blogging about other bloggers day -- jillian clark

THE MOST IMPORTANT AND SERIOUS ESSAY EVER WRITTEN ABOUT JILLIAN CLARK

Jillian Clark is the author of “if I am in a room full of people, I am not having any fun,” published May 30, 2008 by Blurb. She lives in North Carolina.

Her main blog, www.almostrevelations.blogspot.com began on June 6th, 2007 and until December 6th, 2007 featured only her poetry which caught the eye of several bloggers, including author Tao Lin who was an early supporter of Clark’s work (and continues to be) and plays an essential role in Clarks continued rise in popularity.

For example, on October 20th, 2007, Tao Lin comments on Clark’s blog. And again on November 13th, 2007, Lin comments that he will publish her posted poem on the web journal 3 a.m. (of which Lin is poetry editor). The poem,“I don’t want to play guitar,” is published on December 2nd, 2007, and debuts Clark’s talent:

i just want to study
and drink a capri-sun
and feel like a three year old
and eat noodles
and listen to music that makes me tired
and fall asleep sitting under my covers
with my face in my notebook
i want to read everything on the internet
and still have time to study
actually i want to make a list of what my priorites should be
and then rearrange them

i will read everything
and i will fail my tests
and i will drink another capri sun

this was not actually a poem
this is actually the truth
straight from me to you

what i am feeling right now
i will do this more often

Negative critical responses to Clarks work (see below) argue that the work is “post Tao Lin” and “post Miranda July.” These hazy and vague labels conjure a specific kind of poetry, but what Clark does is something different. For example, in the third stanza of the above poem: “this was not actually a poem / this is actually the truth / straight from me to you / what I am feeling right now.” The direct tone of the poem is quickly taken to a new height. Clark announces her intention, her desire to be as direct and honest as possible while fighting off the stale tags of typical poetry. It’s an effective move that I enjoy. Clark finishes the poem with the line “I will do this more often” perhaps stating her future intent in her poetic works.

Clark’s work tends to alter between direct, curious, innocent, compassionate, and filled with desire all within the same poem. And while the support of other more established online writers and bloggers has certainly helped increase interest (see Tao Lin’s June 11, 2008, post titled “I read jillian clark’s poetry book” and the increased comments on Clarks blog since this post) Clark has continually kept her blog simple by posting her work and does little to promote herself, and only occasionally does she mention Lin. When she does, it’s completely unselfish (ex, see Clark’s May 13, 2008, post mentioning her publication in phoenix arts magazine where she states “good things happen because of tao lin, I’m saying this to benefit tao lin…”). Clark consistently comes off as grateful and unselfish, as someone you would like to be friends with.

The negative criticism of Clark’s work came on June 12, 2008, in a comment posted by a blogger named dronemaedwe on a post announcing the release of Clark’s full length poetry book “if I am in a room full of people, I am not having any fun.”

The criticism reads:

“i'm sure you are all very nice, but is this really what our generation's literary tastes have come down to? as someone who has voraciously devoured all sorts of poetry (from the graciously minimal to the most challengingly complex) for more than 12 years, i find it pretty upsetting that this whole post-tao lin, post-miranda july stuff is now a genre unto itself. it just seems too easy. although it hasn't happened here so much, i note with interest that most peoples' 6-second blog comments in this aesthetic world seem to be at least as qualitatively crafted, hip, and coy as the work at hand. methinks the myspace culture has finally found another way to obsessively detail the neuroses of self and hope that you find it cute.”

Clark’s response:

“i'm sorry you feel that way, dronemaedwe
do you feel bad that you are picking on me and i am only sixteen years old
i don't understand what you mean by "too easy". i like reading work that evokes an immediate feeling - maybe it is something i can't name, but that makes it far more meaningful to me than something that i have to over-analyze to "understand" when it is something i don't care too much about in the first place
but i don't understand very much i am only sixteen years old and i haven't taken drivers ed and i probably haven't read as much poetry as you have i also do not include myself in the myspace "culture", seeing that i do not take a million pictures of myself from uncomfortable angles to make myself appear thin or "hXc", or write poetry 'to get attention 'i do not find poetry "cute", it is actually serious businesswe can be friends on myspace though if you want thank you.”

Jillian Clark is a member of the artist collective “Brain” and has aligned herself with the following writers who she has linked off her blog - most of which have commented on Clarks blog supporting her writing: Brandon Scott Gorrell, Colin Bassett, Daniel Bailey, Gena Mohwish (a close friend), Jereme Dean, Karissa, Kendra Grant Malone, Matthew Savoca, Nate Logan, Tao Lin, Ryan Manning, and Stephen Daniel Lewis. Most, if not all these writers share a similar aesthetic and it’s no surprise that Clark considers these people friends and good writers.

She also has the following side-project blogs: “mass elk suicide,” “There Are No Items That Require Attention,” (with Gena Mohwish) and “fondly, sincerely.”

After reading through her poems online – mostly from her blog – I gained a deep appreciation for what Jillian Clark does. Her poem in the journal Robot Melon, “I Thought It Was A Naked Person But It Was Just A Deer” is beautiful, surreal, funny, haunting, and heartfelt, and I found it to be the highlight of the entire second issue and one of the strongest Robot Melon has ever published.

I like Jillian Clark and I didn’t want to bring up the fact that yes, she is only sixteen years old, but there’s something refreshing and exciting about a poet so young writing so prolifically.

If when Jillian Clark wrote the line “i think the more i improve in writing poetry, the worse i get at talking to people,” is true, then there’s a good chance in the near future we will have a lot of good poetry and a very socially awkward Jillian Clark.

FOUR QUESTIONS WITH JILLIAN CLARK:

1) how do you feel about some stranger writing about you?

Jillian: it is a little funny, i'm actually really excited about it. i think it's nice talking to people who are "strangers" because you can skip a few steps, with writers at least.

2) what books are you looking forward to reading?

Jillian: things that my friends have recommended to me that i haven't quite gotten around to yet, like palahniuk. the guy who cuts my hair told me to read him, i don't know. also, poetry chapbooks and things like that, those are my favorite to read

3) when jillian clark is twenty five years old what will she be doing?

Jillian: when i am twenty five i think i will have a lot of hairless cats or a ball python. i think i will write a lot of poetry and i hope i will be content or reach "self actualization". i will drink a lot of coffee. but of course i left out things like college, but i don't know anything about college. i haven't really looked yet.


4) anything you would like to add or want the thirty people reading this to know?

Jillian: i want people to know that i will organize the scrapbooking scene once the blogosphere scene, or whatever this is, dies. anyone is welcome to join the scrapbooking scene.

Read more about bloggers writing about other bloggers:

Blake Butler writes about Mike Bushnell
Brandon Gorrell writes about Colin Bassett
Chris Killen writes about Ken Baumann
Colin Bassett writes about Chris Killen
Connor O'Brien writes about Tao Lin
Gena Mohwish writes about Sam Pink
Gene Morgan writes about Noah Cicero
Jereme Dean writes about Blake Butler
Jillian Clark writes about Kathryn Regina
Justin Rands writes about Matthew Savoca
Kathryn Regina writes about Kendra Malone
Ken Baumann writes about Jereme Dean
Kendra Malone writes about Brandon Gorrell
Matthew Savoca writes about Gena Mohwish
Mike Bushnell writes about Zachary German
Noah Cicero writes about Shane Jones
Sam Pink writes about Justin Rands
Shane Jones writes about Jillian Clark
Stephen Daniel Lewis writes about Two Tears Boy
Tao Lin writes about Gene Morgan
Two Tears Boy writes about Connor O'Brien
Zachary German writes about Stephen Daniel Lewis