Home » Poetry » Blogs » WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS? OPEN DISCUSSION.

Cyndi Macmillan Biography

Cyndi MacMillan lives in a small town in Ontario that is home to North America’s largest working waterwheel. Her writing has appeared in notable Canadian literary journals and local newspapers.

A Cruel Light is her debut gothic mystery (4/4/2023). She has been a Jill-of-all-trades, but for as long as she can remember, she has dreamt of being a novelist. Hard work and the wonderful team at Crooked Lane Books have made that dream a reality. Please note that her husband and daughter kindly keep her coffee mug filled when she is wrestling with a suspenseful chapter. During a pandemic lockdown, the family adopted a rescue cat who chirps.

When not writing, Cyndi enjoys reading Gothics, scrapbooking, and losing horribly at board games. Works-in-progress include the second (and third) Annora Garde Mystery, a Canadian noir series, and a standalone horror mystery, so more often than not, Cyndi is writing. She is a member of Crime Writers of Canada.

Home
Previous Blogs
Photos

Cyndi Macmillan Poems

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS? OPEN DISCUSSION.

Blog Posted by Cyndi Macmillan: 10/24/2017 7:59:00 PM

Hey guys:

I've been learning about Anne Waldman in a course I'm taking. She is a poet and a bardic-tradition performer.

From" The Poetry Foundation: "The author of more than 40 collections of poetry and poetics, Anne Waldman is an active member of the Outrider experimental poetry movement, and has been connected to the Beat movement and the second generation of the New York School. Her publications include Fast Speaking Woman (1975), Marriage: A Sentence (2000), and the multi-volume Iovis project (1992, 1993, 1997).

Her work as a cultural activist and her practice of Tibetan Buddhism are deeply connected to her poetry. Waldman is, in her words, “drawn to the magical efficacies of language as a political act.” Her commitment to poetry extends beyond her own work to her support of alternative poetry communities. Waldman has collaborated extensively with visual artists, musicians, and dancers, and she regularly performs internationally. Her performance of her work is engaging and physical, often including chant or song, and has been widely recorded on film and video.

______________________

So, Soupers, here is the video. Tell me, what do YOU think? Do you find this engaging? Does it move you? Do you like it? Do you dislike it? Is this poetry?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZngnK0its64

??? So??? SAY WHATEVER YOU'D LIKE.

--------------------------------

I’m in a rogue state, honey

Getting unpredictable & strange

Just a rogue state itching to

Test my harridan ballistic range

National Missile Defense System

Got nothing on me

I can pierce thru the genome project

With a cyborg’s vitality

I’m in a rogue state, Mr. President

Don’t tell me what to do

Your rules aren’t my rules

Cause I’m the Lady of Misrule

♡Like0

Post Comments

Please Login to post a comment

Nette Onclaud

October 31, 2017 at 6:04 PM

soul sis...too gritty with a truck of urban language... this lady is all head, lol... you like her style?.. huggs

James Horn

October 30, 2017 at 7:38 PM

This seems to be the introduction and start of an unfinished event. You are your own worst enemy as well as judge and jury. Something is hidden there somewhere between the lines.

Debbie Guzzi

October 28, 2017 at 7:55 PM

Perhaps, the verse is not as bad as her presentation?

Cyndi Macmillan

October 31, 2017 at 1:29 PM

The verse isn't 'bad' but it doesn't equate the fire she breathes into it when she performs this. And no, not my teacher! One of the other students mentioned taking a course with her.

