Overview
Red Carpet
A name they call me in the bosom of her family
Caused me to believe I was her first true love
Looking into her ways then averting my gaze
Caused me to believe I was her first true love
The illusion of looking in on a concealed world
The story of women laughing as a boy listens in
Caused me to believe I was her first true love
Comfortable face subject on a pillow folded back
The romantic abasement I heard about and mock
Caused me to believe I was her first true love
I am not absolute; she compares me to others
A feeling of mystic superiority supports me
So do I, says the leaf falling off; so do we
Say the withered arms and necks of Lake Sokokis
Canoeing into a whirlpool of the motionless
Caused me to believe I was her first true love
Deep happiness that moves me turned inside out
<h2>Author & Background</h2>
<p>My initial thought about Steve Malmude’s <a href="https://www.carcanet.co.uk/9781800174979/red-carpet/" data-link-name="in body link">Red Carpet</a>—his first full-length collection published in the UK—was, “Why haven’t I read this writer before?” Malmude’s biography provides some hints, but it's the poems themselves that reveal why. His works exemplify a unique blend of charm and resistance which reflects the complexities of an assertively independent life.</p>
<h2>Journey Through Poetry</h2>
<p>Malmude, born in Manhattan in 1940 to parents of Ukrainian Jewish and German Lutheran descent, initially studied engineering at Queens College. However, swayed by his passion for the arts and against his father's advice, he switched to English and Classics. After graduating, he embraced poetry as not only a passion but a path. His formal poetry education progressed at the Poetry Project at St Mark’s Church in Manhattan, where he met the poet <a href="http://www.larryfagin.com/pages/poems.html" data-link-name="in body link">Larry Fagin</a>, who published Malmude’s debut book, *Catting*, in 1972.</p>
<h2>The Essence of Red Carpet</h2>
<p>After publishing two more collections, Malmude moved to Limerick, Maine in 2002, potentially inspiring the title poem of *Red Carpet*. This collection reveals a love poem—both playful and earnest—that employs deceptively simple structures like lists and refrains, showcased through unpunctuated quatrains. Yet, within these forms lies a web of uncertainties, revealing the cautious nature of the speaker who feels like an outsider.</p>
<h2>Exploring Themes of Love</h2>
<p>The repetitive refrain “caused me to believe I was her first true love” carries an air of hesitation. It invites readers to draw their own conclusions while the subtleties of his reflections on love unfold. For instance, Malmude juxtaposes the strange connection between the narrator and the image of "women laughing" as he observes, creating an atmosphere of ambiguity about personal narratives.</p>
<h2>Transformation Through Verse</h2>
<p>As one navigates through Malmude's poetical landscape, a certain recognition emerges in lines like "I am not absolute; she compares me to others.” This moment hints at vulnerability and an evolving sense of self, increasingly leaning towards confidence. The verses evolve from doubt to a space of assuredness, enriched by the chorus of recognition embedded in multiple stanzas.</p>
<h2>Emotional Depth and Contrast</h2>
<p>The imagery fluctuates between poignant and alarming, particularly when glancing at the "harsher scene" that may reference the historical plight of Indigenous peoples near Lake Sokokis. The structural movement from description to feeling captures the interplay between love and mortality, where “canoeing into a whirlpool” evokes a sense of eternal moment and intertwined destinies.</p>
<h2>Final Thoughts</h2>
<p>Reading *Red Carpet* is a delight. Each poem reflects a profound commitment to craft that transcends surface-level aesthetics, revealing layered emotions and insights. Malmude expertly blends influences from the <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/collections/147565/an-introduction-to-the-new-york-school-of-poets" data-link-name="in body link">New York School</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_poets" data-link-name="in body link">Language poets</a>, resulting in a voice that is both fresh and deeply resonant. His works are indeed worth celebrating and discovering further.</p>
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<p>Two poems from *Red Carpet* are introduced by Miles Champion and read by Steve Malmude <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Y0I0JoNA2Rc" data-link-name="in body link">here</a>.</p>
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