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A review by millennial_dandy
Stanyan Street and Other Sorrows: Poems by Rod McKuen, Rod McKuen
3.0
"Sometimes I think people were meant to be strangers" ~Channing Way, I
Apparently, Rod McKuen was one of those artists who at the time of his success had the misfortune of being mainstream, because we all know how anything mainstream is spoken of. Though if the reviews here, over 50 years on, mean anything, he's remembered more fondly now.
I had never heard of this fellow, so I read the collection without the baggage of knowing what anyone else thought of his work at the time he was popular; just found this at a thrift store and liked the cut of its jib.
Many of the poems in this collection appear to have been written when the poet was in his mid 20s to early 30s, and is largely about the ennui that coming out of your 20s brings with it. Especially when reflecting on love and how all-consuming it feels during that period, and how devastating it is to lose it.
Like a lot of poetry, his style sometimes worked for me, sometimes didn't. The straightforward simplicity of it was described by one GR reviewer as being the precursor to 'Instagram poetry' -- itself looked upon with derision by many for its hallmark straightforwardness that not everyone would even consider to be 'true' poetry.
Ariel Bissett did an interesting deep dive into Instagram poetry in which she explores how far from 'ruining' poetry, the accessibility of it that leads to its wider appeal actually makes it more relevant.
McKuen's poetry, at least in this collection, definitely fits into that conversation of 'what is poetry'? though it would be hard, I reckon, to deny the poetic lens he viewed the world with given some of the choice lines he came up with. He also had a crazy amount of success crossing his poetry over into music and he not only got to work with artists like Johnny Cash, Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra, and Barbra Streisand, but in 1968 he won a Grammy for 'Best Spoken Word' album. And all that in addition to his work writing music for film. Across his career, he estimated he wrote a total of over 2,000 songs and 70 books, selling over 1 million copies in 1968 alone. So whatever else anyone might think, he was certainly industrious.
He was also an LGBT rights activist, starting in the 1950s and culminating in more prominent activism in the 70s once he had a bigger platform. In particular, he famously protested against Anita Bryant, then Florida Citrus spokesperson and face of the 'Save the Children' campaign, a movement that leaves an impact even today. At the time she was quoted as saying: "Homosexuals cannot reproduce—so they must recruit, and to freshen their ranks, they must recruit the youth of America." In response, he released the protest song 'Don't Drink the Orange Juice'.
Despite this, and a long history of doing charity concerts during the AIDS crisis, McKuen never seems to have identified with any label himself, saying in a 2004 interview with the Associated Press :
Given such an extraordinary career, maybe one would expect his actual work to be extraordinary too. I wouldn't go that far, but then, nothing suggests that he meant it to be, seemingly more concerned with capturing something ubiquitous of the human experience and human emotion. And he must have, because I'm a 20-something reading his poetry in 2023 and I can see myself in some of it.
Apparently, Rod McKuen was one of those artists who at the time of his success had the misfortune of being mainstream, because we all know how anything mainstream is spoken of. Though if the reviews here, over 50 years on, mean anything, he's remembered more fondly now.
I had never heard of this fellow, so I read the collection without the baggage of knowing what anyone else thought of his work at the time he was popular; just found this at a thrift store and liked the cut of its jib.
Many of the poems in this collection appear to have been written when the poet was in his mid 20s to early 30s, and is largely about the ennui that coming out of your 20s brings with it. Especially when reflecting on love and how all-consuming it feels during that period, and how devastating it is to lose it.
Like a lot of poetry, his style sometimes worked for me, sometimes didn't. The straightforward simplicity of it was described by one GR reviewer as being the precursor to 'Instagram poetry' -- itself looked upon with derision by many for its hallmark straightforwardness that not everyone would even consider to be 'true' poetry.
Ariel Bissett did an interesting deep dive into Instagram poetry in which she explores how far from 'ruining' poetry, the accessibility of it that leads to its wider appeal actually makes it more relevant.
McKuen's poetry, at least in this collection, definitely fits into that conversation of 'what is poetry'? though it would be hard, I reckon, to deny the poetic lens he viewed the world with given some of the choice lines he came up with. He also had a crazy amount of success crossing his poetry over into music and he not only got to work with artists like Johnny Cash, Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra, and Barbra Streisand, but in 1968 he won a Grammy for 'Best Spoken Word' album. And all that in addition to his work writing music for film. Across his career, he estimated he wrote a total of over 2,000 songs and 70 books, selling over 1 million copies in 1968 alone. So whatever else anyone might think, he was certainly industrious.
He was also an LGBT rights activist, starting in the 1950s and culminating in more prominent activism in the 70s once he had a bigger platform. In particular, he famously protested against Anita Bryant, then Florida Citrus spokesperson and face of the 'Save the Children' campaign, a movement that leaves an impact even today. At the time she was quoted as saying: "Homosexuals cannot reproduce—so they must recruit, and to freshen their ranks, they must recruit the youth of America." In response, he released the protest song 'Don't Drink the Orange Juice'.
Despite this, and a long history of doing charity concerts during the AIDS crisis, McKuen never seems to have identified with any label himself, saying in a 2004 interview with the Associated Press :
I am sexual by nature and I continue to fall in love with people and with any luck human beings of both sexes will now and again be drawn to me. I can’t imagine choosing one sex over the other, that’s just too limiting. I can’t even honestly say I have a preference. I’m attracted to different people for different reasons.
I do identify with the Gay Rights struggle, to me that battle is about nothing more or less than human rights. I marched in the 50’s and 60’s to protest the treatment of Blacks in this country and I’m proud of the fact that I broke the color barrier in South Africa by being the first artist to successfully demand integrated seating at my concerts. I am a die-hard feminist and will continue to speak out for women’s rights as long as they are threatened. These, of course, are all social issues and have nothing to do with my sex life (although admittedly I’ve met some pretty hot people of both sexes on the picket line.)
Given such an extraordinary career, maybe one would expect his actual work to be extraordinary too. I wouldn't go that far, but then, nothing suggests that he meant it to be, seemingly more concerned with capturing something ubiquitous of the human experience and human emotion. And he must have, because I'm a 20-something reading his poetry in 2023 and I can see myself in some of it.
I used to be afraid to look completely real
the sun was just my friend sometimes
when brown from sea and sky made things all right -
always afraid to be anything but young
and envying beauty
even on the face of strangers
Is this what growing up means
the reality of lighting over public mirrors?
Or is my confidence in love so great
that I worry not
to let you see me at my worst? ~Camera