beauty is truth but ugliness means well (some personal thoughts about Donald Gardner’s poetry)

Just to get this out of the way: this is not a review of Mr. Gardner’s work in the broader sense. My English simply isn’t good enough to confidently convey what I think about his poetics, and my understanding of his place in the international literary landscape is woefully inadequate to do him, or it, any justice. But I strongly feel I want to do SOMETHING after reading through the volume he sent me after a very friendly back and forth during us (Onno and mine) putting together our very first issue of Double Dutch magazine, and, more specifically, Mr. Gardner’s shared little corner in it. His ‘New and Selected Poems’ struck more than one chord with me, and I really want to tell you which. 

Truth be told, though, before we decided on asking our current Dutch national poet laureate Babs Gons for a contribution I didn’t know about Mr. Gardner, or his work, at all? Only that he was the one who had translated her verse into the English language. I guess that’s one of the perks of starting a literary and art magazine, eh? Feeling richer for it already! Even if it did cost me 50 bucks. Making him the only paid contributor to our magazine so far. Money very well spent, mind you, because it warmed me up to him a bit. Fortune favors the bold, no? He asked, and I was willing to. It’s that simple. He further wrote to me how he preferred to change to informal communications between us a.s.a.p., which is highly appreciated, but by searching for more relevant information about him and slowly learning about why he’s become the cultural icon that he is, I found that addressing him in any other but a polite way since then became anything if not harder? Sorry sir! But maybe I am just old fashioned that way. Me, I don’t see anything wrong with being polite. It’s a way to show respect, nothing more. And respect his work, that I have come to do during these last few days. Here’s a first example of why:

Originally published in the volume ‘Peace Feelers’ (1969)

Apart from containing THE most beautiful sentence in all of his ‘New and Selected Poems’ (for a hint see the title of my first ever piece of this kind in English), there is a… vulnerability and confiding honesty on show here that makes the reader feel like a good acquaintance being told about this unfortunate episode the day after. Over a cup of mheh but scorching hot coffee. Out of a not so very clean mug. After reading it I almost felt lacking for not being there to help him get back on his feet and wanting to know how he managed to do so at all. This might not be a unique story telling technique, but it IS done perfectly. The same, seemingly shameless intimacy rings true in this one:

Originally  published in the volume ‘The Wolf Inside’ (2014) 

Having been published 45 years later than ‘Indirections’, ‘The unwelcome dinner foto’ proves two things (at least to me): not only does Mr. Gardner continue inviting us over, knowing full well that our (the average readers’) loyalty as someone who can be trusted with such one on ones tends to be a fickle one at best, especially when it’s called upon for decades, but also, and maybe even more impressive, that the bond suggested has now grown to a point where he doesn’t feel the need to make a lot of work of hiding the rather obvious reason he decided not to go to this reunion. A reunion he, I think, very much did WANT to go to initially. It’s just… They just HAD to put that part about the deadline and having to pay otherwise in there, didn’t they? Rubbed him the wrong way. Fuckers. And in the end he showed ‘em by not going. Which is regrettable, maybe, in hindsight, and could have been handled more… maturely, yeah…, sure! But fuck THAT, eh? … Friend?

Yes, …, sir, and thank you? Thank you very much for this little masterclass. The next one I want to mention is a poem I intend to include in our issue nr. 1, seeing as it classifies beautifully as a verse that we love to showcase: heart punching and angry, but without… explicit anger as such, if that makes any sense? In this poem my by now imaginary friend of old has gotten older still and is tired. So, so tired. Too tired to raise his voice. I imagine him calling me on the phone, completely spent, talking quietly, just wanting to hear a friendly voice for a bit and telling me:

I want to get on the first plane, since half a continent has come between us over time, bring some of my wife’s special homemade, dark roast, slow filtered, Himalayan brew and… be there for the guy?

