Science is one of the greatest achievements of humans. It helps us understand the world, solve problems, and improve our life. But with every scientific discovery comes a responsibility to use it wisely. Ethics guides us to make sure science is used for the benefit of all, not for harm.
Modern society depends on science and technology. Innovations like artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and communication tools change the way we work, learn, and interact. However, science without ethics can be dangerous. For example, new technologies can give great advantages, but they may also create unfairness, privacy issues, or environmental problems. Ethics teaches us to ask not only what we can do, but what we should do.
Studying science and ethics together helps us make better choices. The decisions we make today in using technology will affect our habits, our society, and the future. Awareness, responsibility, and careful thinking are the key to using science and technology in a positive and fair way.
In conclusion, science is powerful, but ethics gives it meaning and direction. Every decision, invention, or action matters. By combining knowledge and morality, we can create a world that is not only advanced but also fair, safe, and sustainable.
Abstract: This article highlights the scientific legacy of Abu Nasr al-Farabi, a great thinker of the Eastern Renaissance, and his influence on the development of modern fields. The scholar’s ideas on logic, philosophy, education, and society are analyzed, with special emphasis on his role in the processes of speech, thinking, and scientific analysis. The article demonstrates the relevance of al-Farabi’s views to today’s scientific and practical activities and emphasizes that his legacy is an important source in the formation and development of my field.
The development of every field is closely connected with the research, scientific ideas, and heritage of great scholars who lived and created in their time. One of the scholars who had the greatest influence on my field is Abu Nasr al-Farabi, who was honored with the high title “Muallim as-Sani” — the “Second Teacher” of the East. Al-Farabi’s ideas about human thinking, science, and the development of society have remained relevant not only in his own time but also today.
In 941, the scholar began living in poverty in Damascus. Despite this, he continued to pursue knowledge and conducted research in philosophy and other sciences. He gained the respect and patronage of the ruler of Aleppo, Sayf al-Dawla Hamdanid (reigned 943–967), who was known as a supporter of scholars. Although the ruler invited al-Farabi to his palace, he preferred to live a free and independent life. Nevertheless, his life in Aleppo was productive, and he wrote many of his works there. Between 949–950, al-Farabi lived in Egypt and later returned to Damascus, where he spent the last years of his life. He was buried in the Bab al-Saghir cemetery in Damascus. According to available sources, al-Farabi wrote more than 160 works, although many of them have not survived. Even the existing treatises prove his greatness as a scholar.
Al-Farabi created during the early Middle Ages, in the period of the Eastern Renaissance, which was characterized by the growth of productive forces, the development of crafts, irrigation systems, the construction of new cities, and the flourishing of cultural and spiritual life. Trade expanded in the 9th–10th centuries, especially with India, China, Byzantium, and African countries. Although the period was not free from conflicts, al-Farabi’s philosophical views reflected both the achievements and the contradictions of his time.
One of his greatest contributions to science was interpreting and enriching the works of Greek philosophers with new ideas. Al-Farabi wrote commentaries on Aristotle and was known as a promoter and continuer of his natural philosophical ideas. He also commented on the works of Plato, Alexander of Aphrodisias, Euclid, Ptolemy, and Porphyry. Moreover, he was familiar with the works of Hippocrates, Epicurus, Anaxagoras, Diogenes, Chrysippus, Aristippus, Socrates, and Zeno, and had a deep understanding of Epicurean, Stoic, Pythagorean, and Cynic schools.
Al-Farabi developed a comprehensive classification of sciences, considered perfect in the Middle Ages. In his treatises “On the Origin of the Sciences” and “On the Classification of the Sciences,” he described nearly thirty fields of knowledge known in his time. One of his important ideas is his doctrine of the universal intellect and universal soul, which he considered eternal. According to him, the human soul and intellect do not disappear after death but unite with the universal intellect and soul. In this teaching, there are profound ideas about the eternity of the world, the immortality of human essence, and the continuity of human knowledge and spiritual culture. Al-Farabi also substantiated the rational method of knowledge and emphasized observation, debate, sensory perception, and scientific reasoning.
One of the qualities that made al-Farabi great was his boundless love for knowledge and his belief that knowledge is the main criterion of life. He created major works in logic, philosophy, music, mathematics, linguistics, and political science. His logical ideas later had a strong influence on European science and helped deepen the understanding of Aristotle’s works.
Why do we need al-Farabi?
First, because he established the fundamental principles of science in fields such as logic, philosophy, politics, music, pedagogy, and psychology. Much of modern scientific thinking is based on his ideas.
Second, because he presented ideas that lead humans toward perfection. His work “The Virtuous City” discusses the ideal society and the perfect human being, and its ideas about education, morality, and governance remain important today.
Third, because he unified knowledge by emphasizing the interconnection of all sciences, which forms the basis of modern interdisciplinary studies.
Fourth, because he teaches us how to think — to analyze logically, rely on evidence, and study knowledge systematically, which is essential for success in any field.
Fifth, because his legacy still addresses modern problems such as justice, governance, morality, and education, proving that his ideas remain timeless.
