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

[Mark Weiss]

I don't think it's a question of my reading ability, though it's nice 
of you to suggest it.

Possibly these old arguments hold some water.

One of the huge changes in American society since WWII has been the 
enormous growth of the academic industry. Before then, even referring 
to it as an industry would have provoked laughter. Anybody out there 
have figures on what percentage of GDP we're talking about? MFA 
programs are a part of this, along with a fair number of other now 
overcredentialed fields.

Here's an example from another area. My son just got a degree in 
physiotherapy in Britain. It took four years. Many of his classmates 
already had university degrees, but most were straight out of their 
secondary school honors years--like medical schools,  physiotherapy 
programs in Britain don't require an undergraduate degree. In the US 
physio programs are now masters level and the doctorate has begun its 
takeover. The reasons have a lot to do with hierarchy within the 
medical professions. Enhanced credentialling means higher status. And 
of course it's a boon to universities. But the training in each 
country is identical, and Carlos can practice in the US.

What's different about writing programs is that they replace a 
situation in which there was no credentialling and no defined career track.

I'm not deriding the professors. I'm questioning the system in which 
they work and the likely outcome of the requirements of that system 
on them and an literary culture. Read it as a personal attack if you 
must, but that's not my intention.


At 10:30 AM 7/3/2009, you wrote:
>Like I said before, Mark, you're making the same arguments that have 
>been made for years. Which might hold some water if all these 
>academic professors you deride wrote the same kind of poetry. If you 
>are as tuned into poetry as you claim to be you should be aware of 
>the incredible diversity of styles out there.
>
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