It doesn’t matter, not one bit, if these were the actual last words the poet’s mother spoke before she died, if the poet broke a hip or just bruised it, or maybe didn’t take a dive in the shower at all. That discussion is the most boring one in all of poetry. Furthermore, I’m fully aware, believe me, that I’m projecting all kinds of intentions on mr. Gard-, Donald’s verses. It’s obvious I chose a couple that spoke specifically to my taste and preferences when it comes to style and technique. But that’s just it about being able to read such a well put together overview of one’s entire career, isn’t it? I feel allowed to. Encouraged. I feel I’ve earned it. And that’s brilliant. My specific friend from between these two covers might not be perfect, I mean he never asks about ME, ever, can be petty, obsessive, and has a tendency to contemplate himself into some severe depressions if he’s not careful, but at the same time he’s inherently good hearted, and, which is truly the most important and in every day (some claim real) life seems to get increasingly rare these days: I believe. He. Means. Well.

I’d like to end what’s becoming a wholehearted praise of his work with one of… Donald’s uncollected, early poems. I haven’t mentioned him moving to the Netherlands in 1979, and decided not to include poetry that touches on his time in this tiny country of ours, while, believe me, there are a lot of beautiful examples of those to choose from. These, however, are not what define the poet in this case, or his work. For me, that is. What DOES however, and again, highly personal in no small part, is our kinda shared… route, you might say, through Poetry? Be it on levels that couldn’t further apart in international scale and cultural importance, true, thanks a lot, but still! I pretty much started out slamming my poetry, with some Nation wide success (having studied ‘Writing for Performance’ for two years and rightfully getting kicked out of said university way too soon for being stupidly stubborn), before signing my first publishing deal in 2005. Donald too started out speaking his mind on stage, in the 60s that is, and happened to do so with contemporaries the genius likes of which included other Icons like Ginsburg and Gregory Corso. … Helps me relate even more, is all? I can picture us now, Donald, you as loud as the youthful are still very much supposed to get fortunately, up there on stage, in those 60s, roaring fire of the truly righteous in your eyes, getting into that… quintessential beat rhythm and proclaiming your fucking heart out while Allen and I, the guy you met that very night, are standing in a corner, smoking a joint and nodding, ours closed, to every emphasized syllable:

Introducing Double Dutch magazine

Hi there! Welcome to Double Dutch magazine. Thank you for visiting us, and taking the time to read this first ‘Feature’ article. We thought we’d take this opportunity to delve a bit deeper into the reasons why we started Double Dutch magazine, what we intend to add to an already crowded magazine landscape and our plans with it moving forward. The first of those reasons is simple enough…:

Keeping friendships alive

We (Onno and Benne) have known each other for about 3 decades now. In 1998 we started the artist movement ‘Het Ongeboren Idee’, together with fellow prolific creatives Gino Morelli, Sander Groen, Martijn van Dijk and  Jasper Arts, resulting in several cd’s, cultural lo-fi festivals, exhibitions, a theater show, a full blown movie, monthly poetry evenings in our hometown of Vlaardingen (Poezie in De Steeg) + a talent show for bands.

The entire Idee in 2012 with from left to right: Onno, Martijn, Benne, Gino, Jasper and Sander

‘Het Ongeboren Idee’

Our debut cd as a group from 1998, with poetry, soundscapes and music, produced by Marco de Brabander

‘Il Mostro’

An art installation by Onno and Gino at the ‘Vlaardingen container festival’ in 2006

“Please don’t read the poetry out loud”

‘A poetry exhibition by art collective Het ongeboren Idee in the center for silence (corner Veerplein/Waalstraat) during the 2007 National Poetry day in Vlaardingen’

