Casey Clague
essay - The Dharma and the Pen: On Meditation and Poetry
Though “inspiration” and “spirituality” share a root word—spirare (Latin: to breathe)—the connection of poetry to meditation practice is not simply an etymological one. We might never know if John Keats was a meditator, but his conception of negative capability is a Western analogue
Casey Clague holds an MFA from the University of South Florida. They live in Tampa where they serve as Assistant Poetry Editor for Sweet: A Literary Confection. Casey is also cofounder and cohost of Read Herring, a monthly reading series in Tampa featuring established and emerging creative writers. Creative and critical work appears or is forthcoming in Flock, Permafrost, Gravel, and New Writing.
More about the author
Casey Clague
The Dharma and the Pen
Casey Clague
What are 2-3 books (regardless of genre) that you’ve read over the last year or less that really blew your hair back?
I’m currently reading Wild is the Wind by Carl Phillips. Even hearing of a new Phillips blows my hair back, but the actual book…
Piper Weiss’ memoir You All Grow Up and Leave Me was a really intense read. Gripping, insightful, and socially important, but disturbing in a way that will likely not lead to repeated readings.
Who is someone you admire who does work that you feel really benefits your community, and what kind of work is it that they do?
This might be the case in most places, but in Tampa there are some really bad trends toward careerist personal advancement, “more-activist-than-thou” mentality, and cult of personality around individuals’ efforts. I appreciate the work of groups a lot more and they tend to be more purposeful and effective from what I’ve seen.
Tampa has a Solidarity Network that responds to instances of employee and tenant abuse and works to get folks’ working conditions improved, wages paid, or repairs made, etc. Not that there’s anything wrong with marching and signing petitions, but things like the SolNet provide immediate and tangible benefits for working class people.
What filmmaker used to make good movies, but should maybe take a break for a while?
Can Tim Burton just hang it up please? I feel like he’s going to start making remakes of his own remakes until we’re in this weird Inception-esque nightmare that’s just Johnny Depp switching costumes of pop-culture characters from 18-35 year olds’ childhoods.
Would you rather know when you’re going to die or know how you’re going to die?
I think the latter would be better. Otherwise I’d just be hearing a ticking clock over everything else I was trying to do.
What is something that nearly everyone looks silly doing?
In light of the absurdity of human existence doesn’t everything look silly?
