[New-Poetry] CD Wright's body count

[millb at aol.com]

This conversation reminds me of one that took place around Carolyn Forche's poetry of witness. . .does first hand experience make the work more valid than writing about it after the fact?? Not sure. My guess is that what matters is the quality of the work and the impact the work itself makes.


-----Original Message-----
From: jforjames at aol.com
To: new-poetry at wiz.cath.vt.edu
Sent: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 7:35 pm
Subject: Re: [New-Poetry] CD Wright's body count


Sam, I've not?done any fact checking, but from my brief experience with C.D. Wright's book, it seemed she spent a good deal of time 'in situ' and researching the prisoner histories. In a talk I heard, she seemed to give the photographer she worked with a lot of credit for the project. Anyway, it didn't strike me a 'drive-by' experience rendered into poetry.

You seem to be valorizing war poetry above other kind of 'witness'. I'm not sure why. 

A poet is not a special spokesperson. But I think the?poet's view has at least as much weight and validity as others who have spoken about Katrina: journalists,?politicians, bureaucrats, engineers, social workers, volunteers, etc.
A poet, if a poet is a poet, will shine a light on things others might have overlooked, or express what others have felt but couldn't articulate.
Finnegan




-----Original Message-----
From: Rsgwynn1 at cs.com
To: new-poetry at wiz.cath.vt.edu
Cc: Leonstokesbury at aol.com
Sent: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:34 pm
Subject: Re: [New-Poetry] CD Wright's body count


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 

_______________________________________________
New-Poetry mailing list
New-Poetry at wiz.cath.vt.edu
http://wiz.cath.vt.edu/mailman/listinfo/new-poetry




_______________________________________________
New-Poetry mailing list
New-Poetry at wiz.cath.vt.edu
http://wiz.cath.vt.edu/mailman/listinfo/new-poetry


Get the Moviefone Toolbar. Showtimes, theaters, movie news, & more! 



_______________________________________________
New-Poetry mailing list
New-Poetry at wiz.cath.vt.edu
http://wiz.cath.vt.edu/mailman/listinfo/new-poetry

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://wiz.cath.vt.edu/pipermail/new-poetry/attachments/20080625/763f610b/attachment.html