We actually were a pretty active group for years on end, but as maturing tends to bring inevitable changes with it like some of us becoming fathers, others moving away or getting married etc, etc, a.k.a. the usual, the once very tight creative ties slowly loosened. And then loosened some more. Priorities, eh? Which is normal, I guess, but regrettable none the less… So, yeah, fuck THAT! While we might not be able to get together way as much anymore, and the last project as a complete groep was many, many years ago, the members did not stop creating individually and there have been a few solid collabs between us since then. For example, Onno and me partnered up between 2010 and 2015 by publishing a poem with accompanying art and vice versa every month for Barflyer Magazine, culminating in the volume ‘Met man en muizenis’ by publishing house Stanza in 2015, while Martijn (music/production/patience) and I (lyrics/vocals) worked on a 6 track EP together in 2020 and 2021. So yeah. And now? Now there’s Double Dutch magazine :)

‘Venus bij Maanlicht’

A still from our feature length film, shown at Het Zomerterras festival in 1999

‘CASHFLOW WINNER 1 st EDITION FARADAY’S CAGE’

‘… a competition for bands mostly from the Music scene in Vlaardingen. … organized and presented by Sander Groen, Benne van der Velde and Onno Maat from the artist movement Het Ongeboren Idee.’ 2000

Why a literary, music and art magazine?

 I’ve been a editor for 3 Dutch literary magazines in the past. Liked that a hell of a lot. Since a couple of years, not long after I started to re-write my own poetry in English, I began to send my work to English/American magazines and competitions myself. Doing so with the same intensity I tend to do everything with, and learning a lot from those experiences in the process. Enough even to come to a simple realisation: I can do that too! And so I am. And so WE are. I love poetry, Onno breaths visual art and we both know a thing or two about music first hand. Just makes sense. What helps a lot as well is that it’s all online, the editorial stuff and managing the site and what not. Great for a couple of busy gen X’ers like us!

Eliciting responses

Pssst…. These are very, very, VERY sensitive times… While some of the greatest art out there, in any form, is a shock to the system by fucking design. Covering the entire range of human emotions, from fear, jealousy, to hate, through pride into (self)loathing. Offending just for the sake of it, is just… boring, true enough, but people getting offended by sublime poetry or striking art just because of the choice of language, sensitive subject matter or the imagery (for example nudity) used should NEVER be a reason to stop providing places where you can read those kinds of art, or look at them. Or listen. So. If what we showcase offends you, good! It means our contents at least achieve what they’re supposed to: elicit a response. What kind of an emotion that might be, however, is NOT our responsibility, nor problem, and if you don’t like what you see, or hear, or read here, just… leave?

This is not the first time I’ve helped to created a safe space kinda like this. In 2007 I started a blog filled with of (in)famous and lesser known Dutch and Flemish anger/sarcastic/hate/pamphlet poetry with fellow poets Daniel Dee and Alexis de Roode, which ultimately resulted in the Anthology ‘Ik proef iets wat bedorven is.’ in 2016. Its promotion tour brought us to the Lowlands- and Woordnacht festivals, where we also mixed said poetry with music in the same vein. In short: this fight for true freedom of expression really means something to me, and I’m very glad I get to continue it in this new way!

Alexis de Roode, Daniel Dee and me with our anthology ‘Ik proef iets wat bedorven is’

“Anthology fits the current times beautifully”

An article about ‘Ik proef iets wat bedorven is’ in the national news paper Trouw from 2016 by Janita Monna

Going Dutch

Another pillar of this initiative is to showcase some of what the best Dutch poetry, lyrics and art have to offer. Great visual art shouldn’t need to get translated to be understood and felt, but storytelling through written language does. That’s why we aim to include some of the best/most beautiful Dutch lyrics, poetry and art along with their English translation (if required) in each issue. Highlighting the artists AND translators in question. Alongside stunning visual art by a range of Dutch and flemish creatives. Because we’re simply proud of our rich cultural heritage and new, contemporary examples of it. They deserve a global audience. And we can’t wait to show why. Period.

That’s it, I guess. Thank you so much, again, for visiting Double Dutch magazine! We hope you like what you see, hear and read, and if so, come back soon, submit, maybe even tip our jar and spread the word? We’d love to grow into a force to be reckoned with, and with your help we just might do exactly that. Cheers!