Love and Reading
by Vince Corvaia
The two most important things in life—love and
reading—are often accidental.
—J.D. McClatchy
I never got drunk
because a story made me
cry in public.
Instead, I shelved it
in a bedroom warm
with afternoon light
among titles I knew
I would never give away.
Perhaps you should have
been a book.
But even then, would I
choose to remember
the early days,
when I slipped off your cover
and licked my fingertip
before turning the first page?
____________________________
Vince Corvaia has a BA in English from The New School and an
MFA in creative writing from Wichita State University. He has
published approximately 100 poems nationwide and online. One of
Corvaia’s earlier poems, “Optometrist,” appeared in the Fall 2008
issue of the Apple Valley Review.
On “Love and Reading”:
I came across McClatchy’s statement somewhere and immediately
thought the phrase “love and reading” had potential. The poem
evolved conventionally, one slow sentence at a time, until the final
one, which took as much time as the rest of the poem put together.
Without the pivotal sentence “Perhaps you should have / been a
book.” I wouldn’t have been able to link “love” and “reading”
at all. The poem is fictional and addresses no one in real life. It’s
a concept poem prompted by the quotation, and I’m glad it has
found a home with the Apple Valley Review.
◄ Home page Apple Valley Review, Spring 2010 Next page ►
The two most important things in life—love and
reading—are often accidental.
—J.D. McClatchy
I never got drunk
because a story made me
cry in public.
Instead, I shelved it
in a bedroom warm
with afternoon light
among titles I knew
I would never give away.
Perhaps you should have
been a book.
But even then, would I
choose to remember
the early days,
when I slipped off your cover
and licked my fingertip
before turning the first page?
____________________________
Vince Corvaia has a BA in English from The New School and an
MFA in creative writing from Wichita State University. He has
published approximately 100 poems nationwide and online. One of
Corvaia’s earlier poems, “Optometrist,” appeared in the Fall 2008
issue of the Apple Valley Review.
On “Love and Reading”:
I came across McClatchy’s statement somewhere and immediately
thought the phrase “love and reading” had potential. The poem
evolved conventionally, one slow sentence at a time, until the final
one, which took as much time as the rest of the poem put together.
Without the pivotal sentence “Perhaps you should have / been a
book.” I wouldn’t have been able to link “love” and “reading”
at all. The poem is fictional and addresses no one in real life. It’s
a concept poem prompted by the quotation, and I’m glad it has
found a home with the Apple Valley Review.
◄ Home page Apple Valley Review, Spring 2010 Next page ►
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Apple Valley Review:
A Journal of Contemporary
Literature
ISSN 1931-3888
Volume 5, Number 1
(Spring 2010)
Copyright © 2010
by Leah Browning, Editor.
All future rights to material
published in the Apple
Valley Review are retained
by the individual authors
and artists.
www.applevalleyreview.com
A Journal of Contemporary
Literature
ISSN 1931-3888
Volume 5, Number 1
(Spring 2010)
Copyright © 2010
by Leah Browning, Editor.
All future rights to material
published in the Apple
Valley Review are retained
by the individual authors
and artists.
www.applevalleyreview.com
 |  |  |  |  |