Stephen Harvey: “As a formalist, I’ve always been intrigued with Petrarch but can’t quite stomach the mushiness of the Canzoniere which, some critics argue, is written in persona. I borrowed his concept a couple years ago, using Laura as a stand-in for whatever longing I can’t come to terms with. It took a little tinkering, but soon I discovered the voice of a modernized Petrarch bumbling through brothels, the White House, and other disreputable establishments. The hard part now is getting him to shut up.”
“Modern American Gothic” by Stephen HarveyPosted by Rattle
Ekphrastic Challenge, March 2017: Editor’s Choice
Image: “La Familia” by Lisa Ortega. “Modern American Gothic” was written by Stephen Harvey for Rattle’s Ekphrastic Challenge, March 2017, and selected as the Editor’s Choice.
Comment from the editor on this selection: “There’s a reason that the sonnet has so long been the most popular English poetry form: The combination of brevity and natural music make it the quintessential poem. Those attributes are on full display in this couplet sonnet by Vanderbilt anesthesiologist Stephen Harvey. The poem serves as a unique and insightful character sketch, while also featuring a few of the best single lines I’ve read all year—that last line in particular.”