[New-Poetry] Against National Poetry Month

[David Graham]

On Apr 14, 2007, at 11:25 AM, TheOldMole wrote:
> I'd be angry at the suppression of non-mainstream poetry, if that's  
> actually been happening, but somewhat less outraged to discover  
> that mainstream poetry is the kind most accepted by the main  
> stream. I don't have any particular problem with National Poetry  
> Month, any more than with Black History Month or Earth Day.
>
> My suggestion to partisans of poetic schools that aren't popular is  
> (a) try to figure out some way to make yourselves popular, or (b)  
> wear your fringe status as a badge of honor, which is actually what  
> all poets have to do anyway, because all of poetry is a fringe  
> activity, National Poetry Month or no.
====================


I agree.  Is the Academy of American Poets keeping Americans from  
loving Ron Silliman or Lyn Hejinian--readers who would eagerly  
embrace such poetry if only they had access?

Obviously not, since transgressive, "edgy" stuff is in fact  
*intended* not to appeal to mainstream readers.  That's its reason  
for being.  Charles Bernstein needs Billy Collins and the Academy  
just as surely as every garage band requires big-name sellouts to  
define itself against.  Eventually, some aspects of whatever  
revolution occurs will seep into the mainstream, and formerly edgy  
poets embraced by the mainstream will, of course, be accused by some  
of pandering, just as whatever institution promotes them will be  
accused of tokenism.  Perhaps such accusations will even be apt.

I note that the Academy this Poetry Month has featured Ashbery,  
Perloff on Stein, Seidel, Creeley, Armantrout, and--oh boy!--Claudia  
Rankine on Lyn Hejinian.  That probably wasn't true eight years ago,  
in fact, when Bernstein's essay appeared.  We may be seeing some of  
these folks evolving mainstreamward, or we may not. But the  
prevalence of Collins or Levine over Scalapino during official  
NatPoMonth is not some grand conspiracy; it's just the way  
institutional taste works.  The wheel revolves slowly.  And more  
people *like* Collins's work.

You can dislike that fact, and if you're a teacher or other user of  
an institutional pulpit you can strive to change it, as Tad suggests,  
but good luck.  Historically, the mainstream tends to like, well,  
mainstream work.

I don't think Charles Bernstein would have it any other way, anyhow;  
if he ever were to succeed, that would be proof of failure.

========================================
David Graham
grahamd at ripon.edu
Home Page:
http://www.ripon.edu/academics/faculty/GrahamD/index.html
Poetry Library:
http://www.ripon.edu/academics/faculty/GrahamD/poetrylib.html
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