In my field — language, literature, and scientific analysis — al-Farabi’s greatest contribution is his scientific explanation of the relationship between thought and speech. Through logical categories such as concept, judgment, and conclusion, he developed a methodology for correctly understanding and interpreting texts. Today, concepts such as text analysis, argumentation, and logical speech are rooted in al-Farabi’s works. Furthermore, his ideas about society in “The Virtuous City” correspond to many aspects of modern democratic principles, and his views on education continue to influence modern pedagogy.
The scholar’s legacy strengthens my love for knowledge, deepens my thinking, and reminds me that every word and every idea must have a logical foundation. Al-Farabi teaches the eternity of knowledge and the limitless nature of human thought. Therefore, I consider it an honor to follow his path in my field and draw inspiration from his scientific heritage.
References:
1.National Encyclopedia of Uzbekistan, Vol. 1, “Farabi,” Tashkent, 2000, p. 412.
2.Jumaboyev, Y. From the History of the Development of Philosophical and Ethical Thought in Uzbekistan, Tashkent, 1997, p. 187.
3.Al-Farabi, The Virtuous City, Tashkent: Yangi Asr Avlodi, 2010, p. 164.
4.Yuldashev, M. Al-Farabi’s Philosophy and the Eastern Renaissance, Tashkent, 2005, p.
214.
Halilova Ruxshona Abdufattohovna was born on October 16, 2007, in Sariosiyo district of Surkhandarya region. She is currently a first-year student at the Denov Institute of Entrepreneurship and Pedagogy, Faculty of Philology, majoring in Uzbek Language and Literature. She holds a National Certificate in her native language. In addition, she has obtained more than 100 international and local certificates. She is a member of the Argentine “Science and Literature Writers” Association and has a membership certificate. Her articles are indexed on Google, and her creative works have been included in many anthologies. She has also participated in several prestigious competitions.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has moved from being a futuristic concept to a significant part of our daily lives. Nowadays, AI impacts many aspects of how we live, work, and communicate. From smartphones to healthcare, AI technologies are shaping the modern world in ways that were once unimaginable. This essay dedicates the impact of AI on daily life, education, work, and society, providing both its benefits and challenges.
In our everyday life, AI is everywhere. Smart assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant help people manage tasks quickly and efficiently. They can set reminders, answer questions, or even control home devices. Online services, such as recommendation systems on Netflix or YouTube, use AI to predict what we might like, making entertainment more personal. AI also improves communication through real-time translation apps, allowing people from different countries to understand each other easily. These technologies save time, increase productivity, and make life more convenient for millions of people worldwide.
AI is also transforming education and work. In schools and universities, AI-powered platforms provide personalized learning experiences. Students can receive guidance based on their strengths and weaknesses, making studying more effective. For instance, AI tutors can help students practice languages, solve math problems, or prepare for exams. In the workplace, AI assists in automating repetitive tasks, analyzing data, and supporting decision-making. Businesses use AI to improve customer service, optimize production, and predict market trends. These applications not only save time but also allow professionals to focus on more creative and strategic tasks.
On the one hand, AI also has some challenges. One major concern is the potential loss of jobs. Automation may replace certain roles, especially in industries that rely on routine work. Another issue is privacy and security. AI systems often collect large amounts of personal data, raising questions about how this information is used and protected. Additionally, there is the risk of bias in AI algorithms, which can lead to unfair decisions in areas like hiring or lending. These challenges show that while AI offers great opportunities, society must carefully manage its development and use.
In conclusion, Artificial Intelligence is changing the way we live, learn, and work. Its influence is visible in everyday tasks, educational tools, and professional environments. While AI brings numerous benefits, it also requires responsible management to prevent negative consequences. As technology continues to evolve, it is essential to balance innovation with ethics and security. The future of AI is promising, but it also depends on how we, as a society, choose to use it. Will AI help us achieve more, or will it create new challenges? The answer will shape the coming decades.
My name is Saida Turdiboyeva Obid qizi, and I am a second-year student at the University of World Languages in Uzbekistan, majoring in English Philology. I am passionate about reading, writing, and exploring new ideas, especially in technology and education. I enjoy writing essays and articles that reflect my perspective on current trends, such as the impact of Artificial Intelligence on daily life.
REFLECTIONS ON THE CONCEPT OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
Abduolimova Diyora Student at Uzbekistan State University of World Languages abduolimovadiyora@gmail.com
Abstract: This thesis analyzes the main principles of inclusive education, its social and psychological significance, and the development directions in Uzbekistan. Inclusive education aims to integrate children with special needs into society. The thesis provides detailed information on the impact of inclusive education on children’s psychology, the necessity of teacher training, and the strategies that need to be implemented in the future.
Keywords: Inclusive education, children with disabilities, psychological development, Uzbekistan, Salamanca Declaration, social integration, teacher training.
