Check out Julia's dog poem over on Eagle's Wing.

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Just finished Digressions on Some Poems of Frank O'Hara over the Thanksgiving holiday. It really should have won the National Book Award for non-fiction, and fiction too: it reads like a wonderful novel. Joe LeSueur is not a literary critic, and the structure of the book really is digressive, but there is still a clear "plot." The characters are unforgettable, especially Frank himself and the narrator. Joe knows he isn't in the same league as F O'H; he is an aspiring writer who doesn't write that much, from what we can see. His idea of what to do with his life is to be in the presence of greatness, rather than being great himself. Lest you think I'm being cruel, this is pretty much what he himself says. The relationship between Joe and Frank is at the center of the book. This relationship--a partnership and almost brotherhood rather than a passionate love affair--shifts depending on who Frank's (and Joe's) other intimate friends and lovers are at any given moment. Joe is more concerned with showing Frank in a positive light than looking good himself.

The book is hilarious, gossipy, and extremely moving. He is harsh with some figures from the period, but (with a few exceptions [LeRoi Jones]) his primary aim is not to "settle scores."