Re: [New-Poetry] An Era of Détente for Creative-Wri ting Programs

[Anny Ballardini]

I logically already said what I think, which opposes Mark's obstinate
defense of a wild natural literary development. Dickinson was a genius but
she did not have to work eight hours every day and had time to read and
write. In other terms, she had the possibility of outlining her own MFA [or
whatever you wish to call it].

Maybe Mark did not consider the fact that people [the majority of simple
human beings who still have empathic feelings towards humanity at large, see
Pina Bausch's interview on ubu.com] feel the need to share responsibilities
and burdens - which eat down our daily time, besides the fact that they also
have a consciousness and tend to educate those who are younger, by applying
their own experience and creeds [which is obviously the wrongest thing to do
because each generation has to develop their own parameters].

He alludes to the fact that he does not want to offend anybody, which can
easily brought back to the fact that he does not like how some people on
this list write.

I think he is leveling down all "my" ["my" in inverted commas because it
could be "our" if you agree with me] attempts at being in a literary
community in a too simple way, and that he has misunderstood my involvement
with my MFA, and my studies at large. I spent years studying German, French,
and I gave Spanish a good part of my time. I was very surprised in a poetry
translation course to notice that I had greater access to the Spanish
language [my very last language] than the person who wanted to translate
from this language and to the intrinsic wish of the Author when approached.
I naturally studied these languages by following conservative courses with
grammar, books and teachers / professors. As you all know, languages
disappear if they are not continuously practiced, but if for example someone
asks me to translate a text - it might take me some time - but I still have
the keys to access them and will for the length of my life.

But logically, as Paul Muldoon said to Colbert, his mother told him over and
over again to go out and get a job. In front of this, I have absolutely
nothing to say.



On Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 8:28 AM, Judy Prince <jbalizsprince at googlemail.com>wrote:

> "An official literary culture tends to exclude."  And plenty of MFA-gotten
> folk have, like Anny Ballardini, found much creative joy and practical use
> in the programmes, which, as you rightly point out, Mark, is largely a USA
> thing.
> One of my mantras:  Few situations are not helped by more information.
>
> Hence, at the understandable risk of a deepened/widened excluding "official
> literary culture" [I completely agree with Mark here], we may as well be
> finding that MFA students who may not otherwise have discovered their own
> poetry-writing power will go on to develop it and open further networked
> doors to others.
>
> Will those poets become---and grow---the fairly rare poem-writing giants?
>  Yes, in the same way that conservative training has always done---and in
> the opposite way of excluding many, of whom a precious few become recognised
> for their poetic gifts; namely, a Dickinson and a Shaksper who emerged from
> [past? through? beyond?] a similar excluding conservative mix.
>
> Am I backing MFA programmes?  Yes.
>
> Would I like to see other options?  Most definitely.  As just one example
> of many, I'd like to see childcare centers, elementary schools, middle
> schools, high schools, city colleges, universities, as well as public and
> private libraries, encourage poetry-writing groups.  One brilliant mentor,
> like Philip Hobsbaum at Belfast and Glasgow, can hone a generation of
> poet-geniuses.
>
> As another example, I see NP and other poetrylists as loaded with mentors.
>  Nice, that.
>
> Best,
>
> Judy
>
>
> 2009/7/2 Mark Weiss <junction at earthlink.net>
>
>> An official literary culture tends to exclude. We're developing an
>> official literary culture.
>
>
> <snip>
>
>
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>
>


-- 
Anny Ballardini
http://annyballardini.blogspot.com/
http://www.fieralingue.it/modules.php?name=poetshome
http://www.lulu.com/content/5806078
http://www.moriapoetry.com/ebooks.html
I Tell You: One must still have chaos in one to give birth to a dancing
star!
Friedrich Nietzsche
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