Annotatsiya:Ushbu tezis inklyuziv ta’limning asosiy tamoyillari, uning ijtimoiy va psixologik ahamiyati hamda O‘zbekistondagi rivojlanish yo‘nalishlarini tahlil qiladi. Inklyuziv ta’lim maxsus ehtiyojga ega bolalarni jamiyatga integratsiya qilishni maqsad qiladi. Tezisda inklyuziv ta’limning bolalar psixologiyasiga ta’siri, o‘qituvchilarni tayyorlash zarurati hamda kelajakda amalga oshirilishi lozim bo‘lgan strategiyalar haqida batafsil ma’lumot berilgan.
Kalit so‘zlar:Inklyuziv ta’lim, nogironligi bo‘lgan bolalar, psixologik rivojlanish, O‘zbekiston, Salamanka Deklaratsiyasi, ijtimoiy integratsiya, o‘qituvchilarni tayyorlash.
Аннотация:В данной работе анализируются основные принципы инклюзивного образования, его социальное и психологическое значение, а также направления развития в Узбекистане. Инклюзивное образование направлено на интеграцию детей с особыми потребностями в общество. В работе представлена подробная информация о влиянии инклюзивного образования на психологию детей, необходимости подготовки учителей и стратегиях, которые необходимо реализовать в будущем.
Ключевые слова:Инклюзивное образование, дети с инвалидностью, психологическое развитие, Узбекистан, Саламанкская декларация, социальная интеграция, подготовка учителей.
The education system for children with disabilities is crucial in ensuring equality in society. Every child, regardless of their health status, has the right to an education. However, traditional education systems often fail to meet the needs of children with disabilities. Inclusive education is an approach aimed at ensuring that every child, including those with special needs, has access to quality education. This approach emphasizes the importance of creating conditions where all children, including those with special needs, can learn together and be fully integrated into society. Many educators, educational specialists and psychologists have provided explanations about the essence of inclusive education and its unique features. The Salamanca Declaration, approved by UNESCO in 1994, established the global foundations of inclusive education, urging nations to ensure that children with disabilities are included in general education systems. The declaration states, “Children with special needs should not be excluded from education but should learn alongside other children.” This document has greatly contributed to the development of inclusive education worldwide.
The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education also present the key principles and approaches necessary for the implementation of inclusive education. The document outlines essential measures for optimizing education systems and creating equal opportunities for all children. The book Special Educational Needs, Inclusion and Diversity, published by Frederickson and Cline in 2002, provides an in-depth analysis of inclusive education and the education of children with special needs. This work presents important approaches to the main principles of inclusive education, its development, and methodology. The book discusses how to include children with special needs in the learning process, how to develop their roles within the educational process, and how to integrate them into society while addressing both theoretical and practical issues.
Basic Concepts of Special Needs and Inclusion: In their work, Frederickson and Cline deeply explore the concept of children with special educational needs and the essence of inclusive education. The goal of inclusive education is not only to adapt education for children with special needs but also to provide flexible educational opportunities for all children according to their needs. Inclusive education is viewed as a system that helps raise children as equal and active citizens in society.
Diversification of the Education System: The book also discusses the necessity of changing and diversifying the education system. Inclusive education emphasizes creating a learning process tailored to all children, taking into account their social, cultural, and physical characteristics. This includes providing individual support to each child based on their needs and abilities.
Pedagogical Methodology: Frederickson and Cline place significant emphasis on preparing teachers for inclusive education. To effectively implement inclusive education, teachers need to have special methods and individualized approaches. The book presents the most effective ways to train teachers and pedagogical methodologies. For example, it discusses the need for educational programs suited to children’s specific needs, the adaptation of learning materials, and the variety of teaching methods.
Social Integration and Collaborative Learning: The book also discusses the relationship between inclusive education and social integration. Inclusive education is not only about acquiring knowledge but also about developing social skills, fostering intercultural understanding, and improving interactions between children. In an inclusive environment, both typically developing children and children with disabilities can learn together and find their place as equal members of society.
Practical Approaches and Challenges: Frederickson and Cline also analyze the practical challenges faced when implementing inclusive education. The book discusses issues such as the lack of preparation in educational institutions, difficulties in training teachers in special educational methods, and financial and resource shortages. The authors offer approaches and practical solutions to overcome these challenges.
Frederickson and Cline highlight the following important principles for successfully implementing inclusive education:
1. Equality and Fairness: Every child, whether healthy or disabled, should have equal rights to education. Creating equal opportunities for all children is the primary goal of inclusive education.
2. Adaptation and Individual Approach Since each child has different needs and abilities, it is crucial to adapt education and provide individualized approaches. Teachers should create flexible learning materials and methods for children with special needs. 3. Teamwork and Integration: In inclusive education, children should work together and develop their social skills. This helps every child find their place in society.
4. Optimization of the Education System: Educational institutions and classrooms must be adapted for children with special needs. Teachers should be trained in special methodologies, and the advantages of inclusive education should be promoted within society. In Uzbekistan, serious efforts are being made to develop inclusive education. In 2020, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan introduced national guidelines aimed at supporting children with disabilities in mainstream schools. However, the level of implementation differs across regions. Urban schools are generally better prepared, while rural schools often lack trained specialists and adapted educational materials. This shows that policy reforms must be supported by practical actions at the school level.
