When I was in college in the late 60's, there were two writers that always seemed to get lumped together by the "inner-lectuals" dudes in black turtleknecks looking to get lucky at them there intellectual soirees - Leonard Cohen and Rod McKuen. Most people, comparing the present critical view of both their work might think that it's just another case of time separating the wheat from the chaff. . .but I'm not so sure.

I recently found "Listen to the Warm" and "Stanyon Street and Other Sorrows", by Mr. McKuen, at a used book sale and had to buy both (they were too cheap to let lie there). I keep them on the same shelves as my most treasured books. Maybe I do it out of respect for anyone who writes and succeeds at it. Maybe I do it just to confuse people. I look at them, from time to time, and can't really make up my mind.

Oh yeah - the Goldberg book is really good at breaking through that wall of indifference or whatever it is that keeps you from writing from time to time.

Thanks for the thread.