Richard Hugo's The Triggering Town, originally published in 1979, remains one of the freshest and most refreshing treatises on the writing of poetry. While you won't find formality or nicety here, Hugo has the unusual quality of being highly opinionated and yet not at all convinced that what works for him will work for you. Hugo doesn't believe that he can teach you how to write; he believes he can teach you how he writes, and by doing so, teach you "how to teach yourself how to write." And while most writing instructors claim that one can't be a good writer without being a good reader, Hugo claims "that one learns to write only by writing." Hugo's essays are strong-willed and funny and by turns full of bluster and cloaked in modesty. While "a good teacher can save a young poet years by simply telling him things he need not waste time on, like trying to will originality or trying to share an experience in language or trying to remain true to the facts," he writes, "ultimately the most important things a poet will learn about writing are from himself in the process." Above all, Hugo stresses that creative writing is creative because it is a creative act: "if one is writing the way one should, one does not know what will be on the page until it is there." So, he warns, "If you want to communicate, use the telephone." And "Think small.... If you can't think small, try philosophy or social criticism."
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
For club members only:
This book is neither a guide to writing poetry, nor does it provide much insight about it for "the public at large", this book is written for a very private audience, that of students of creative writing classes in the faculty where the author has been a teacher, or any students of poetry who are particularly keen on following specific personalities from the author's particular academic world. It is a private club of sorts, where the bulk of the lectures are regarding issues that would be of interest mainly... more info
A noteworthy collection of advice and wisdom:
Richard Hugo was a noted American poet (d. 1982) and also a noted teacher of poetry-writing at the University of Montana. This slim book collects nine lectures or essays ostensibly on the craft and practice of writing poetry. It also contains, by way of illustration, a few of Hugo's poems. Curiously, I get more out of his prose writing than I do from his poetry. THE TRIGGERING TOWN certainly contains much that should be helpful to a young poet. But the book should not be pigeonholed simply as a "how... more info
Place and Memory:
I can say one certain thing about the book. It makes me want to write. I woke up early the following morning after reading it until three a.m. and wrote a new poem. The book has so many interesting themes I could not comment on them all in this small space, but I will say it talks profoundly about Place and Memory. The book falls into my personal list of best books on the craft of writing.
Best book on writing I've ever read:
And that's saying quite a bit, as I've read more than a few. I also like Ted Kooser's Poetry Home Repair Manual, so if you like that I'm pretty sure you'll like The Triggering Town. I think what I like best (so far - I'm not quite done) from Hugo is his concept of writing "off the subject" - as a poet it just seems to make so much sense to me. I've already ordered several other copies of this book to give as presents to folks in the graduate program here at UT.
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