GV6: The Odyssey—Poets, Passion & Poetry

Both the nature and the power of poetry are the subjects of Bob Bryan's documentary, the sixth entry in his GV (“graffiti vérité”) documentary series. GV6: The Odyssey offers a collage of readings, observations, and recollections from 31 poets—an extremely varied group ranging from the quiet, reflective Victoria Chang, who sees her writing as having therapeutic value, to Askew, a rangy, volatile fellow whose work is marked by profanity (bleeped out here for student audiences). Many of the featured poets are also teachers, who speak not only of their own need to write but also of the positive effects of introducing their students to poetry. Whatever one's opinion of the particular writers showcased here, the film succeeds in illustrating their passion and commitment, and though it's essentially a talking heads production, the editing and graphics effectively tie the segments together. DVD extras include an hour-long compendium of the poets reading from their work, a collection of “wise words” from the poets on their craft, a brief description of contextual poetry by Dr. Thea Iberall, a definition of a “chapbook” by Brendan Constantine (whose recollection of his father's horrified reaction to the news of his son's desire to be a poet is a highlight of the film), and contact information for the poets. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)