[New-Poetry] laureate

[Roger Day]

The US "Poet Laureate Consultant", to give the full honorarium, has
been "time-honoured" in the USA since 1985. Poetry consultant since
1939, and Robert Frost. The LOC has poetry speicialists, so consultant
seems a good, modern title which would sound better over time.

Poetry Consultant is something I'd like the British Library have - the
national library and the national poet should go hand in hand I think.

Does anyone know why the Republicans wanted a Poet Laureate
Consultant? To get away from the New Deal? It's not as if they
actually seem to like poetry these days - the only Presidents to have
a poem read at an inauguration have been Democrats. Carter published a
slim volume. Does Bush actually read anything outside the funnies?

My, how times have changed. John Quincy Adams wrote - and published -
an epic poem. He also used to go skinny-dipping in the Potomac at 5am
each day. Someone stole his clothes once, and he had to be rescued by
a small boy. It seems incredible at this distance.

Roger

On Sun, May 4, 2008 at 3:13 PM,  <shin02143 at aol.com> wrote:
> Dennis,
>
>
> Could you explain your reasoning? I like the idea of a national poet
> laureate. It is a time honored tradition and it occasionally even honors a
> deserving poet. Maybe in today's diffuse environment a laureate doesn't mean
> as much as it once did, if that is your point, but there are so few truly
> significant honors an American poet can receive I see no reason to eliminate
> this one.
>
>
> Richard
>
>
>
>
>  -----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.
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