Everything you wanted to know about Christian Bok ... but were afraid to ask!

Postmodern Culture recently posted an in-depth interview with Christian Bök, the intriguing author of Crystallography and Eunoia. Think of it as a sort of FAQ for the 2002 Griffin Prize winner.<!--newline--><!--newline-->You can read the entire interview here. But here's a teaser:<!--newline--><!--newline-->SV: The last time I checked, Eunoia was up to 20 print runs, and "Chapter I" was recently featured in Harper's Magazine. Does it surprise you that a book of poems--particularly one dubbed "experimental"--has had so much popular success?<!--newline--><!--newline-->CB: I am surprised that my own work of experimental poetry has enjoyed popular success, selling more than 20,000 copies at last count, but this number still pales in comparison to the success of other cultural artifacts in other art forms--so I still feel that I have a very long way to go in order to boost the profile of avant-garde poetry among a mainstream readership.<!--newline--><!--newline-->SV: So then the notion of a mainstream audience for innovative poetry appeals to you?<!--newline--><!--newline-->CB: Poetry used to be the highest art form after music--but now, because of its quaintness, poetry has become one of the artisanal vocations (like needlepoint); so I would love to find ways to rejuvenate the discipline.<!--newline--><!--newline-->