According to official data from the Ministry of Education (2020), only about 30% of public schools in Uzbekistan were partially adapted for inclusive education. This statistic highlights that infrastructure development remains one of the main challenges in the education system.
Azizova S. (2020) highlighted experiences related to the development of inclusive education in Uzbekistan in her dissertation. In her dissertation titled “Implementing Inclusive Education for Children with Special Needs: The Experience of Uzbekistan,” she analyzed Uzbekistan’s major achievements and challenges in the field of inclusive education. This research provides detailed information on the important steps in implementing inclusive education in Uzbekistan’s education system, as well as educational programs and pedagogical methodologies for children with special needs.
Azimov T. (2019) in his research analyzed the state of the education system for children with special needs in Uzbekistan, emphasizing that serious changes need to be made in the existing system. In his work titled “Education for Children with Special Needs: The Situation and Development in Uzbekistan,” he analyzed the reforms being carried out in Uzbekistan’s education system to develop inclusive education.
The main advantages of inclusive education include:
1. Social Equality and Inclusivity: Inclusive education creates equal opportunities for all children in society and helps them adapt to society. Every child, whether healthy or with disabilities, has the right to education. This is the main goal of the educational process.
2. Psychological Development: Inclusive education for children with special needs not only enhances their knowledge but also helps develop their self-confidence. Through this education, children feel like members of society and gain full confidence in their abilities.
3. Interpersonal Social Relations: Through inclusive education, children with special needs study alongside healthy children, developing their social skills through interaction. This helps them find their place in society.
There are some challenges in implementing inclusive education:
Unprepared Educational Institutions: Many schools and educational institutions lack the necessary infrastructure for children with special needs. The buildings and classrooms are not adapted for children with disabilities.
Unqualified Teachers: Teachers play a crucial role in the successful implementation of inclusive education. Training teachers in special education methodologies, creating individualized learning plans, and providing the necessary skills to consider the psychological and pedagogical development of children with special needs are essential for success.
Financial Resources: There is a shortage of financial and material resources needed to expand inclusive education. This hinders the quality of the education system. Although inclusive education policies exist in Uzbekistan, their real effectiveness depends on classroom practice. Many teachers still lack professional training in inclusive teaching methods, and large class sizes make it difficult to provide individual support. Without continuous teacher development and stable funding, inclusive education may remain theoretical rather than practical. Therefore, stronger monitoring and regular training programs are necessary.
The following directions are essential for developing inclusive education:
Improving Teacher Qualification: Teachers must be trained in the basic principles and methodologies of inclusive education, which will help them successfully organize the educational process.
Improving Infrastructure: Schools and educational institutions must be adapted for children with special needs, and necessary technical and psychological conditions must be created.
Promoting Public Awareness: It is essential to promote inclusive education widely and raise awareness about its benefits. People need to have more information about the advantages of inclusive education.
In conclusion, the primary goal of inclusive education is to ensure equal rights for children with disabilities to receive education and integrate them into society. This education system not only focuses on acquiring knowledge but also helps in the psychological and social development of children. With inclusive education, children can increase their self-confidence and find their place as members of society. While some steps have been taken to develop inclusive education in Uzbekistan, challenges still exist. Schools are not adequately adapted for children with disabilities, there are difficulties in training teachers in special education methods, and financial resources are lacking. Therefore, it is necessary to train teachers in inclusive education, adapt educational institutions, and raise public awareness about this issue. Only then will children with disabilities be able to find their place in society as equal citizens. Through inclusive education, the social, psychological, and spiritual development of every child is ensured, which contributes to the stability and development of society.
References
UNESCO. The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education. 1994.
Azizova,S. Implementing Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities: The Experience of Uzbekistan (dissertation). Tashkent State Pedagogical University, Tashkent, 2020.
Ministry of Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Directions for the Development of Inclusive Education. Tashkent, 2020.
Azimov,T. Education for Children with Disabilities: The Situation and Development in Uzbekistan. Tashkent: Ministry of Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 2019.
Frederickson, N., & Cline, T. Special Educational Needs, Inclusion, and Diversity. Open University Press, 2002.
My name is Diyora Abduolimova. I am a third-year bachelor’s student at Uzbekistan State University of World Languages. I study Foreign Language and Literature. I am interested in learning new languages and improving my communication skills. Currently, I am learning Korean and French. I like exploring different cultures and traditions. My hobbies include photography, nature walks, and reading books. I share my photography works on my Pinterest account and enjoy capturing natural beauty and meaningful moments.
Jeffrey Cyphers Wright received his MFA after studying with Allen Ginsberg.
A New Romantic poet, he is also a publisher, art and literary critic, eco-activist, impresario, filmmaker, and artist. He is author of 20 books of verse, including Blue Lyre,Party Everywhere, and Doppelängster; Self Portraits in a Funhouse Mirror. Wright publishes Live Mag! His work appears in Best American Poetry, 2023. He has received a Kathy Acker Award for both publishing and writing. His most recent collection called Fuel for Love, won the James Tate Award for poetry in 2023 and was published by SurVision Books. You can see Wrightt’s films and puppet shows on Youtube.
