[New-Poetry] 2008 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize

[Bob Grumman]

Anny Ballardini wrote:
>  
> The United States are the only country that promotes such a Prize, and 
> whatever people may say (criticism is always welcome to everybody) 
> that promotes and supports poetry.
>
As you might guess, Anny, I disagree.  Prizes that support establishment 
poets, as Snyder now is, draw attention away from innovative poets, (and 
money, since people with money only give it to artists certified by 
prizes like this one), and poetry needs innovative poets (as Snyder was 
a hundred years ago).  Such prizes are therefore bad for poetry.

By the way, I'm not sure what you meant by the US's being the only 
country that promotes such a prize.  The prize is just a standard big 
money award for multi-certified mainstream poets.  Nothing unique about 
it that I know.

--Bob G.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://wiz.cath.vt.edu/pipermail/new-poetry/attachments/20080429/40adae59/attachment.html