Rambling: Eileen Myles

Kicking off the first episode of our new series, Rambling-where we share inspirational walks with literary creatives-filmmaker Chelsea McMullan gets the low-down with legendary American poet, essayist and one-time presidential candidate Eileen Myles, perambulating and talking poetry through the streets of their adoptive home of New York.
Myles's devil-may-care attitude and astute political observation-whether writing about radical queerness or hot-button global events-has marked them out as something of an oracle. Working-class in background, queer, and twenty books into a career that began in the 1970s, Myles is now firmly within the institutional overground.
Myles's emergence into the mainstream has been accompanied by their shrugging attitude toward accolades and fêted celebration. They came to New York in 1974 to "become a poet," in their own words. But, in their 1991 poem 'Peanut Butter' they declared: "I am absolutely in opposition / to all kinds of / goals." It is this principled commitment that has surely marked Myles out in an age of fake news and changeability.
Speaking about her candid profile of the prolific writer, McMullan observes: "Poetry and cinema often share this similar concern-how do you capture a moment as it happens? I wanted this film to reflect that voice of Eileen's work through our observation of them moving about their neighbourhood on the Lower East Side. There's no dawdling around Eileen-they move quickly and decisively, driven by a mind voraciously taking in the world around them."
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[@AkilahObviously]

I love this so much. Even the credits were beautiful.

[@onacasal898]

Her perspective on the word is so inspiring and beautiful

[@hereismatias]

She totally nailed it with the analogy on finishing a poem. I didn’t know about her. Thanks people! ☄️

[@willyounts3308]

the sex/poem connection is so good

[@lindsayruby]

i like the pool float thing, particularly as this has been uploaded at the start of summer and for echoing the 'summer is a time to do nothing and make no money' vibe in peanut butter.

[@djseafood]

really appreciate this and all involved on putting it together/uploading it for us. thank you.

[@johnwest3509]

what a funny refreshing person, I would love for her to meet my son they would really share many thoughts and writings.

[@MandaLynn_Fern]

Maybe he’d like her Pathetic Typing talk for the Woodberry Poetry Room. It’s on UA-cam :)

[@chantelstelliga8244]

eileen for president

[@MandaLynn_Fern]

I love you, Eileen Myles! I love her talk at the Woodberry Poetry Room (viewers, it’s here on UA-cam)

[@StarvingPoet]

City as language is brilliant

[@gracejohnson9779]

Her words are beautiful

[@scenes_from_a_life]

this is my favorite movie

[@anamonteiro276]

"one egg is better than two 'cause of all the longing it leaves..."

[@sophiekrop750]

this is fantastic

[@ilana.simons]

fabulousness

[@StarvingPoet]

Brilliant Killeen

[@sivgreyson]

wrapping the words around a moment? _gosh_

[@MandaLynn_Fern]

That’s the part that popped out to me too! I loved her Pathetic Typing talk for the Woodberry Poetry Room. It’s on UA-cam :)