Hi, Uncle Fun. May I address you by this name? How did you become a poet? When did you write your first poem? What was the state of the American poetry scene when you first started out?
Ha ha. Yes, Yongbo, you may call me Uncle Fun. I am proud of that moniker. Ever since coming to New York in 1976 and falling under the spell of Ted Berrigan and Saint Mark’s, I realized poetry should always be fun. That doesn’t mean it should always be funny.
When I started out, the scene was morphing from a lot of formalism to include new modes of expression. There were the Beats. Black Mountain College. Bukowski. And then a lot of small presses started up. A D.I.Y. (Do it Yourself) spirit took hold.
2. What was your breakthrough work or first poetry collection that drew attention from the poetry community?
I had an epiphany in Alice Notley’s workshop at St. Mark’s. Alice had the class do an Oulipo style writing exercise. She told us to write while she read a text out loud. Suddenly it clicked for me. I began cutting and pasting in my mind, creating a sort of high-toned, John Asbury type, faux narrative. The work is called “Malaise in Malaysia,:” It was published by Toothpaste Press (now Coffeehouse Press) with artwork by Yvonne Jacquette.
3. What characteristics distinguish your representative works from those of your contemporaries?
Employment of the Apes, published in 1979, was racy and fast. It was both highbrow and low, mixing vernaculars and textual presentations. It included quotes from my poet friends and influences. It evoked a sense of family. I was raising two sons with my partner. Not everybody had kids. Importantly, the book also included visual works from Alice Notley, Andrei Codrescu, others, and myself.
My latest book, Erato’s Inbox, An AI-Luminated Manuscript, continues to be racy and include artwork. I asked AI image generators to portray lines from the book-length poem. Like Employment of the Apes, this book relied on some collaboration, notably from publisher and designer Barbara Rosenthal of Xanadu Press.
My work still highlights imagery, wordplay, lyricism, and persona. It is at once very formal and very spontaneous. It contains more surrealist imagery than my peers. And I think I have more anthropomorphism than much of American poetry. I let nature do the talking sometimes. Even if it’s urban nature, like a nightclub or a train window.
There’s a haute punk troubadour element that is authentic to the East Village where I’ve lived so long. My work also reflects a broad exposure to American mythology. I’ve lived in ten states (plus London). My persona is grand and aspires to be a folk hero, projecting a winning attitude and providing evidence of a moral core.
4. What stages of development has your poetry gone through? What are the representative works and main themes of each stage? Could you elucidate them with specific poem examples?
My first real poem was New Romantic though I didn’t start using that term for another decade. “The day you left… left scars in the sky where stars fled, the drawers full of blood, washed and folded like so many days.”
It had lyric lines and surreal images just as I do now. But it did not yet have much texture or many different voices coming in. It was basically a break up poem. I think the sense of trying to unite with an “other” has always been my main theme.
I began writing sonnets in earnest in graduate school at Brooklyn College. The love poems of Sir Thomas Wyatt especially hit me. I also had “The Sonnets” by Ted Berrigan to encourage and enlighten me. Free-form poetry and open field poetry offered too many choices about how to present words on a page. The sonnet form gave me structure. For similar reasons, I also like to write haiku. Because of the structure, but also because of the erudite, civilized content that is associated with these two forms.
Walking on Words from 1996, Vendetta/Iniquity Press(with a cover by Ron English), was fairly developed in content and lyricism. Flourish, from 2004, was my first book of all sonnets — all of them with differing stanza arrangements.
5. Which postmodern school do you belong to? What is your view on the role of postmodernism, and what changes has it brought to American poetry?
Well, it’s funny, because there are so many currents, from prose poems to hybrid texts like Claudia Rankine’s popular book Citizen. There’s an academic tradition that is about precision and reference and confessional, narrative poems. There’s spoken word and rap-style poetics and confessional poems and identity poems. There are eco poems and resistance poems. Experimental poems. I’ve used Flarf techniques, which is a response to the internet in some ways, offering countless cut-up possibilities.
There’s not much consensus but there is endless style. All poets probably want their poems to have relevance. And there are different ways to get there. I’m drawn to poems that project a contemporary persona but have a deep knowledge of history, art, religion, mythology, and literature. I like to see reflections of former literature resonating in newer work. I try to keep up as much as I can, old and new. As my girlfriend says, “You should read twenty poems to write one.”
6. You have three renowned teachers: Allen Ginsberg, Ted Berrigan, and Alice Notley. What did they teach you?
Great question. Allen was very much about meter and milieu. He said to me, “If you aren’t writing by meter, you’re writing by the seat of your pants.” And I very much was — I actually wanted my work to come from the edge. Every line to stand alone. As my style developed I became more aware of meter. Visually, I didn’t want lines that were too long or too short. This forced the poems to scan. Now my poems have meter.
Ted was very inspiring. He was a great reader, his voice was full of timbre, indicating variously, authority, humor, love — pathos. He told me that a poem didn’t have to be perfect. It just had to work. That has saved many of my poems.
