The New York School/December Poems (with Kyle)

Bleak midwinter, and frosty wind makes us moan. What else is making us moan?

Good poems. Above is Kyle reading one by James Schuyler, called December.

It’s housed in An Anthology of New York Poets, collocated by one of the movement’s second-generation members, Ron Padgett, in 1969.

In the clip below, Kyle tells me what led him to this anthology:

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Poetry Foundation’s page on the school says, “Though stylistic diversity existed within the group, New York School poetry tended to be witty, urbane, and conversational. The poets allowed everyday moments, pop culture, humor, and spontaneity into their work, seeking to capture life as it happened. Influenced by literary surrealism and abstract expressionist painting, they responded to the events of the day without embracing the heavy seriousness characteristic of some post-war intellectuals.

The New York School of poets is often organized into two generations: the first was centered around a core group of five poets: John Ashbery, Barbara Guest, James Schuyler, Kenneth Koch, and Frank O’Hara. The second generation included poets Alice Notley and her husband, Ted Berrigan; Bill Berkson; and Ron Padgett. During the second generation, members founded nonacademic learning centers that served local communities, such as the Poetry Project at St. Mark’s Church.”

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Frank O’Hara and James Schuyler

The Wilmington School of Poets ;)

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Here is Kyle reading Bill Berkson’s Christmas Eve:

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Here’s Kyle reading (the best short poem ever) December by Ron Padgett:

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Young Padgett smoking; Padgett now (82)

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Kyle reads Edwin Denby’s poem 24:

Perfect for 2024 :)

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I chose to share three poems that have little to do with the NY School but suit their midwinter moodiness — melancholic romance and a pull to source.

The first is Winter by Timothy Liu:

Then Getting Into Bed on a December Night by Ellen Bass:

Lastly, one of my Comfort Poems, Ken Patchen’s The Snow Is Deep on the Ground:

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Thanks for listening & Happy Holidays <3