Editing

Poem of the Day:
"Lisa Longs to Hold Harry" by Richard Holinger
Western Humanities Review, Winter 2010


Despite the strange date on this poem's publication (Winter 2010? Has this happened yet?), this piece perfectly coincides with the final work for my internship. For the past month or so we, the interns, have been working on researching and writing a longer and more journalistic piece for Foundwaves Magazine.

My piece focuses on the connections musicians draw between literature and music. I have been writing it for about four weeks now, but editing for about three. I think I have my four-page article memorized by now, as I'm sure the other interns do (we've edited one another's pieces so often). I'm ready to be done with it; good thing it's due tomorrow!

Holinger's poem is a reenactment of the editing process; "Cut" means simply that -- cutting a phrase/word/punctuation mark.

Here is Holinger's piece:


Lisa Longs to Hold Harry

Lisa longed to hold Harry
Cut
Lisa desired
Cut
Desiring Harry, Lisa
Cut
Desiring, Lisa
Cut
Lisa wanted Harry in the most
Cut
Lisa took Harry
Cut
Lisa surrounded Harry's hairy arms and begged for
Cut
Ever since Lisa was a little girl
Cut
Lisa as a little girl desired
Cut
The little girl playing in the sandbox hit the little boy with
Cut
When her family lived in Baltimore, Lisa
Cut
When her family lived in Boston, Lisa lost
Cut
When her family lived in San Francisco, Lisa stole a
Cut
When her family lived in a high rise overlooking Lincoln Park, Lisa explored the
Cut
Harry graduated a year before
Cut
Because he took summer classes, Harry
Cut
Lisa spent her summers alone. She worked at Marshall
Cut
Lisa looked longingly at the silver water pitcher perched on the glass shelf,
ruminating how
Cut
Even though they both attended Loyola University, Lisa
Cut
Harry bit his lip. Lisa sucked
Cut
When Harry bit down on a
Cut
Lisa had planned pot roast for the night she
Cut
Lisa picked up her cell to text Harry as she pulled over to exit North Avenue
Cut
Inside the burning car, Lisa wondered
Cut
Upside down, Lisa read Harry's
Cut
Hanging from her seatbelt, surrounded by flames, Lisa texted Harry, "I long
to hold you."


Holinger is perhaps a proponent of the "No Texting While Driving" laws?


Sincerely,
A Poem A Day Audrey