Ted also said to “Write with radio on.” He meant that we should let the world into our poems. That was directional and liberating. Ted also gave me a model of a totally dedicated artist. And he liked the adage: “A bad poet borrows, a good poet steals.”
Alice — Alice had a voice that fused poetry and life. So many of Alice’s poems are heartbreaking. “Who will know the desolation of St. Mark’s Place / With Alice Notley’s name forgotten and / This night never having been.”
She recognized my musicality and my sense of being in the moment. She wrote in preface to All in All (Gull Books, 1986) “Jeff Wright knows how to be, on the page, both in his house & in his imagination.” Alice reenforced the qualities that made me a New Romantic.
7. Which poets, predecessors and contemporaries, have had a significant influence on you?
My father could recite two poems: Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven” and Coleridge’s “Kubla Khan.” I loved Walt Whitman in Junior High School. When I was 15 our English teacher introduced us to ee cummings and I was in awe of the freedom he offered. That’s when I begin writing in earnest.
Before I came to New York, I was studying poetry at West Virginia University. Jayne Anne Phillips, the recent Pulitzer Prize winning novelist, was there and encouraged me. I had a job at the library which happened to have an amazing collection of foreign poets.
I was hugely inspired by Lorca and Mayakovsky. At the time I thought the American poetics were academic, stilted and overwrought. I did gravitate towards the more surrealist poetics of Robert Bly, James Wright, and Bill Knott. John Berryman. Prior to that, I had been inspired by T.S. Eliot and Dylan Thomas. Also, I’ve always felt a sense of kinship with Asian traditions, giants such as Li Po, Tu Fu, and Wang Wei. Some modern Chinese poets I admire greatly include Lao Zhin, Li Shangyin, and Duo Duo. And you! You strike me as a New Romantic too.
Elaine Equi is another New Romantic contemporary poet who embraces magic and fairy tales in her work. She also uses titles very well. Her work showed me the advantage of integrating titles in a more direct way to orient a reader and also to focus on my message.
A decade ago, Alex Lemon’s book Hallelujah Blackout shook me up and gave my syntax a fresh direction. He was mashing words together with hyphens to heighten their urgency and immediacy. I used this technique in Triple Crown (Spuyten Duyvil, 2013): “lurch-walking on wracked limbs.”
8. You have been called “a known New York impresario of spoken word and the oral tradition.” Please talk about your explorations in poetic language.
My first poetic home was St. Mark’s Church. At one time I would go to two or three readings a week, plus attend workshops. The oral traditions that had grown out of the Beats combined with the conversational lilt of the New York School. People found their distinctive voice as they read their own work to each other.
Within a year of moving to New York I began a reading series with Jim Brodey. We had Anne Waldman and Ron Padgett read and a lot of our own contemporaries like Bob Holman and Eileen Myles. Since then I’ve organized and hosted hundreds of readings and published hundreds of poets. As a master of ceremonies, it’s my job to welcome the audience and introduce the readers. I guess this aspect of the poetry business has influenced my poetry, giving me confidence and practice in getting people to listen. I’ve been trying to understand what they want to hear.
9. In the early 1990s, you invented “New Romanticism,” a poetic movement that is at once joyous, communal, erotic, and spontaneous. Blue Lyre (Dos Madres Press, 2013) is, in a sense, the culmination of New Romanticism. Please discuss the main contributions of New Romanticism and how it differs from traditional Romanticism. Also, could you share two of your most satisfying poems from Blue Lyre?
I realized that my main muse was my lover. That my persona was addressing a significant other. So there was a sense of intimacy, as if I were talking directly to the reader. So often, my favorite poems by others are their romantic works, such as Captain’s Verses by Pablo Neruda.
When I was introduced to Sir Thomas Wyatt, I was struck by the currency. I could feel his doomed love! I incorporated that fire and updated it to reflect the New York School.
These are from Blue Lyre.
COME ON NOW
Evening stoops under its sodden shawl.
A siren broods; its caterwaul
snarling over blackened roofs.
Someone’s on the run.
Wet tires whisper to Avenue C.
“I’m lost without you,” they swear.
I wanted to be a matador
in Manhattan, dancing with horns.
I wanted to be a genie
smoking in your coat of arms.
While you gave the raindrops names,
I made up a little song called
“You’ll never be happier
than when I was a string on your harp.”
ECHO’S CHAMBER
Mutual love is the law of human life.
—Leo Tolstoy
A fat moon trundles across the sky,
a Mac truck with one headlight.
I sleep alone in night’s salon
pining like a nut.
The only thing better
than one guitar is two guitars,
your sunglasses reflecting my eyes
in July’s jonquiled haze.
Resistance is futile.
Whatever you say.
The DJ is my best friend.
Gulls laugh at love’s slaughter.
I hear you rule with an iron caress.
My ears blaze in your absence.
Like the original Romantics, there is passion, emotion, drama, and nostalgia — an awareness of the ghostly past and an expression of our mortal state. New Romanticism has incorporated the deities of our own day to augment those of the past.
