[New-Poetry] laureate

[Roger Day]

I like the American idea of a PL, if not the title.

Quoted in the Wiki:
"The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress
serves as the nation's official lightning rod for the poetic impulse
of Americans. During his or her term, the Poet Laureate seeks to raise
the national consciousness to a greater appreciation of the reading
and writing of poetry."

At $35000 per annum, not something to be sneezed at.

By contrast, although govt appointed, the PL in the UK is a member of
the royal household and AFAIK, is tasked with celebrating the little
dears. Amusingly, I can't find anything on the UK PL - how the
position is filled, what the duties are, the pay etc etc. I think the
UK PL sucks.

Roger

On Mon, May 5, 2008 at 12:41 PM, Anny Ballardini <anny.ballardini at tin.it> wrote:
> Laureate, in Italian, laureato, which means graduate. For me it sounds like
> a promotion, a graduation. Yes, it comes from laurel, why not? If you say
> Minister (also from Latin origins), you take away the freedom a Laureate
> enjoys, and s/he will have to sit down at all the boring meetings,
>  I think they should have a Laureate in every country, possibly with that
> Huge Machine Bob has just invented, that would be interesting...
>
>  p.s.: I love that 'sublime ignorance'
>
>  ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roger Day" <rog3r.day at gmail.com>
>  To: "NewPoetry: Contemporary Poetry News &amp,Views"
> <new-poetry at wiz.cath.vt.edu>
>  Sent: Monday, May 05, 2008 12:22 PM
>
>  Subject: Re: [New-Poetry] laureate
>
>
>
> >
> > Having a poet laureate is too much like medieval europe for me, poet
> > courtiers and all that. A ministry of culture would suffice. Barely
> > anyone reads their output in this country anyway; it passes by in
> > sublime ignorance.
> >
> > Roger
> >
> > On Mon, May 5, 2008 at 12:41 AM,  <jforjames at aol.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Going back to old label for the post makes sense to me per the
> Enersonian
> > > ideal of trying to establish a native literary tradition. When the name
> of
> > > the post was changed it was clearly a 'marketing' decision. Still
> > > 'Consultant' does sound a bit sterile/technical.
> > >
> > >  I was thinking that only Poetry, despite its much talked about
> > > marginalization, is the only one of Arts that get such prominant
> position
> > > both named and paid for by our national government. There is no Symphony
> > > Orchestra Conductor Laureate, no Filmmaker Laureate, no Painter
> Laureate?
> > > We're special.
> > >
> > >  Finnegan
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >  -----Original Message-----
> > >  From: Barone, Dennis <dbarone at sjc.edu>
> > >  To: new-poetry at wiz.cath.vt.edu
> > >  Sent: Sun, 4 May 2008 8:56 am
> > >  Subject: [New-Poetry] laureate
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I'd like to see the post of poet laureate of the United States
> eliminated.
> > > Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress sounds ok to me,
> laureate
> > > does not.
> > >
> >
> > --
> > My Stuff: http://www.badstep.net/
> > "She went out with her paint box, paints the chapel blue
> > She went out with her matches, torched the car-wash too"
> > The Go-Betweens
> >
>
>
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>



-- 
My Stuff: http://www.badstep.net/
"She went out with her paint box, paints the chapel blue
She went out with her matches, torched the car-wash too"
The Go-Betweens