Carrie Richards

October 29, 2017 at 4:43 PM

I agree. I'd rather read it as a poem, than listen to this presentation :)

Carrie Richards

October 27, 2017 at 7:52 PM

I realize everyone may have opposing views, and each of us our own taste in music, poetry, art or cinema. But if this was open-mike night at the local coffee house... I'd rather plug in my Keurig and stay at home. For me, an evening listening to this would be torture. My apologies to Ms. Waldman

Cyndi Macmillan

October 31, 2017 at 1:30 PM

Yup! (Hi Carrie :) )

Craig Cornish

October 25, 2017 at 10:00 PM

I went back and looked at her performances 30 plus years ago and she is obviously quite the character and seemed more sane then but as you have alluded her reputation which deserves some respect in the community seems to have preceded her over the cliff with other lemmings. I also could not agree more with recited poetry, never mind recitations painful to the ears and in the end become a distraction that masks questionable quality at best. Interesting blog

Agnes Krampe

October 25, 2017 at 8:30 PM

My main issue is that I was not able to understand the WORDS. There is no point in performance poetry when you have to read along to know what the performer says. It became monotonous. I am not against performance poetry, but this somehow missed the mark. I could not bear to finish the video because she got on my nerves and I could not make out what she was even saying.

Cyndi Macmillan

October 25, 2017 at 9:29 PM

I added some of the script, oops, I meant poem, above. She has stated she doesn't want it analyzed as a poem because it was written to be performed. Holy diva in goth wear.

Cyndi Macmillan

October 25, 2017 at 9:27 PM

I believe in freedom of artistic expression. However, I found it too disingenuous, performance for performance's sake. My point is that if someone without her pedigree had been invited onto the stage and had done the same thing, I doubt it would be celebrated. IT'S A GREEN ROOM MOMENT... My way or no way.

Constance La France

October 25, 2017 at 6:06 PM

aaah.. that was horrible, I am pretty open minded but that is not poetry to me, not sure what that is but she can rock on without me, I'm amazed she has accomplished so much with that sort of performance. Do you like it Cyndi?

Debbie Guzzi

October 28, 2017 at 7:55 PM

yikes Sis, is she your teacher? By teaching "this" you mean what?

Debbie Guzzi

October 26, 2017 at 7:44 PM

ditto!

Cyndi Macmillan

October 25, 2017 at 6:28 PM

No. I do not like it. I like spoken word but disliked this performance as it did not move me. In the course that I'm taking, I am in the minority, however. She actually TEACHES this approach???

Frederic Parker

October 25, 2017 at 5:18 PM

Could not finish it.I not only did not like it, I found nothing that would draw me to it.It was beyond my ability to comprehend its purpose, other than expose my ears and senses to an unwelcome sound...

Cyndi Macmillan

October 25, 2017 at 6:36 PM

And--to be honest--I prefer poetry on the page and dislike intonation, gestures and facial expressions being used to power-up weak text. She CAN write. She also likes theater, however, and wrote this specifically to be performed.

Cyndi Macmillan

October 25, 2017 at 6:30 PM

Thanks, Frederic. I think its that the wailing doesn't really suit a political rant, in my view. However, if this poem had been about the death of a child, and she'd wailed and screeched, the keening would have hit me differently? This left me cold, too.

Charlie Smith

October 25, 2017 at 5:03 PM

If this is a definition of art, I'm a neophyte and stand proud of that fact...

Cyndi Macmillan

October 25, 2017 at 6:31 PM

:) Thanks for the taking the time to listen and reply. Cheers!

Craig Cornish

October 25, 2017 at 8:27 AM

Good thing it's Halloween, good god it is horrible in every way and that's a euphemism. Yes, it moves me to escape from it.

Cyndi Macmillan

October 25, 2017 at 6:40 PM

Why hello you! Ha! I've read such gorgeous poetry in the course I'm taking, but this had even me, Ms. Contemporary, rule-breaking, just-go-for-it shaking my head no, no, NO!!! I even loved STEIN, Kerouac and I've peeked ahead to language poetry. This is the only thing I couldn't stand.