As the term New Romanticism implies, it’s an update in natural speech. “The DJ is my best friend,” could be compared to “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came.” There is also a rebellious aspect. The Romantics, in addition to contemporizing speech patterns, were in some part promoting pastoral scenes because of the horrors of the Industrial Age. Likewise, New Romantics are reacting to the inhumanity that can be found in the age of the internet. And like the original Romantics, we represent a revival.
But to be clear, I didn’t invent New Romanticism. It was a cultural phenomenon of beginning in the late 1970s and 80s. It largely came out of the music and accompanying fashion scene in London as a reaction to the austerity of Punk Rock and revamping the fun of Glam Rock. There is also a current in classical music (John Adams). There are also artists (Ross Bleckner, Phyllis Bramson). Robert Charboneau recently wrote an essay about why he is a New Romantic. It had a lot to do with renewal.
10. Speaking of Elaine Equi, she said, “He’s both a poet and DJ for our times — riffing off sights, sounds, songs, and language to create the ultimate cultural remix!” I really like her comment, especially “cultural remix,” which might be an important feature of your poetry. Is this related to your collages? You once summarized your work yourself: “There is a collage quality to my poems — juxtapositions of images, shifting scales and perspectives. A palette of varying textures. Rhyming shapes. Different directional focuses. The collage is built and the poem is too — with a lot of pondering, structuring, and conjuring.” Could you elaborate on this and provide specific examples from your poems?
Yes! Collage is by its nature a remix. I once listed five things I tried to include in my collages. A drawing by me, antique paper, rubber stamps, asemic writing or faux graffiti, and rock and roll stickers. This gave me a base to begin with. The five things can be compared to elements and cultural signifiers in my lexicon: Nature, love, musical lyrics or references, quotes. The sense of a party. And of course I want to use artifice in terms of metaphors, alliteration, rhyme, and cadence.
“Cantata” is a good example of a cultural remix. The title references a Baroque musical style. The poem begins with distress. The first five lines describe a drought. Then the poem segues with the line, “Invisible forces carry us along.” This opens the poem to the cri de coeur that follows: “I am a prisoner of hope.”
CANTATA
Drought robs the sycamores, plucking
leaves in June. A breeze pushes them
into a swarm of withered pages
rasping anxiously across the court.
Then stillness. They die back down.
Invisible forces carry us along.
I am a prisoner of hope.
A congress of loneliness. A dry tear.
An old motor sputters before purring.
Empty boxcars couple with a boom.
Copying Ovid’s playbook, I hold out
for change. Home is made of wings.
Thunder clears its throat but won’t sing.
The goal in life is joy. Today sun reigns.
The images have metaphoric weight beyond there literalness: “Empty boxcars couple with a boom.” The word empty emphasizes the loneliness previously mentioned. It also suggests the romantic and erotic with the “couple” and the “boom,” which could be interpreted as signs of hidden strength. Like Ovid in exile, the poet will “hold out.” He finds the needed resolution: “Home is made of wings.”
The poem goes back for one more image (of sound this time). The thunder promises rain but doesn’t deliver. It won’t “sing.” Then the poem switches back to its obdurate optimism with “The goal in life is joy.” And now we have our resolution, our statement.
The last line is both fatalistic and idealistic. The final word “reigns” is a homonym for rains, giving the poem a surprising echo. And so the poem comes back to the first word “Drought” in an unexpected, opposite way. And the title, “Cantata” is echoed in the next to last line: “sing” which represents a euphemism for rain.
One can look at a poem in many ways. When I deconstruct the poems for myself I am amazed at the connections I didn’t build in but noticed later. It’s a mystery.
11. What evaluations have scholars and fellow poets made of your poetry? How do you define your own position and contributions in contemporary American poetry?
The late, great Hugh Seidman wrote that my artifice “took it over the top” while my “vulnerability saved the day.” My peers appreciate my sense of fun while recognizing my lyric qualities. I’m known for meaningful wordplay and sonic imagery. This wordplay is evident aurally (“Malaise in Malaysia”) but also in twisted cliches and double entendres. “Peter the Great” for instance is a historic figure but is also a phallic joke. I think my sonnets’ final couplets are well regarded. I call that last couplet “the Hammer.”
I’ve also received a Kathy Acker Award and a James Tate Award.
12. Andrei Codrescu called you “our grand lyric master” and “Sextus Propertius in NY.” I’m interested in how these two titles came about. I also want to discuss with you: Is lyricism possible in the contemporary era? I believe that human beings are already in an alienated relationship with others, and in such a situation, even if we engage in lyricism, it cannot be done in the way Keats did. What is your view on the lyrical elements in contemporary poetry or the legitimacy of lyric poetry?
I hear you about being alienated. People ask how can one write about flowers when people are being killed. But language is something we share. It’s free. Poetry, at its heart, is an emotional sport. Rigor, discipline, intuition, feelings — they all help shape the poem and lead to solace, wisdom, and connection. I think poetry addresses a spiritual longing that most humans possess. And lyricism is a very powerful tool. To eschew lyricism in poetry would be like saying no melodies in music. And actually, for me, the lyricism offers direction — the alliteration or assonance or rhyme — suggesting the next word or line. Like “Malaise” calls out to “Malaysia.”
