This is a great lecture for young writers, and some beautiful reading for anyone who liked his stuff from last Friday. Komunyakaa isn't just a great writer, he is one of the best readers in the business. Dig the part where he talks about building a poem--it's true for all writing, and I think all story-telling. I remember watching Mad Men and getting the same feeling one might have admiring a great piece of architecture.
Here's
a link to Venus's Fly Traps, which he reads in this lecture.
See web-only content:
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2008/11/a-yusef-komunyakaa-bonus-beat/6270/
This article available online at:
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2008/11/a-yusef-komunyakaa-bonus-beat/6270/
