[New-Poetry] Wall Street Journal notices a Poet

[Skip Fox]

I believe Carolyn Bergvall said she chose to write in English even though
she knew Finnish and French better. English is more difficult for her, I
think I remember her maintaining, making it the most interesting language (
or the most fit medium) to write (primarily) in.

 

Conrad and Nabokov are two others to consider.

 

I wonder how this might work for immigrant artists (Gorky, DeKooning, etc.)
in terms of an outsider status being beneficial, not just in terms of
language.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: new-poetry-bounces at wiz.cath.vt.edu
[mailto:new-poetry-bounces at wiz.cath.vt.edu] On Behalf Of Anny Ballardini
Sent: Friday, October 26, 2007 12:48 PM
To: NewPoetry: Contemporary Poetry News &Views
Subject: Re: [New-Poetry] Wall Street Journal notices a Poet

 

Re.:

"Being an immigrant you also feel a bit of an outsider anyway," Mr. Simic
explains, "which is really good if you're going to be a writer."

 

also Gertrude Stein said similar words. Anyhow after Waiting for Godot by
Beckett, I would like to see who feels at home and where.

From: jforjames at aol.com 

Sent: Friday, October 26, 2007 4:15 AM

 


 
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119326704970370531.html?mod=googlenews_wsj>
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119326704970370531.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
CULTURAL CONVERSATION  
  

The Immigrant 'Outsider' 
Is Now Poetry's Insider
By EMILY PARKER

October 25, 2007; Page D8

NEW YORK -- "The great thing about the United States is that you kind of
start everything from scratch," says Charles Simic. The poet would know a
thing or two about the American dream. Born in 1938 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia,
Mr. Simic moved to America at age 16. He learned English as a teenager,
started using it to write poetry a few years later, and this year was
nominated by the Library of Congress to be U.S. poet laureate. "Being an
immigrant you also feel a bit of an outsider anyway," Mr. Simic explains,
"which is really good if you're going to be a writer."

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