Andrei Codrescu is a real treasure. We’re so lucky to have him in New York now. Andrei is referring to a quote I used by Sextus Propertius. The quote opens the “Come Ons” section of Blue Lyre. He’s trying to get a girl. Written over two thousand years ago, the lines still ring true. Also, my friend Vincent Katz has translated his work and made it very accessible.
13. Besides writing poetry, what other literary or artistic endeavors have you engaged in?
I have kept journals and dream diaries. I’ve written four plays. I’ve written lots of poetry and art criticism. I’ve also written many introductions and blurbs. For many years I taught various subjects including poetry. I’ve run three different magazines. I published Hard Press which produced 80 postcards of others’ art and poetry. I’ve edited two anthologies.
I grew up at a time in America where there were many opportunities. I took music lessons and played in a school band. I learned how to play harmonica and guitar. I have an album of songs on Eat Records called Later Than You Think. The title is about the Climate Crisis. When the pandemic hit, I made a puppet show for my granddaughter. It’s called Pandemic Puppet Jam and it’s on Youtube with several other films I’ve made. A biographic film about me is on Vimeo. It’s called Cuckoo O’Clock.
And then there’s collage. When I was 27, I started doing collages as birthday cards and still do. Artist friends encouraged me and gave me materials. I stretched my repertoire to include drawing, stenciling, rubber stamps, antique paper and graffiti-like markings. I was involved with the Mail Art movement. I’ve been included in several art shows including one at the legendary Tribes Gallery in the East Village.
14. Is New York the core of American poetry? If so, please tell me about your relationship with the New York poetry community. If it is only one of the cores, what are the other cores, and are there any iconic figures you are familiar with?
Well, there’s certainly San Francisco and the Bay Area. Boston. New Orleans. But the scene in New York is so sprawling. You can go to art openings and mix with the artists and critics. You can go to readings practically every night. You can go uptown and hear professors and authors with books from big publishers and you can go downtown and hear counter culture poetry in clubs and bars. That overlap is amazing. And everyone wants to come here and read at some point so you can sample everything that’s out there.
15. You are also an active advocate of performance poetry Please share your thoughts on this.
Reading a poem to a devoted audience creates a communion in the room. Every one is “on the same page,” so to speak. All of that energy is concentrated on the poem and the meanings it generates. It’s very spiritual and life affirming. The sense of community keeps people alive. Really.
16. Which young poets are you paying attention to now, and why?
I like Sharon Mesmer, Ama Birch, Anton Yakovlev, Joanna Furhman, Ana Bosicevic, Adeena Karasick, Noelle Kocot, Brendan Lorber. They each have found compelling new ways to examine the self and its relationship to the system. I find a lot of inspiration in foreign poets too. I’m currently reading Jeanette Lozano Clarion, a Spanish poet, translated by Forrest Gander. She’s got the right amount of beautiful despair and triumph.
I thought I knew how people love. But I was mistaken.
While I was wandering, searching to find you, you were walking the very same path— pausing at different places, treading the same ground, searching too, just as desperately.
And when I found you, I believed that I knew more about love than you, that I would be the one to teach you what it truly meant.
But I was wrong.
You taught me how people love!
Without ever speaking the words. Without ever demanding a thing.
You taught me how to step outside the castles I had fortified myself within, how to shatter my foolish pride into pieces— simply because standing beside you was my only choice.
…..
2
The Handcuffs of Love
That night, you were beside me. And I was proud to be at your side.
No one knew about us. Nor did anyone care to know.
You were beside me, yet I could not touch you— except with my eyes. And you embraced me with yours— protectively, claiming your place next to me, unwilling to let anyone take it away.
Nor did I wish it so.
And though you had placed no handcuffs on me, I was bound to you.
Then you followed me, and you led me to the Palace of Love— where you could fasten me with your own handcuffs, as if you wished I would never leave your side.
“Release me!” I cried to you. And you searched for a way to set me free.
Yet when you freed me, I bound myself to you even tighter— for you had managed to imprison both my body and my soul, with handcuffs I had locked myself.
….
3
INEVITABLE
Some say that people meet by chance in life. That by chance they fall in love and bind themselves by Fate’s own knot.
Parallel roads that at some point finally converge.
And I wonder how all those that you desired had already been mine, long before I ever knew you.
Perhaps that is what made our union something… Inevitable.
…….
4
FAITH
I trusted you from the very first moment. I believed in you— even when my reason screamed for me to leave.
I believed in you, as if I were a lost fragment of your soul.
I felt the cry of your heart, even though you were silent, even though you claimed you had settled.
Free hearts do not settle for conventional bonds. They crave openness. Growth. Play. Variety.
But more than anything, they crave Faith— as all things do.
It is faith that keeps the flame alive, that makes it grow even under adverse conditions.
And if it falters for a moment… let it always smolder— so that with a single breath of hope it may return, just as strong as before…
