[New-Poetry] CD Wright's body count

[Rsgwynn1 at cs.com]

In a message dated 6/20/2008 7:44:47 PM Central Daylight Time, 
jforjames at aol.com writes: 
> 
> 
> A few words more? Is it the review or the poetry or both that requires a 
> shot of Pepto?
> Finnegan
> 
Aw crap, I composed a long response and then lost it.  Suffice it to say that 
I thought that One Big Self, which I reviewed in Hudson Review, was 
exploitative and self-promotional--Noted Poet records prisoners' words while struggling 
with her own losses.  

I haven't read the new one, but I guess I will eventually.  "Poetry of 
witness" strikes me as a bogus phrase, unless you mean someone like Brian Turner, 
who's actually been shot at.  Problem is, most of the witnesses, over many 
years, aren't around to witness except for the Trench Poets. Watching the Katrina 
coverage on CNN is a poor kind of "witnessing," in my opinion.  And saying that 
the government response there was botched or that the war in Iraq was 
ill-conceived just strikes me as preaching to the choir.  C'mon. Does anyone really 
believe that a poet is going to suffer for speaking out?  Read the c.v.'s.

Sam   
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