Previous Blogs

Ekphrastic Writing Within Fiction. An Article published in CRIMEREADS
Date Posted: 5/10/2023 10:26:00 AM

Publishing News, a Dream Come True, and an Article on Ekphrastic Writing
Date Posted: 4/15/2023 5:52:00 AM

A WRITER'S DREAM COME TRUE
Date Posted: 7/19/2022 7:17:00 AM

My novel will be published by Crooked Lane Books
Date Posted: 3/21/2022 12:16:00 PM

HOW THE POSITION OF POET LAUREATE HAS CHANGED
Date Posted: 11/6/2017 3:12:00 PM

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS? OPEN DISCUSSION.
Date Posted: 10/24/2017 7:59:00 PM

Emotion in poetry: laying it on heavy by leaving it to the reader, a response to Brian's Blog
Date Posted: 9/1/2017 5:00:00 PM

POETRY TOOLBOX SERIES: CONNOTATION
Date Posted: 7/12/2017 8:51:00 AM

RESOURCE LINKS TO POETRY JOURNALS & EXCELLENT POETRY ARTICLES. HELP YOURSELF :)
Date Posted: 6/12/2017 5:27:00 PM

A HAIKU SHABU SHABU PUB - SHOP TALK & SMALL TALK.
Date Posted: 6/9/2017 8:07:00 PM

THE POETRY PUB: SMORGASBORD
Date Posted: 5/26/2017 9:14:00 PM

THE POETRY PUB: CONTEMPORARY RHYME & THE NEW FORMALISM
Date Posted: 5/5/2017 12:19:00 PM

***EDIT. ALL FIVE MOSIACS COMPLETE. THANKS FOR PLAYING THE WORD PAIRING GAME. THE PAIRINGS WERE AWESOME!
Date Posted: 4/20/2017 2:06:00 PM

POETRY PUB: EMOTIVE. READ AND BLEED.****EDIT*****MORE ON THE POEM GRIEF!
Date Posted: 3/20/2017 11:32:00 PM

POET PUB: LET THERE BE LIGHT... (and poetics, friendly disagreements, shared observations and hot apple cider...)
Date Posted: 1/15/2017 9:11:00 AM

5 PROOF BLOG. IF YOU ENTERED A POEM, PLEASE READ THIS. JOIN IN ON THE DISCUSSION.
Date Posted: 2/25/2016 11:16:00 AM

POET PUB, TONIGHT'S SPECIAL: EXTRA TENDER, EASY TO DIGEST
Date Posted: 1/25/2016 9:40:00 PM

THE POET PUB, GRAND OPENING, NO WIFI, WARM SEATS
Date Posted: 1/11/2016 9:28:00 PM

CONTEST: 5 PROOF: FREE VERSE THAT SHOWS IT AIN'T NO PROSE
Date Posted: 12/23/2015 6:30:00 AM

A CLOSER LOOK AT PUNCTUATION. SOME, PLENTY, NONE.
Date Posted: 5/25/2015 10:05:00 PM

WORK WORK WORK! WAY TO GO! AND HOW TO USE AN ELLIPSIS.
Date Posted: 5/16/2015 8:51:00 AM

FARMHOUSE: Uncommon word pairings poem #2
Date Posted: 4/9/2015 6:02:00 PM

WHATTA PAIR YOU GOT THERE: A WORKSHOP ON IMAGERY AND WORD PAIRINGS
Date Posted: 4/7/2015 9:30:00 PM

MEMORIAL TRIBUTE ON THE CONTEST PAGE: A WORD COLLAGE FOR CHAN. PLEASE, Take up the challenge. <3
Date Posted: 11/10/2014 9:30:00 AM

A LOVE-IN & WAKE FOR CHAN. ALL SOUPERS WELCOME. PLEASE ADD SOMETHING.
Date Posted: 11/9/2014 10:03:00 AM

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS? OPEN DISCUSSION.

??? So??? SAY WHATEVER YOU'D LIKE.

Post Comments

Previous Blogs

My Photos

Member Area

Soup Social

Member Poems

Member Poets

Famous Poems

Famous Poets

Poetry Resources