The Poetics of Dr. Phil

"Win by winning extremely--be victory itself in your winning poetry"--Dr. Phil McGraw

G'Morning Poetry: What does it mean to win in the context of contemporary innovative poetry?

Dr. Phil: Well, winning is a state of mind whether you are the CEO of a company or just some schmuck poet trying to write the next experimental long-poem.

GP: How does a schmuck poet achieve that italicized state of mind, however?

DP: After you purchase my book you realize that winning is not an external, out-there, tactile thing. You realize that winning exists inside yourself. If you are looking outside yourself then you are going to lose yourself and when you lose yourself your self is a loser. My book helps you be a winner and to win at all costs.

GP: What do you mean "at all costs"?

DP: Do not take no for an answer. Do not settle for second-best. Do not quit until you have achieved the winning dream of your mind. Put that dream in action by winning out there in the world.

GP: In terms of contemporary innovative poetry, however, how would that look? What should we do to win?

DP: Ask yourself, who are my competitors? Your "compoetitors", if you will. Who are these people? Whoever they are you must seek to convince others that these people are losers. Let them carry the loser baggage while you take the next international concord flight towards the country called Total Winningdom and Good Poetry.

GP: Practically, though, how does that look?

DP: Well, let's say you're a contemporary innovative poet like Robert Frost or Maya Angelou or Billy Collins or Peggy Atwood. Do you think these people take "no" for an answer? The answer is "probably not." What you need to do is to get out there and win. Take your best self to the poetry reading. Take your fullest confident ideas of victory and let the public see that on your face. There will be no stopping your poems--there will be no stopping you. In short, use your poems to win the truth of your victory.

GP: Thank you.

DP: Thank you. Win on.