Jane Greer (poet)
Encyclopedia
Jane Greer is an American poet
. In 1981 she founded Plains Poetry Journal, a literary magazine that was an advance guard of the New Formalism
movement. In her "Editorial Manifesto," Greer wrote: "Through history, the best poetry has used certain conventions: meter, rhyme, alliteration, assonance, painstaking attention to diction. Not all good poems use all of these conventions, but if a poem uses none of them, why call it a poem?" She decried the sort of conversational free verse "that reads like random thoughts randomly written," and wrote, "All these attempts at unfettered individuality sound alike." Greer edited Plains Poetry Journal until 1993, publishing the work of such noted poets as Frederick Turner
, Anthony M. Esolen
, and Judson Jerome
. In 1984, Writer's Digest
named Plains Poetry Journal the "#1 Non-paying U.S. Poetry Magazine."
Greer's poems have appeared in the anthologies A Formal Feeling Comes, edited by Annie Finch
, and A Garland for Harry Duncan, edited by W. Thomas Taylor, and in many journals, including Yale Literary Magazine
, First Things
, America
, and Chronicles
. For Chronicles she also wrote the monthly “Letters from the Heartland” column. Her ideas about poetics and esthetics are further elaborated in a short essay, "Art Is Made," in A Formal Feeling Comes.
Her 1986 book, Bathsheba on the Third Day, was hand-printed by printer Harry Duncan at The Cummington Press. Greer has taught writing at Bismarck State College
. For two decades she worked as a civil servant for the State of North Dakota.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. In 1981 she founded Plains Poetry Journal, a literary magazine that was an advance guard of the New Formalism
New Formalism
New Formalism is a late-20th and early 21st century movement in American poetry that has promoted a return to metrical and rhymed verse.-Origins and intentions:...
movement. In her "Editorial Manifesto," Greer wrote: "Through history, the best poetry has used certain conventions: meter, rhyme, alliteration, assonance, painstaking attention to diction. Not all good poems use all of these conventions, but if a poem uses none of them, why call it a poem?" She decried the sort of conversational free verse "that reads like random thoughts randomly written," and wrote, "All these attempts at unfettered individuality sound alike." Greer edited Plains Poetry Journal until 1993, publishing the work of such noted poets as Frederick Turner
Frederick Turner (poet)
is an American poet, polymath and academic. He is the author of two science fiction epic poems, The New World and Genesis, several books of poetry, and a number of scholarly works on topics ranging from beauty and the biological basis of artistic production and appreciation to complexity and Julius...
, Anthony M. Esolen
Anthony M. Esolen
Anthony M. Esolen is a professor of English at Providence College and noted translator of classic works, as well as a popular writer for magazines like the Claremont Review and Touchstone, of which he is a senior editor. He has translated Dante's Divine Comedy, Lucretius' On the Nature of Things,...
, and Judson Jerome
Judson Jerome
Judson Jerome was an American poet, author, and literary critic, perhaps best known for having written the poetry column for Writer's Digest for thirty years....
. In 1984, Writer's Digest
Writer's Digest
Writer's Digest is an American magazine devoted to both beginning and established writers, offering interviews, market listings, calls for manuscripts, and how-to articles....
named Plains Poetry Journal the "#1 Non-paying U.S. Poetry Magazine."
Greer's poems have appeared in the anthologies A Formal Feeling Comes, edited by Annie Finch
Annie Finch
Annie Finch is an American poet. She is author of numerous books of poetry as well as poetry translation, poetry anthologies and criticism, opera libretti, and poetic collaborations with visual art, music, theater, and dance. Her writings on poetry address topics including meter and prosody,...
, and A Garland for Harry Duncan, edited by W. Thomas Taylor, and in many journals, including Yale Literary Magazine
Yale Literary Magazine
The Yale Literary Magazine, founded in 1836, is the oldest literary magazine in the United States and publishes poetry and fiction by Yale undergraduates twice per academic year.The magazine is published biannually...
, First Things
First Things
First Things is an ecumenical journal focused on creating a "religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society". The journal is inter-denominational and inter-religious, representing a broad intellectual tradition of Christian and Jewish critique of contemporary society...
, America
America (magazine)
America is a national weekly magazine published by the American Jesuits that contains news and opinion about Catholicism and how it relates to American politics and cultural life....
, and Chronicles
Chronicles (magazine)
Chronicles is a U.S. monthly magazine published by the Rockford Institute. Its full current name is Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture. The magazine is known for promoting anti-globalism, anti-intervention and anti-immigration stances within conservative politics, and is considered one of...
. For Chronicles she also wrote the monthly “Letters from the Heartland” column. Her ideas about poetics and esthetics are further elaborated in a short essay, "Art Is Made," in A Formal Feeling Comes.
Her 1986 book, Bathsheba on the Third Day, was hand-printed by printer Harry Duncan at The Cummington Press. Greer has taught writing at Bismarck State College
Bismarck State College
Bismark State College is the third largest college in the North Dakota University System with approximately 4200 students. It is a comprehensive community college that offers two-year and four-year degree plans. BSC offers the first two years of education toward a bachelor's degree in most fields...
. For two decades she worked as a civil servant for the State of North Dakota.