The Only Golden Ring Time

One of the best things about last-year's Paul Muldoon ringtone is how a lot of readers weren't really sure how to take it--was it serious, or were we having fun with the idea of what poetry is? Perhaps I needed to present it with a bit more light heartedness (I knew I should have taken video of the hilarity that ensued when the ring was played for FSG employees, bloggers, and my mom).

Because the cool thing, I think, about the oxymoronic idea of a poetry ringtone is that it's playful, it's silly, and it clearly comes from a poet who takes his work seriously enough to have a little fun with it.

Which is why I'm so pleased that Robert Pinsky recorded this year's downloadable poetry ringtone. Pinsky, who has appeared on The Simpsons, The Colbert Report, and at The White House (yes, the real one), references the joy of reading aloud in this exclusive, downloadable ringtone that I expect to be all the rage .

This ringtone calls to my mind the title poem of Gulf Music, which forced me to read it aloud to myself--on the subway, no less!--with lines like

Mallah walla tella bella. Trah mah trah-la, la-la-la, Mah la belle.

Ippa Fano wanna bella, wella-wah.

Fair enough, the subject matter of Gulf Music and the idea behind this ringtone couldn't be further apart. But they're both the same in a way, they're both about listening and hearing language spoken aloud.

But enough from me--listen to Pinsky speak it for yourself, maybe download it for your April ringtone. And after the jump, some video of his latest television appearance.

 

More from FSG Poetry at Myxer

It’s Only Me, Trying To Get Through

Ringtones say a lot about a person. Are you a vibrate--all-the-time on silent, with the phone secreted in your pocket? Or a top 40--set on single handedly saving the record industry with all the tracks your phone has? Or maybe you’ve even decided to go classic, with a ring that actually sounds like a telephone?

But I bet nobody’s got a ringtone like this: Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon has written and recorded an original couplet available for free download to your cell phone. It goes:

“It’s only me, trying to get through

I’d really love to talk to you”

Delivered in a fantastic, soothing Irish brogue. You can listen to it here:

And what will this ringtone say about you? Maybe some of these quotes from reviews of Paul Muldoon’s latest books will help you decide: ‘immense wit;’ ‘a knockout;’ ‘full of manic glee;’ ‘plays guitar in a garage rock band; ‘seriously literary;’ ‘I have always had a soft spot for Paul Muldoon.’ Download it for free to your cell phone here.

And be sure to bring your hot new cell phone ring to our event on April 16th at The Strand, where Paul Muldoon will be locked in a full-tilt poetry battle! You'll be able to buy copies of Horse Latitudes and The End of the Poem at the event, or you can get them online now.

About FSG

Farrar, Straus and Giroux was founded in 1946 by Roger W. Straus. The firm is renowned for its international list of literary fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s books. Farrar, Straus and Giroux authors have won extraordinary acclaim over the years, including numerous National Book Awards, Pulitzer Prizes, and Nobel Prizes in literature.

Farrar, Straus and Giroux
19 Union Square West
New York, NY 10003
www.fsgbooks.com

Contributors

Ami Greko is currently the marketing director at Folio Literary Management, where she works with authors and publishing houses to create comprehensive publicity campaigns that utilize internet, regional and grassroots marketing, in addition to traditional publicity methods. She previously worked at FSG and Viking Penguin.

Ryan Chapman is the Internet Marketing Coordinator for Farrar, Straus and Giroux. He has worked with Alex Ross, Sandeep Jauhar, and Colin Harrison.

Brian Gittis is an Associate Publicist at Farrar, Straus and Giroux. He has worked with Etgar Keret, Roberto Saviano, Amy Irvine, and Fiona Maazel.