop acid. What we couldn't have expected was that poet David Lehman's experience and Steiner's overlapped so nicely (or that Lehman would, when pushed, rhyme "Steiner" and "vagina"). Check it out.
Never fear — you didn't type the wrong URL. The new home page you see here is the first in a series of steps toward the long-promised QuickMuse 2.0. Enjoy!
Thylias Moss, Thylias Moss: When it Comes to the Poematic, She's the Boss!
Fans of Thyalis will get a 1,000-watt charge out of what she's done with a weird bit from the New York Times' obituary for the late and extremely great Bo Diddley: bomp-ba-domp- ba-domp, ba-domp-domp.
Boom! Just when you think nothing's stirring, along comes Pulitzer winner Philip Schultz to get all poetic on your... well, you get the picture. Check it out.
Jul 14, 2008
Tripped!
Jun 30, 2008
Dig the Thylias Moss Beat
Apr 24, 2008
Schullllltz!
Feb 11, 2008
An ad hoc Matlock
Feb 11, 2008
Oh, Baby
Jan 4, 2008
Harold Bloom, Poetry, and Jazz
Dec 26, 2007
California Complex
Dec 21, 2007
Mary Jo Salter Finds the Implicit in Simplicity
Dec 21, 2007
Brad Leithauser's Missing Sun