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Sun Aug 8 15:58:53 2010

Nearly a year! Sukhdarshan Dhaliwal published a collection of his ghazals last year. Nicola Masciandaro has reviewed them for The Ghazal Page. Here is the review. If you haven't read Sukhdarshan's book yet, I recommend it.

Contributors to The Ghazal Page have published other collections recently. There will be posts on Gino's Ghazal Blog about them soon and, perhaps, reviews here. And if you have a relevant book or 'zine you'd like to review, please contact me.

Sun Aug 16 09:30:39 2009

I've added an explanation of the format for tercet ghazals, following Roberty Bly's example. I hope you will find it both provocative and productive.

Sun Sep 21 11:19:47 2008

Niranjan Sarkar has two essays, one on the Urdu ghazal, the other on the ghazal and music, that you should find very informative. I'm pleased to present them here.

Sat Nov 3 12:33:12 2007

David Jalajel has added another important element for our (English speakers) understanding of the ghazal. It is "A Short History of the Ghazal," linked under Notes on this page. In development and substance, David's "Short History" is much more than a "note." It is well-sourced, informative, and even inspirational in that the reader may well feel moved to try his or her hand in participating in the history of the ghazal as form and/or theme.

Tue Aug 14 19:14:20 2007

David Jalajel has put together a set of rules for applying the principles of Arabic ghazals to English poems. I hope you'll read those rules, taking the Disclaimer that prefaces them at full value: these rules give you directions to move into, not a rigid framework to like within.

The rules are based on David's two articles linker here and the article that began the sequence, "English Ghazals Based on Arabic Forms." This sequence of articles will change — expand — your understanding of the ghazal and its potential in English.

I hope you'll be moved to try these features in your own ghazals in English and send them to me for possible publication in The Ghazal Page.

Please note that David's articles and my publishing them are not intended to "prove" anything against the Persian ghazal for which Agha Shahid Ali was such an elequent advocate. Please continue submitting a variety of ghazal possibilities to The Ghazal Page.

Sun Aug 12 16:59:34 2007 Fri Jul 13 19:46:02 2007

Here's another essay by David Jalajel. The link is at the top of the "Essays, Notes, and Comments" section. In this essay, David provides some surprising and useful information on enjambment in Arabic poetry. I know that the essay changes my own understanding and practice by opening a new range of possibilities. Poets should be careful about accepting too narrow a definition of the ghazal.

Fri Jul 13 19:46:02 2007

You'll find an essay by David Jalajel linked at the top of the "Essays, Notes, and Comments" section. The concept of "microrhyme" that he introduces merits careful consideration.

Tue Jul 10 17:45:55 2007

I'm trying out a commercial site that hosts blogs. I've been wanting to get this blog going again, and it looks like I will. The Don't Muzzle the Ghazal will pick up, more or less, there where it left off here. It is hosted on TypePad. Any comments or suggestions you have are welcome.

Fri May 26 19:17:27 CDT 2006

The Ghazal Blog has grown some, both with comments and my own entries. I just posted a review of a novel, something I won't often do. I hope you enjoy my perspective on The Da Vinci Code.

Sat Apr 8 12:16:01 CDT 2006

I've added a "Comments and Responses from Readers" section to Gino's Ghazal Blog. Please have a look, and send a comment yourself.

Thu Mar 30 19:58:06 CST 2006

So much for the Blogstream blog; I haven't removed it yet, but I will soon. Have a look at Gino's Ghazal Blog right here on The Ghazal Page.

I do plan to continue with some information on meter and rhythm. (Just not tonight when I'm tired and we're under a tornado watch.)

Sat Mar 25 14:02:44 CST 2006

I've started a blog again; this one is on Blogstream, where, perhaps, more people will come across it and where readers can add comments. It's Ghazals and Other Poetic Ideas. If you read it, let me know what you think.

An attraction of using this site, for me, is that I will feel free to range further than I did when the blog was part of The Ghazal Page. As of now, I've only posted an introductory entry, but more will follow soon.

Thu Mar 9 18:38:43 2006

Tree Riesener has contributed the first part of a two-part essay on the ghazal. Her approach is different from most I've seen: not scholastic, not contentious, but admirably imaginative. Her essay is the result of intense thought and writing. It will give you a new vision of ghazals.

Sun Dec 25 11:22:38 2005

The 2005 Ghazal Page ends not only with several strong ghazals but with two prose pieces by Chris Mooney-Singh, a set of definitions of ghazal terms and a delightful piece on "Begum Ghazal." These are fine pieces that I know you will profit from. Chris's wit in the "Fourteen Day Zikr" is a touch that any discussion of poetry can benefit from. Wah-wah!

Sat Nov 12 15:56:39 2005

It's a long time between reviews, it seems. Here is a reveiw of Tree Riesener's chapbook, Liminalog, which I encourage you to read.

Fri Dec 24 16:28:54 CST 2004

I was shocked to see it's been over two years since a new review has appeared here. The review of An Audience of One has been delayed too long. The book is so rich I found it difficult to select and focus for a review, but here it finally is.

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Sun Aug 10 09:48:15 CDT 2003

Joshua Gage has a review of Agha Shahid Ali's posthumous Call Me Ishmael Tonight. Without Shahid's passion for the ghazal, we would all know much less about the form, nor would we have the impetus to learn without his impatience with American sloth and presumption. (Even well-known poets have published ghazals with, apparently, little understanding of the form.) I hope to have my own comments on Call Me Ishmael Tonight later. I hope you will read Josh's review and then read Shahid's book.

I've experienced a burst of blogging recently. Something to do with summer school's being over, I guess. I hope you'll have a look and share any responses with me,

Fri Jul 4 15:25:00 2003

I've added another note to the blog and posted Colin Flanigan's review of Ghalib translation by Robert Bly. Better than blowing my fingers off with firecrackers, eh?

I'm pleased to be getting some reviews, would like to see more, as well as notes or brief essays.

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Thu May 29 10:18:41 2003

I've added another note--a brief poem by klipschutz on the frustration of defining ghazals. BTW, I intend to add links for new material above existing links.

Also, I'm taking a shot at a web log. Let me know what you think.

Enjoy!

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Wed May 28 15:42:07 2003

Here's an open invitation to send me responses to reviews and notes posted here; to send me more reviews and notes. I'm even interested in more reviews of books already reviewed here, if the new review says something different from or adds to the first review.

I can't promise to publish all reviews, notes, comments, and so on. However, I would like to see a variety of prose items related to ghazals, written by a variety of people.

If you do send something, send it in the body of an email message in plain text format. I will tag it for html; if you format what you send, it just makes my job more difficult.

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Tue May 27 10:06:26 2003

Erin Thomas provides a review of Elizabeth Gray's translations of Hafiz. I second his enthusiasm for this book. If anyone else would like to review, or comment on Green Sea of Heaven, I would like to see that and perhaps post it here.

Josh Gage argues for using only full rhyme in English ghazals.

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Essays, Notes and Comments

Reviews

Gino's Blog

Don't Muzzle The Ghazal, on TypePad from July 2007

Gino's Ghazal Blog for 2006
   Comments from readers
Winging It: 2005 Blog
Go to the 2004 Blog
Go to the 2003 blog.

Comments and suggestions always welcome.

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