[New-Poetry] Simic Stepping Down

[Roger Day]

Art-forms don't, in general, need the competitions. It's the
marketeers who dream up the competitions.

On a mundane level, if you have a job then you need some way to pick
someone to fill the job. At this "level" it becomes very political. In
the UK, it usually means the smothering of the poet involved.

I thought that PL in the US was a "real" job? In the UK, it's a nonce
position, sucking up to royalty as if we don't suck up to them enough.
Then again, I'm that rare bird an English Republican who believes that
we would be better off without a monarchy. Transfer that symbolism to
something more representative of England.

Roger

On Sat, May 3, 2008 at 9:03 PM, judy prince <jbalizsprince at cox.net> wrote:
>
>
> Howzis, jforjamesFinnegan (I guess--as am new on new-po)?
>
> Chuck the word "laureate" from the position, recognise that it's a job like
> any other (i.e., with work to do and pay to get) and that it deserves
> publicity for worker and craft.  Then go ahead and democratise the role:
> hire a poet a week.
>
> Further, why do we approve the prostitution of poets and poetry by fawning
> over the hierarch-imposing circus of competitions and awards?  Wot are those
> events proving to us?  Wot are they demonstrating to poetry-appreciators and
> would-be poets?  I've wondered why +art forms+ "need" the delusive boost of
> competition.  Slightly reconfiguring the old patron networks, our
> corporations and individuals (with all the charitable feeling of
> missionaries <g>) promote art-ists through the twinned tactics of our
> society:  war and capitalism.  I'd thought that art might, rather, be the
> saddle-burr as well as the Necessary Oasis.
>
> Judy
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: jforjames at aol.com
> To: new-poetry at wiz.cath.vt.edu
> Sent: Friday, May 02, 2008 4:05 PM
> Subject: Re: [New-Poetry] Simic Stepping Down
>
> I'd like to see the post be given to a woman, preferably in 45-70 year old
> range. Not too young, because
> there are too many visible and interesting poets and time will be needed to
> sort things out. Not too old
> because I think it's become an emissary position, and even an activist one.
> Jane Hirshfield, Jorie Graham, Alice Notley would be good short list  (all
> for different reasons)
>
> Or to a Language Poet for something completely different: Hejinian,
> Silliman, Bernstein...could be fun to watch.
>
> Finnegan
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jeff Newberry <jeff.newberry at gmail.com>
> To: NewPoetry <new-poetry at wiz.cath.vt.edu>
> Sent: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 8:31 pm
> Subject: [New-Poetry] Simic Stepping Down
>
>
> Simic stepping aside as U.S. poet laureate
>
> Published: April 29, 2008 at 2:39 PM
> WASHINGTON, April 29 (UPI) -- A lecture on poetry translation will be the
> final time Charles Simic speaks as U.S. poet laureate, the Library of
> Congress said.
>
> "I've thoroughly enjoyed this past year," Simic said in a news release. "The
> best part of being poet laureate of the United States is working with the
> fine, dedicated and learned people at the Library (of Congress)."
>
> http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Entertainment/2008/04/29/simic_stepping_aside_as_us_poet_laureate/7748/
>
>
>
> Who's on deck?  Anyone know?
>
> Got this story via The Poetry Hut (http://www.poetryhut.com/wordpress/)
>
> Best,
>
> Jeff Newberry
>
> --
> "Why are you wearing that stupid *man* suit?"
>
> http://museoffireblog.blogspot.com
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